The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1898-06-04
ARE pRoTEcTIoNIsTs.
Southern Democrats Converted TO tho
Americas Policy - Louisiana TO
Protect Its Home Industries-

The policy OF protection to home la
Dor and industries has found many
feryent advocates among the democrats
who almost entirely make up the mem
bership of the Louisiana constitutional
convention. They don't call 1t by that
name, but IL is undiluted protection just
the same. At meeting of the COM
mittee on taxation, the evening Of
March 81, 1898, at which Lieut.. Gov.
Snyder presided as chairman, the sub
ject under consideration was the ex-
emption OF manufactures from taxa
ton. Some very able and effective ar
guments were presented in favor of
such exemption. The New Orleans
Item reports the debate as follows:
Judge C.. +. Fenner was the first 20 ad-
dress the committee. lie first detailed the
wonderful growth In wealth and popula-
ton OF those sections In which manufac-
turing enterprises are fostered. encouraged
and sought after. citing especially the WON
derfu prosperity OF the New England sec
tion. whose natural staple products are
granite and cement He then furnished
statistics to show the marked evidences or
increasing and steadily growing prosperity
IN this section since the first encourage
ments TO manufacturing enterprises were
held out under the constitution or 1873, and
the further encouragement accorded un-
der the extension OF the exemptions under
the constitutional amendment submitted
TO and adopted by the people In 1883.
Col. III. @. Hester presented an elaborate
array TO show the strides that this state
and city has made In manufacturing enter
prises through the fostering Influence OF ia
Vorable provisions In the state constitu-
tlon. The committee was also addressed
by Messrs. Maurice Stern and A. A. Hagin-
mis- In behalf OF the cotton manufacturing
industries.
So far as we know, not one of these
able and influential gentlemen who dis
coursed so eloquently OF the benefits
that have accrued TO the people and
state Of Louisiana from the exemption
of manufacturers from taxation is pub
licly identified with protection as ma
tional policy. Yet each and every one
of them is practical protectionist.
Exemption from taxation operates di-
rectly as a bounty or subsidy by the
state 10 induce and encourage the es-
adjustment OF manufacturing enter
prises, and is, in effect, direct tax upon
the misunderstanding element OF the
state. 1t is far more direct tax than is
protective tariff, for the latter Is a tax
which is paid in great part by the man
ufacturers Of foreign countries who
send goods TO the United States TO sell
in competition with goods produced by
our domestic manufactures.
The kind Of protection so warmly IA
vored by the Louisiana democrats is
sound and sensible as far as IL goes, but
il would not go very far toward sup
porting and encouraging home manu-
features il il had not been reinforced
for the past 40 years, less four years OF
leveland-Wilsonism, by the national
policy of n protective tariff which Sc
cures the home market to the home
manufactures.
TO be entirely just and consistent the
Louisiana democrats, after adopting
the protective clause In their state con
stitution, should align themselves with
protection as a national system. II
they only knew II, those gentlemen
have not far to go 10 land themselves
squarely in the ranks OF the party
which extends practical and indis-
pensable assistance 20 every state or
community which seeks TO develop IFS
Industrial resources and possibilities.