Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-08-28

wALHALLA. SOUTH CAROLINA. AUG. 2s. 1901.

nv We <ScS 4OOAs
the retention by the Republicans of
their ruinious protection policy.
For what reason should the State
OF South Carolina insist upon being
allied with the over-populated States
of New England, which quit grow
ing in either wealth or material pros.
perity, and arrayed itself against the
Democratic States of the South and
West, and the Republican States
west Of the Allegheny mountains
The West and tho Southland by
West and South mean everything
west of the Allegheny mountains and
south of Mason and Dixon's line
have been forced for many years to
contribute to eastern States. South
Carolina. has felt this oppression and
her people have in times past arisen
On masse to protest. Now that tho
whole country is becoming aroused
to sense of sectional injustice in
favor of half a dozen States, is
South Carolina, for the first time in
Its history, to turn and kiss the hand
by which she has been struck, and
turn her back upon the pleadings of
the thirty-tivo States which have
been her friends? This is the pro-
position that is now made by men
who pretend to be Democrats.
Tho argument advanced is that
our foreign trade is vastly increased
under the ultra protection provisions
of the Mckinley and Dingley tariff
laws. If it was fact that our trade
had increased there might bo some
cause for this assertion. But the
statistical abstract issued by the
Treasury Department shows that the
per capita exports under the moder-
ate tariff of 1880 and 1881 averaged
S16.50, while under the Dingley law
they have only averaged $3.50.
Not only have the exports not in
creased, but they have diminished
nearly ten per cent per capita in the
past twenty years. Of course the
aggregate amount of exports has in
creased, but not in proportion to the
increase of population. Even our
cotton is not protected because it is
subject to the prices of foreign mar
kets. We are having prosperity and
we will continue to have prosperity
so long as India is famine stricken,
Russia continues to open up new
countries, as Siberia and Manchuria,
with expenditures of millions of dol
lars, war continues in Africa and
famine exists along the shores of the
Red Sea. We have profted by
others woe. AS the greatest pro-
duclng country on earth of all raw
materials, we have also profited by the
enterprise and prosperity of other
nations. We have had prosperity be-
fore. From 1887 to 1857 we had gen
eral and uninterrupted prosperity.
1t was not caused by war or by
famine. 1t was caused by American
pluck and enterprise. These were
stimulated by sound Democratic
policies Iii the administration Of the
government. We had prosperity
from 1884 to 1892 under both Demo
cratic and Republican administra-
tions. We have had panics during
the past thirty years. Two of them
have been long continued. And if
the periods of prosperity arc to be
charged to the policy Of protection
then the panics must be charged to
the same cause. If protection pro-
duces elation of short duration to be
followed by periods of great depres-
sion of long duration then the sooner
we get rid of it the better.
An increased tariff causes indus
trial stocks to become inflated in
prices far beyond their real value and
creates a few immense fortunes.
Prices are subsequently restored to
the basis of value, and there is
panic which ruins thousands and
causes loss to every one. In this
way prosperity and adversely, as com
monty termed, are affected by the
tariff. The people of South Carolina
are not yet ready to welcome such
disastrous results.
Another scheme which it is claimed
by this new evangcl of Democracy
will build up the South is the infa-
nous ship subsidy steal. The Demo
cratic party, believing as it has always
believed and always will believe, that
public funds should be expended for
public welfare, stood to man against
the measure.
This bill provides for q subsidy not
exceeding $9,000,0O0 year for the
next twenty years. 1t is claimed
that it is 80 wordcd that this amount
of $l80,000,000 could be so increased
that it would draw over $500, 100000
out of the treasury. Whether this
be true or not it is admitted that the
bill carries $180,000,000. This sum
is paid to fast passenger steamers,
while the tramp steamers, which
carry our farm products, receive no.
thing. The figures as given by the
commissioner of navigation shows
that practically all of this subsidy
would be received by four concerns,
whose interests arc so closely en-
twlned rs to make them practically
one. Tho facts about the matter arc
az follows
The Southern ports enjoyed an
increase of trade which drew from
the port of Now York. The per
centagc of the business of the country