The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-25
THE VOICE OF A STATESMAN.

page 6 from Ex-senator john
L. McLaurin on the cotton situa-
ton, which has been published
in a number of the leading daily
newspapers North and South,
and which is attracting wide
spread attention in the business
world.
In scope of thought, breadth
OF view and useful information
it surpasses anything we have
seen vet on the greatest indus
trial problem that confronts our
people.
Briefly stated, he says it is not
over production, but under con-
sumption from lack of facilities
for proper distribution, and that
the only permanent relief must
come from newer and wider
markets, and for these he points
to the "silk-clad millions Of
China" He goes on to show how
the carrying trade is completely
monopolized by the nations who
consume our cotton and there
fore prevent the further exten-
sion Of the market so as to pre-
vent an advance IN price. and
tersely asks how can we expect
the enemies of cotton to extend
the cotton trade when it is
against their interest.
His exposition of the condition
of South American trade was a
revelation to US. and everybody
interested in cotton should read
what he says, and all mustagree
that something must be done to
change and improve transporta-
ton facilities.
Senator McLaurin has spent
his life in the study of these
economic problems, and we doubt
ii there is a man in the South SO
well equipped with information
and at the sametime as gifted
with the power Of expression.
Our mind goes back to the
speech made by him in 1897 in
the House, when he was a mem
Der Of the Ways and Means Com
mittee that framed the D;ngley
Bill. He took up Southern pro-
ducts and compared them with
Northern products and showed
how the former had been dis
criminated against as compared
to the latter, and demanded, that
if the South was to bear her
share Of the burden: that she
should receive her proportion Of
the benefits of protection.
He demanded that the pine
lumber of the South should be
protected against pine from Can
ada. and the 81. per thousand
secured, has put just that much
into the South. It was the same
way with rice, and should have
been with cotton.
Suppose, instead of sneering
at ':republicanism in disguise"
the Southern members had been
a unit in demanding FIVE cents a
pound protection on cotton?
When Sully had the marketcor
cred, how could the bear crowd
have re-imported cotton here
from Europe and broke Sully,
and knocked cotton all to pieces?
They can't do it with wheat,
corn or anything else. because
they are Northern products and
protected, wheat 25 cents a
bushel.
We have in our possession a
letter from McLaurin written in
1897, that reads like a prophecy:
he says: Il know that I am be-
ing sharply criticised for asking
protection for cotton. but I do
not agree with you that should
modify in any way the course I
have chosen. am right and will
follow it to the end without re-
gard to consequences. I cannot
in a speech fully set forth all
the motives that influence me in
asking this duty, but one thing
sure, these Shrewd Northerners
never do anything without a
good reason. | listen to them
everyday in committee, and if a
duty on wheat or corn is of no
benefit, why are they so insist
ent? Wheat is just as much an
export crop as cotton; if pro-
lection helps the wheat farmer,
why not the cotton farmer9 It
won't do any harm certain, and
it will do good if it serves no
other purpose than to force
thought and discussion of indus
trial problems. A Western man
told me the other day that the
reason the wheat farmer wanted
that 25 cents per bushel, was to
prevent bear spectators from
bringing in Canadian wheat and
breaking the American market
with it. I do not think a bear
cotton corner has ever brought
cotton back here from Europe,
but they can do it, and if the
price here ever goes too high, [
believe they will do it. Anyway
want to lock the stable door
before the horse is gone, and
they can cuss and discuss me all
they please. am on the Ways
and Means Committee, and don't
intend to be cipher. I can help
our DeOOle and T am ooino tn do