The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-07-15
IRONY OF HISTORY.
Southern Democrats Facing Toward
PrOtectiOn-ChOOse Prosperity
Rather Than Tradition.

the choice should be prosperity. Such
is the closing sentence of an article OF
exceptional interest which lately ap
peared in the New Orleans States, a
democratic newspaper, over the sig
nature "W. II. r." 1t is conclusion
full of force and strength. Well indeed
it would be for the south if it had long
ago chosen for its motto: prosperity
rather than tradition" The tenor OF
the article printed by the States is
protectionist. Obviously written by a
democrat and former free trader, its
argument is all the more effective in
favor of the support of protection by
the people of the southern states. He
says:
If the south forces the tariff issue to the
front again it will be detrimental to the besl
interests of this section. 1t Is ar
nexorable fact that the south now needs
a protective tariff more than any section OF
the union. With cotton and its other agri'
cultural staples at present prices there Is
no apparent possibility in this section oil
rivaling the north in the accumulation OF
wealth as long as the chief local interest
is agriculture. The south is naturally the
best manufacturing region Of the country,
1t has the ores the coal, the timber and the
intelligent population to compete in indus
trial enterprises with any portion of the
world, and it's future prosperity depends
more upon the number of factories that are
built here than the quantity of cotton
which can be raised to the acre.
The south for years has borne what was
to this section no doubt burden in the
form of protective tariff, and at this hour
when its industrial development has just
begun it would indeed be superlative folly
to cast aside what in the future will not be
a load, but fostering influence in the de-
velopment of its resources.
What the tariff has done in the past fol
the north it is calculated to do in the future
for the south. The infant industries of the
present are located below the Mason anc
Dixon line, and it is a question If large
percentage of northern manufacturers
would not soon be better off with free trade
| and unrestricted European competition
| than with protection by tariff and the south
| doing as much industrially as its resources
warrant.
Then follows stirring appeal to the
democrats of the southern states to fol
| low Samuel j. Randall's advice ant
get together" But it is to be new
sort of getting together. Instead o.
maintaining an unbroken front fol
free trade, as they have done for nearly
three-quarters of century, they are
now urged to "get together" on the
tariff question and concentrate theil
strength for the continuation of the
protective policy. Perhaps the oddes
feature of this rallying call is the rea
son cited in support of the plea fol
prompt action-namely, the possibility
that the fourishing industries of thu
north may, in few years time, decide
to abandon protection rather than SEE
it's aid extended to the establishment
of powerful competing industries in the
south. 1t is the dread of such al
eventuality that impels the writer il
the States to say to his fellow demo
Gratis:
The republican party is not so welded
to the protective tariff theory that it will
seek to perpetuate the Dingley or any othe
variety of the article day longer than /
! serves the mercantile interests of tn
states 1t controls. 1t would be the irony o
| fate, indeed if tariff for revenue only, o.
| free trade, became national policy at thu
hour when it would blight the infant indus
tries of the south like Dakota blizzard.
Whatever the irony of fate may hav,
in store for southern democrats in tn,
far future, it is the irony of histor,
to find so queer a turn as this in tn,
meandering ways of politics-to fine
the party which followed Calhoun,
lead into the ranks of free trade, chiefly
because protection was building VI
New England and the eastern states
into great manufacturing common
wealths whose potency in national af
fairs menaced the south's supremacy
now contemplating swift right-abou
face to protection lest that polio,
should be abandoned by the nortl
through fear or jealousy of great in
dustrial rivalry from the mills and fac
tories which the south shall build VI
by the aid of protection. Politics ha
furnished few developments NOR
unique than this. In any case, how
ever, it is to be construed as cheerin.
indication of the dawn of better thing
in the south. That portion of our com
mon country will prosper mightil,
when its people shall once for all turf
their backs upon a past full of mis-
takes and stand with their faces toward
a future full of promise. AS ''betweel
prosperity and tradition the choic
should be prosperity" Undoubtedly.