The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-04
Dutr ON Tagging md Ties.

The character of the new republican tar
if law is clearly set forth in its provisions,
which place an import duty upon cotton
bagging and ties. There are millions of
people engaged in the production of cot
ton; there are possibly a few hundreds
not more-engaged in the production of
bagging and ties. Under the new tariff
law the millions are to be taxed for the
benefit of the hundreds. The production
Of cotton in the United States embraces
the means of livelihood of farmers, farm
hands and those dependent upon them; the
production of jute bagging in the United
states-and no jute bagging is now i'm
ported-inFoives only the investment Of
few capitalists. The same is true with. re-
gard to cotton ties. American manufac-
turers for years have absolutely controH-
ca the market for both bagging and ties.
They could, indeed, export their products
to Europe. undersell the foreign manu-
facturers on their own ground and make
money, If there were any demand in Eu-
rope for their products. The tariff tax,
therefore, is not in the least necessary
upon any equitable principle Of protection
to infant industries but is imposed
solely for the purpose of enabling the
grasping monopolists who control these
articles of commerce to enrich themselves
at the expense of the southern farmers.
Indeed, the cotton bagging and tie tar.
if tax is more vicious. inequitable and
tyrannical than most other iniquities of
the new law. 1t is more complete sur
render to trusts than even the high rate
of increase granted the sugar trust. Cot
ton bagging is controlled by a trust that
has more absolute control of its espe-
cial market than has the sugar trust 1t
curtails output, raises prices and manip-
ulates the market to suit its own viii.
The sugar tariff falls upon the whole peo-
pie, and is therefore not sectional in OPP
Grafton. The bagging tax falls only upon
the southern cotton growers. and is there
fore viciously sectional; more especially
since the money that is hlched from the
pockets Of southern planters is put into
the Golfers OF the northern trust
There are some persons who entertain
the idea that the cotton grower does not
actually pay, out of his own pocket, the
cost of the bagging and ties which cover
and bind his crop. They think that, sell
ing his cotton by gross weight he re
ceives pay for the baling materials at
the rate per pound of the cotton, and
sometimes comes out a little ahead on
the transaction, while the price of cotton
is greater than the price per pound paid
for bagging and ties. That this is an err
ror is conclusivoly shown by Col. Alfred
b. Shepperson in a letter to Textile Amer
lea, published recently. Seven-tenths of
our cotton crop is sold in Europe. there
fore Europe makes the price. And Europe
invariably buys by net weight 1t is the
custom to deduct 6 per cent. from Ameri-
can cotton for tare and loss of weight.
Six per cent. of the average bale is about
thirty pounds, while the average weight
of the baling material is about twenty
two pounds, hence it is very plain that the
American producer pays for bagging and
ties out of his own pocket The purchaser
for export must take into account the 6
per cent. which the foreign purchaser will
take off the weight of the bale
There should not be any difficulty in
consolidating every southern voter against
so bad a tariff law as this