Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-03-28
TRADE In COTTON
FIGURES DO NOT GIVE MUCH TO
BOAST OF.
English Manufacturers and Wcrkner
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, 600, 900 into
The United States from foreign coun-
tries in the year just ended" OF thss
large sum we exported but $43, 900, 600
OF manufactured goods, although we
produced th~ree-fourths of the cotton
supply OF the world and at the same
time imported about $69, 0OO, 900 Of
manufactured cotton goods, mostly
from European countries to which the
bulk OF the raw cotton was exported.
1t would seem there is not so much
to boast about in this trade of cotton,
for, although We sold Sl73, 000, 900 of
raw cotton to England, and from else
where that country imported enough
more to make the total $2I5,O00 900,
her exports of cotton manufactures
were about 1920, 900, 900.
The English manufacturers and
worAmen therefore made $145, 900, 900
out of the cotton they bought of US
and others, While our exported cotton
products including the cost Of the raw
cotton, was only $l3, 100000, and we
bought back Of manufactured cotton
$4,000 0JO, so the balance of trade on
manufactured cotton goods was $685.
100000 AGAINST us, The raising of the
raw material employs comparatively
few people and the value comes chief.
iy out OF the earth and The hard labor
OF the southern planter and laborers
But Just consider what it would mean
if the principal part Of our raw cotton
was manufactured adjacent to the
southern cotton fields and then SOLD
to foreign countries. The whole south
would be a swarming beehive of indus
try, and like England, our capital,
Skill and labor would enjoy a far
greater reward than we now receive
from the sale Of the raw material.
When our policy Of protecting man
u%lacturors from foreign competition is
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 it is now.
VIC are but the producers Of cheap raw
material for other nations. We have
Tree 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.
1t would not help the southern plan
tiers or anyone else to impose a tariff
duty on cotton, because we alwayN
haVa cotton to sell and none is i'm
ported, so n dollar a pound tariff
would not increase the price of cotton
one cent Il hundred pounds. But the
cotton grower and the cotton manufac.
tarer have to pay the enormous in
creased prices for all they buy be,
cause Of the Republican policy of pro.
tcattng the trusts, and the increased
cost Of living, which has advanced
over SO per cent. in ten years, compels
tle cotton grower and the cotton man.
uiacturcr to pay much higher wages
for labor. Under those conditions,
how can we compete with other coun,
tries, and is it any wonder that we
buy more manufactured cotton than
we sell?
The Republican policy of protecting
the trusts and manufacturers is an ex.
pensiYG luxury, as it allows them to
make enormous profits out of the
American people, but very little out Of
foreigners, who, under a fairer svs-
tenn, would be their best customers.
The southern cotton growers and the
western wheat farmers are in thu
same boat, they are unprotected. they
must sell at 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-
p%ublicans say Stand pat and refuse
to even consider any bill that will re.
wise the tariff.