The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-05-18
MIR. Cochran on the Issue.

The rage of the Republicans in The
House wheu Mr.. Bourke Cochran
made his speech on April 23 is e3,
claimed and even justified by the full
report which appears in The Congress
sional Record.
The bill before the House was the
one creating commission to consider
and recommend legislation for the
development of the American mer-
chant marine.
"It is a bill,'' said Mr.. Cochran,
professedly to provide for an investi
cation of the subject. It is actually
q scheme to induce certain reluctant
members to take the very short step
from indirect to direct use OF the pub
lie funds for the benefit OF private
citizens. -
That is the only difference between
subsidies and protection. II bust
ness were in itself profitable no excuse
could be offered either for subsidies
or for protection. The efforts Of the
ship builders and owners had result
ed in
presenting to the American people and
to the American Congress in new,
striking, and singularly clear light
the proposition that constitutes the
fundamental and essential principle
of protection, and that is the proprle-
ty and advisability Of doing bus'enss
at q. loss.
All interference with business by
the Government was intended either
to make an Improbable business
profitable or to make profitable bus
mess more so. and In either case at
the expense of the public. The mo-
tive is uuiusti6able and the effect Is
mischievc1s That, according to
Mr.. Cochran, is the essential issue be-
tween the Republicans and the Demo
Gratis in the approaching campaign.
Both parties undoubtedly seek the
prosperity of the country. The ques-
ton is, How is prosperity to be OBJ
5ained?
How Is this prosperity to be
reached? How are commodities to
be produced in greatest abundance?
There are but two ways, as l have
already pointed out more than once.
by which property Of any kind can be
secured by anybody. One is by pro-
duction, the other is by plunder.
fApplause on the Democratic side. J
Whenever man desires anything
he must secure it in one of two ways:
He must make it, Or he must take
it. There is no other way. (Applause
on the Democratic side. He must
maze it himself or he must take it
from somebody 4ho has made it,
What he obtains through exchange
that is, by giving for it something
which he has made--is virtually pro-
duced by himself. Now, Sir, apart
altogether from the moral question
involved, Democrats believe that
production is the only reliable, abun-
dant fountain of prosperity, (applause
on the Democratic side, because the
fruits of production are boundless.
while the fruits of plunder are nee
essarily limited. You gentlemen who
come in here with proposal that
moneys be taken from the Treasury
and given to these shipowners which
they have never produced themselves,
must see that your enterprise is
scheme of plunder, for you cannot
call it production. tApplause On the
Democratic side. And the source of
everything valuable if it be not pro-
duction must be plunder.
Protection is but subsidy disguised.
The one class that cannot share IN
the benefits, but must bear the bur-
dens of either, is the farmer class.
If the farmer, who is necessarily the
victim always plundered by partial
legislation Of this character-if he
could understand clearly the system
by which be is forced to contribute
from his prosperous industry to these
losing trades, why. he would meet its
advocates with a shotgun or pitch
fork and conduct the discussion on
something like terms Of equity. Ap-
plause on the Democratic side. Sup
pose, now, for an instant, the exact
truth we're made clear to him; sup
pose that Immediately after the har
vest-it should not be done at seed
time, because that would discourage
him too deeply (laughter}-a Govern
ment officer entered his establishment
and commanded him to set aside g
given quantity Of wheat for that steel
industry so dear to the heart of the
gentleman from Iowa. (Mr. Hep
burn, certain quantity Of turnips for
the benefit of men engaged in the
manufacture of cloth, and certain
quantity of hay for the benefit Of
some other benefc;sries of your tariffs
or subsidies; don't you think the far
mer would terminate the system at
once-in moment, if possible-even
if to accomplish that result he had to
dispense with the enormously valuable
services of a great number of Repre-
sentatives on the hoor Of this House?
(Applause and laughter on the Demo
cratic side.
There were telling points of this sort
throughout the speech of Mr.. Cock
ran. 1t is Tot surprising that it stir
red the protectionist leaders to con-
start and not very courteous Interrupt
ton, which was met, save in the out
raeeous case Of Mr Dalzell, With great
good nature. Mr. Cockran's s summing
up is worth remembering by every man
whose task it will be to discuss the