Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-06-14
TARIFF AND SOUTHERN DEVELOPMENT.
Complimentary Reference to Representative
Wyatt Aiken by Mr.. Schwab.

Gustave II. Schwab, one of the best in
formed men on economic questions in
this country, recently delivered MASTER
full address before the Southern Indus
trial Parliament on Foreign Commerce
and Ocean Transportation"
Though protectionist in time past, he
admits the crying necessity for a more
general application of the doctrine of
reciprocity. 1t must be gratifying to
those who have stood consistently for a
moderate tariff for revenue" to hear
one OF such recognized ability admit that
reciprocity, on an extensive scale, is a
necessity; for reciprocity is subterfuge
from the too glaring evils of protection.
1t is the Democratic doctrine dwarfed,
manned and in new garb, but neverthe-
| less an improvement on existing condi-
tions.
There is little wonder, however, that
leading men in the Republican party, be-
ginning with the President, recognize the
necessity for taking few brick from the
tariff wall, when the retaliatory protec-
tive idea is gaining such strength in Eng
land, and when Germany stands ready at
the expiration of our present trade agree
ment to strike us from her list of favored
nations. This would mean millions of
loss to this country, but, fortunately, a
very small portion of the loss would fall
on the South. Mr.. Schwab advocates the
reduction of tariff as the best means of
increasing and ex panding trade, and, too,
without a loss in revenue.
Another feature of this very interesting
speech was his comprehensive review of
conditions in the South. He dwelt at
length on the wonderful resources of the
South, developed and undeveloped, and
the great future that is before her, now
somewhat dormant for lack of intelligent
labor. He favored the introduction of
the better class of immigrants, and we
may say in passing, that he commended
in the highest terms the bill introduced
by Representative Aiken providing for
the intelligent distribution of the better
class. He quoted the bill almost entirely
and also quoted freely from Mr.. Aiken's
speech in support of the BILL Amongst
other paragraphs of interest quoted from
his speech might be mentioned the fol-
lowing interesting figures: "The land
area of the South is 5S5,3l0,O 900 acres. In
1900 the total farm acreage was 3ST, ,69O,-
426 acres. The total improved acreage
was only 145, 1876 800. This leaves about
242. .OOO, 900 acres of farm lands to be put
into profitable cultivation. The unim-
proved farm lands of the South give a
greater area for settlement and cultiva-
tion than the total area of Texas, Louisi-
ana and Arkansas combined. Over 1OO,-
100000 acres of this land lies east of the
Mississippi river, and there is compara-3
lively small amount of it which is not
available for crops of some kind"
While Mr.. Schwab's speech was very
complimentary to the South, he pointed
clearly and distinctly to those things
which retard development. In his dis
cussion of the tariff he DEPRECATED the
selfishness of the manufacturer i'm resist
ing necessary general reformers because
the immediate result would appear to
reduce the bounty given him by the gov
ernmeDt. He advocates the larger policy
OF developing friendly relations and open
by an unfriendly and exorbitant tariff
have the doors of our best customers
closed in retaliation. This, from one of
the Oldest disciples of protection, indi-
Gates in no small degree, the mobilization
of public sentiment on tariff-the aues-
ton which is ana has been the dividing
line between Repubicanism and Democ-
racV.