The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-03-29
TRADE In COTTON
FIGURES DO NOT GIVE Muca TO
BOAST GE.
english Manufacturers and WorkmSn,
Because Of Our Protection Policy,
Get Much Profit Really Be-
longing to America.

The bureau of statistics OF the de-
partment of commerce and labor
boasts that cotton and its products
brought practically 500,000,0O0 into
the United States from foreign coun.
tries in the year just ended" or this
large sum we exported but si3, 900, 900
OF manufactured goods although we
produced three.fourths of the cotton
supply of the world and at the same
time imported about S69,J00,O00 OF
manufactured cotton goods mostly
from European countries to which the
bulk of the raw cotton was exported
II would seem there Is not so much
to boast about In this trade Of cotton,
for, although we sold $173,000,0O0 of
raw cotton to England. and from else
where that country imported enough
more TO make the total 1915, OOs, 900,
her exports Of cotton manufactures
were about S42O,OOO.O0O
The English manufacturers and
workmen therefore made $l45, 900. 600
out of the cotton they bought OF us
and others. while our exported cotton
products including the cost Of the raw
cotton, was only $40. 100000, and we
bought back of manufactured cotton
1853, 600 600 so the balance Of trade on
manufactured cotton goods was S26..
900, 900 against us. The raising of the
raw material employs comparatively
few people and the value comes chief.
ly out of the earth and the hard labor
OF the southern planter and laborers.
But just consider what 1t would mean
II the principal part of our raw cotton
was manufactured adjacent 10 the
southern cotton fields and then sold
10 foreign countries. The whole south
would be q swarming beehive of indus.
try, and like England, our capital
skill and labor would enjoy far
greater reward than we now receive
from the sale of the raw material.
When our policy of protecting man.
ufacturers from foreign competition IL
changed to allow free competition
with other countries. we may attain
the commanding position in the
worlds commerce which our natural
resources entitle us to. As Il is now.
we are but the producers of cheap raw
material for other nations. We have
free trade In raw cotton and highly
protected manufactured cotton, and
yet cannot protect ourselves from
other countries making the bulk of
the profit out of the raw cotton of
which we have a virtual monopoly.
II would not help the southern plan.
tiers or anyone else to impose a tariff
duty on cotton, because we always
have cotton to sell and none is i'm
ported, SO one dollar pound tariff
would not increase the price of cotton
one cent a hundred pounds But the
cotton grower and the cotton manufac.
turer have to pay the enormous in.
creased prices for all they buy be.
cause Of the Republican policy of pro.
tecting the trusts, and the Increased
cost Of living which has advanced
over 30 per cent. in ten years. cOmpcls
the cotton grower and the cotton man
ufacturer to pay much higher wages
for labor. Under those conditions,
low can we compete with other coun.
tries, and is II any wonder that we
buy more manufactured cotton than
we sell?
The Republican policy of protecting
the trusts ard manufacturers Is an ex-
pensive luxury, as It allows them TO
make enormous profits out of the
American people, but very little out Of
foreigners, who, under a fairer sys.
TEN, would be their best customers.
The southern cotton growers and the
western sheat farmers are in the
same boatN they are unprotected, they
must sell az the worlds prices, but
are compelled by the tariff system to
pay to others the protection tax on all
they buy, and on this policy the Re.
publicans say stand pat" and refuse
to even consider any bill that will re.
wise the tariff.