The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-06-05
FREE TRADE IS NO PANACEA.

in The Times; because this paper
will not permit partisan politics
to rob merit of it's due, and be,
cause we admire the wisdom ano
unselfsh public utterances ane
the unsullied private life OF Hon:
John L. McLaurin, and fear noI
to give voice to our admlratlon
If fhis statesman: this Georgia
paper attempts to soften the
Blow for right and Justice struck
bv rs. bv indulging itselfin a lot
Of expletives to twist McLaurln,s
Philadelphia speech before the
American Cotton Spinners, AS
ISOLATION into partisan politics
bv saying :Mr. McLaurln made
a ples for ship subsidies that can
be viewed only With displeasure
and regret by honest democrats a. IS
and fair minded people" and oy
way of retort Mr.. McLaprln ana
his friends might say there are re
none so blind as those VINO VIII
not see for fear Of the political
nowers m that be; and the dis.
Measure Of the great continental
railway systems which have
manifested "a a. wonderful influence
in shaping policies for the dem
ocratic party and kept the gov
eminent from doing those things
beneficial to the South as will
save to the cotton grower the
necessity of paying a tremendous
railway haul across the CONT
nent to Get his product to a mar
ket. The Herald makes mucn
ado about ship subsidies: as II
the subsidy idea is something
new, it would have its readers
believe, for the government TO
subsidize American shipplng'
would open the door to a ship
ping monopoly and drive out
foreign competition. 1t seems
perfectly willing for foreign
shipping to continue IN the en-
jovment of shipping monopoly
as by the government aid given
to shipping from their respective
Governments, the American
ship. once king of the seas, has
been forced to haul down the
stars and stripes, to replace the
emblem with the flags and sea
man of foreign countries, and as
a result no complaint comes from
those interested in the great
railroad systems, neither is their
from that source any objection
raised to- the subsidies granted
bv the government to the rail-,
roads for carrying mails.
The Herald like many otner
Southern newspapers wants free
trade, a theory that sounds and
reads we'll, but in it's practical ap'
plication would result IN lncalcu'
able injury to the industrial &C
tivitv of the South. A protec
tive tariff enabled the North te
reach it's present high. position
in manufacture and finance, and
now that the South has awoke
to the realization of what is in
store by manufacturing develop
ment. the same system when
made the North rich is needed
in the South. The Herald says;
s.The Manning Times oestows much
much praise upon former Senator John
T, McIaurin, of South Carolina, as one
who stands head and shoulders above
any of the political leaders OF South
Carolina and quotes in an editorial
SYNOPSIS of the ex-senator's recent
speech before the American Cotton
Manufacturers association. Cnfortun-
atelv, or perhaps it may be fortunate,
this SYNOPSIS does not give an adequate
idea of what the speaker had to say on
that occasion.
After the usual stereotyped praise OF
the South and industrial conditions IN
This section, and some very wild pro-
nhesies of 80, &c and 50 cent cotton,
when the South shall have completely
monopolized the cotton manufacturing
Industry, Mr.. McLaurin made a plea
Tor ship subsidies that can be viewed
only with displeasure and regret by
honest democrats and fair-lninded
people. American products said he
must be carried abroad lr American
Aponrinon
Our products should not be at themer-
cy of our competitors. II they suosl-
disc their ships then we must adopt
protective measures for the encourage
ment of ours
The evident neglect by the speaker
OF the real conditions existing IN COM
mercial EXCHANGE today, is readily up,
parent. Making plea for subsidized
vessels in this country, he prepares to
defeat the very object at which ne
thinks to aim. If Mr.. McLaurln had
elaborated further upon the subject OF
American products abroad, he might
have explained that cotton manufac-
turers now have the cheapest export
facilities in the world and that it is to
this fact that they owe their success IN
foreign markets. II he had followed
his plea for subsidized merchant ma
rine in America to it's logical conclu-
sion he might have shown that such
subventions would undoubtedly drive
foreign vessels out of our ports thus
excluding competition completely and
opening the door to a shipping mono
poly which would inevitably bring dis
aster to our foreign trade in textile
goods bv excessive and eXorbltant
rates. When Mr.. McLaurin complains
that foreigners subsidize their ships he
forgets that it is in part to this very
fact that we owe our cheap means OF
expectation. In asking that this coun-
try pay tribute to subvention grafters
he forgets TO look forward to the evi-
dent result should all the leading COM
mercial countries adopt such a practice.
The evening up process will simply
mean a great increase in the COS: of