Goldsboro weekly argus., 1908-12-24
PROTECTION AND THE SOUTH.

Baltimore Manufactures Record.
The News and Observer of Raleigh,
N. c., evidently misunderstands the
position of the Manufacturers Record
as to protective tariff when it says:
"The Manufacturers Record has re-
peatedly said the South has prospered
without protection more than any 9th
er section of the country. The Manu-
facturers' Record is the supreme au-
thority in its industrial field"
We can recall nothing which we have
written since the Manufacturers Rec
ord first began publishing, nearly 81
years ago, which would justify the as
sertion that we had repeatedly said
"the South has prospered without pro-
lection more than any other section of
the country On the contrary, we
know that the South has prospered IN
der protective tariff now In operation.
That is a fact which no one could dis
pute. Fun thermore, we have contend
cd vigorously for protective tariff;we
did our utmost TO prevent the injury to
the South that would have resulted
from the Wilson tariff bill If it had be-
come law in its original form, and we
propose, because of our deep interest
in the welfare of the South, to comba
at every point the latest phase of pro-
posed tariff revision known popularity
as free raw materials"
hon ho
facturers Record has stood for the full
est development of the material re-
sources OF the South. 1t has on purely
/, economic grounds and without regard
to party politics, labored to impress
upon the South the value of protection
to the mineral, agricultural and indus
trial interests OF this section whenever
assailed by the demands OF the East,
whether under Democra tic or Repu bill
can regim es, clamoring tor free raw
materials produced by the South in
order to increase the profits of other
sections at the expense of the South.
That we have IN this persistently an
tagOnized the views of many OF our
Eastern und Northern friends and of
very nany OF our Eastern advertisers,
who want tree ore and free coal and
free lumber and free pig-iron, has
never counted tarthing's weight with
US. When the Republicans have
sought in the interest of Eastern man
ufacturers to put en- the free list those
things which the South produces, on
the ground that they are raw materials,
the Manufacturers Record has op-
posed their position with all the vigor
in its power. When the Democrats
undertook in the Wilson bill to put on
the free list coal and iron ore,- sugar,
rice, lumber Or other things which
the South produces. and to leave upon
the machinery and other pro 1ucts
which the South buys duty of 40 per
cent. or more, thus giving to the East
bonus OF 40 per cent. against the
South, we antagonized this with all of
our ability.
The HEs.nu facturers' Record is be-
lever IN protection, but prim arily, and
above al else. believer in the noed of
protection fer the South, that its indus
trial interests may be developed in the
same way that protection has aided the
vast eveiopment, with the almost limit
less wealth, which has thus been Gre
ated IL the East nd in the West. But
whether man believes in protection
or not, per Sc, the Manufacturers Rec
ord has never been able to understand
= of fn
fice isselt by yielding to the demand of
the East for tree trade on the things
which the South produces, when pro-
lection Is to be continued on the things
| which the South nuys. This may be q
| selfish point OF view, but the South is
justified in selfshly fighting for pro-
| lection to its industries-for protection
10 every industry which needs pro-
tection-so long q protective tariff is
the policy of the country. In this dis
cussion now under way in regard to
the revision OF the tariff 1t may be &C.
cepted without question that many of
the larger Eastern manufacturers will
seek to have put on the free list the
| things which they buy as raw ma
terials, but which are to the South just
as essentially finished products as is
the textile. machinery with which 1t
equips its mills. There may be some
readjustment of duties, but with the
enormous ex penditures of the govern
ment there is no possibility OF any
Sgreat lowering of the duties now In
exjsteuca IIuIes the South be on it's
guard, however, there may here and
there be a reductio on Southern pro
l6nnfs " ,lGss iIV some NAV h,hDut OF