The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-13
NOT IN FAVOR OF PROTECTION
SEA ISLAND COTTON WOULD NOT BE
BENEFITED BY III.

Merchants Interested in the Staple
Here Do Not Think SO-A Savannah
Cotton Man Gives His Reasons for
Not FavOring Protection ON Sea
IsIands-OnIy Reduction in Acre
age Will Increase the Price, He
Thinks Northern Manufacturers
VIII Control the Next Congress and
Egyptian Cotton.
If the recent convention of the long sta
pie cotton planters at Blackshear is to
be taken as good evidence, and it is to
be presumed that it is, then the long
staple cotton planters of Georgia and Flor
ida want protection on their product
| against imports of Egyptian cotton.
1t is strange if protection can be of ad-
vantage to the growers of long staple cot
ton that the cotton men of Savannah have
not recognized the fact and that some &C
ton in this direction has not been taken
by the cotton exchange before now. The
members of the cotton exchange are not
all radical democrats and it may be that
number of them voted for Mr.. McKin-
ley. Savannah is certainly more interest
ed in the prosperity of the long staple cot
ton growers than any other city in the
country. The fact is the best posted men
on this subject in Savannah do not believe
that protection would prove of any advant-
age to the sea island planters. They do
not care to come out in the newspapers
and discuss this questions over their own
signatures for fear that INSCRIPTIONS
competitors might take advantage of this
to prejudice their customers. who think
otherwise, against them.
| a gentleman who has had extensive
! dealings in sea island or long cotton sta
pie for years. was quoted at length by the
Morning News recently, giving his reasons
for believing that protection would prove
disadvantage and not an advantage to
the growers of sea island cotton.
Another gentleman, who has also had
long experience in the handling of sea is
lands, was seen by a Morning News re-
porter yesterday in regard to the position
taken by the planters at Blackhear.
1T is hardly worth while TO discuss the
matter" he said. Il very much doubt if
any action will be taken by congress and
if congress should take such action 1 do
not believe that the result would be of any
| benefit TO the planters. Less than half
| the sea island cotton crop is consumed in
this country. More than half of it goes to
! imposed sufficient to shut out the bulk of
| the Egyptian cotton now imported here
| there would be no great increase in the
/ amount of sea island cotton consumed in
| this country for the reason that the Egyp-
| tan cotton used by the mills in this coun-
| try is of a lower grade than our sea island
| and comes chiefly into competition with
| the long staple upland, while on the other
| hand the Egyptian cotton that would be
! smut out from our market by the tariff
| would come into competition with our sea
| islands in European markets and tend to
reduce the price there. This whole SUBJ
| ject was discussed at a meeting of sea is
! land planters held near Charleston several
| years ago, when movement had been be-
| gun in favor of protective duty. After
| the subject had been thoroughly discussed
| 1t vas agreed that a protective duty would
! with the sea island planters is overpro-
! duction and the only remedy they can
| adopt which will effectively reach the sit
uation is to reduce the output"
! why do you say that congress will
take no action"' the gentleman was ask
! ed.
! simply because the northern manu-
facturers VIII have more influence with
/ the republican congress than the southern
1 sea island planters. 1t is not to the in
/ terest of the manufacturers to have a
/ tariff placed on Egyptian cotton. Even
IL the manufacturers could use sea islands
/ in place of Egyptian cotton, they would
/ have to change their machinery in order
/ to do so. AS this would mean consid-
cradle expense to the manufacturers, the
manufacturers would naturally be OPP
/ posed to the tariff on cotton. The Egyp-
/ tian cotton which is brought to this coun-
try is laid down at the mills at from Q
/ to Il cents per pound and is used for
/ lower grades of manufactures. II the
/ manufacturers were forced to use sea
islands at a higher price, they would be
unable to compete with the foreign man.
1 ufacturers in these lines of goods. Conse-
opposing a tariff on Egyptian cotton"
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