The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1905-03-09
secure this wonderful market Tor the
greatest industry Of the oountryi
ttIn 1909 the snnth sarnAnnod fn e1A

secure this wonderful market Tor th,
greatest industry Of the country
In 1908 the south produced 10, 674,
600 bales Of cotton, Of which only g.,
924, 600 bales were consumed at home,
the balance, 6,750. 600 bales had t
find foreign market. Or, in Other
words, we consumed 81 per cent and
exported 8 per cent.
"On the other hand, in 1903 We
produced more than two million
bushels Of corn, but exported only
8. 04 per cent; in the same year we
produced 670, 900, 600 bushels Of wheat
and only exported 30 per cent thereof
The same is true with all Of the In.
dustrial manufactures Of this country.
So then, in light Of these facts, we
must conclude that all this Ooastful
assumption about protection building
up home market for the agricultu-
rist falls fat upon the ear Of the cot
ton producer, who we'll knows that
he is far more. deeply interested in q
foreign market than in the congested
market at home.
WOULD STOP OvERPRoDUCTIoN.
Mr.. Chairman, am one Of those
who believe that there ought not to
be any such thing as overproduction
SO long as the shadows of want fall
upon the homes Of God s creatures In
any quarter of the globe, and fur.
ther believe that any cause instituted
by man that fetters the free exchange
and interchange Of the necessaries Of
life is criminal to man and sinful to
God; that when God spake the world
into existence He made one section to
grow bread another to provide raj
ment, and as part Of the same divine
conception, He planned the ocean
and river, upon the bosom Of which
these produces might be carried and
exchanged for the comfort OF man.
In my humble Judgment, the
Republican policy Of protection has
been more destructive to the southern
farmer than the ravages of the late
Civil War, that left him but black.
ened and charred landscape Of ruin.
This policy has SO taxed his energy
by unjust robbery at home, and by
congesting the market for his ever
increasing products to such an extent
as to render 1t almost impossible for
him to receive for the fruits Of his
toll living profit. But once or
twice in the past twenty years has he
been able to market his crop for any
thing like profitable price; and this,
too, has been only at time when the
fairest part Of the cotton belt was
stricken by the boil weevil plague or
by parohing drought.
MUST LOOK TO PROVIDENCE.
Indeed. it ia true that he must
depend upon the providence Of heaven
for living price for his products.
Why should this be true? Why has
not this Government made an effort
to expand his market? Can any one
recall any treaty over negotiated by
this Government in his behalf? But
on the other hand, has not every re-
ciprocity treaty that attempted to
expand his market been crushed by
the party in power? Gan any one
recall time when a single ship or
commercial agent was ever sent by
the authority Of the Government to
find new markets for this greatest
wealth producing industry Of the
country? Under the whitening effect
Of this Misunderstanding policy has
not every merchant ship that was
once the pride of the nation disap-
peared from the seas2 Under other
conditions rs per cent of our cotton
was shipped in American bottoms /;
now only about 0 per cent.
BLIGHT OF THE HIGH TARIFF.
THAT protection has had q de-.
structive effect on our foreign mar
kets cannot be questioned. We sell
nothing abroad that can be purchased
elsewhere. Our great food and cot
ton exports are the result of the fact
that these products cannot be found
elsewhere, and the recent immense
increase In the American manufactul-
ing products sent to foreign countries
must not be taken as evidence Of per-
manent growth in our export trade,
since we all know that very large
percentage Of these products is sold
to foreigners at less price than to
home consumers, and IN many in.
stances are being sold in foreign coun.
tries at price less than the same
class Of goods can be there mann.