Evening star., 1909-05-31
SPEAKS ON COTTON SCHEDULE
SENATOR SMITH OF SOUTH
CAROLINA DISCUSSES TARIFF.
Denounces Pending Measure as Civ
ing Manufacturer Undue Advan-
tage Over American Workman.

tage Over American Workman.
Denouncing the pending tariff bill as
giving the manufacturer an undue ad-
vantage over the American workingman,
Senator Smith of South Carolina un-
equivocally expressed his faith in free
trade policy in an extended speech while
the cotton schedule was under considera-
ton in the Senate today
THE whole tendency of this legisla-
ton has been to cheaper the raw material
and raise the price of the finished ar
ticle.'' Mr.. Smith said, thereby giving to
the protected manufactured a double ad-
vantage, lessening the price Of what he
has to buy and raising the price of what
he has to sell. / am not pleading for nor
shall I vote for protection for the raw
material. | believe thing is worth what
it will bring in the open markets of the
world. What I shall vote against is the
iniquitous and ndefensible system of leg
islating profit by artificial methods. l
believe that American skill and the won
derful mechanical devices operated by
steam, water and electricity, our nearness
to the source of supply for the raw ma
terial make it possible for us to compete
with the nations Of the world"
Mention, of Idle Talk.
Senator Smith said it was absolutely
idle to talk about the protective tariff
being a benefit to the cotton and grain
growers of America. Time was when
it may have been the duty of every pa
triot to sacrifice part of his earnings
in order to build up and put upon a Sc
cure footing those industries which were
essential for the comfort and wellbeing
of the population in time of war" he
continued ''but the time never was, nor
ever will be. when it is justifiable to pro-
tect one part of the people of this coun-
try at the expense of the other for the
specific purpose of guaranteeing profit
to one class at the. expense and regard
less of another class
In support of his argument, Mr.. Smith
quoted, though not by name. leading
manufacturer of the SOUTH who. he said,
had told him that he believed it was
right and just that the protective feature
of the tariff on cotton goods should be
entirely wiped out. The protection of the
government, asserted Mr. Smith. giving
such a margin of profit, has invited and
brought into the cotton manufacturing
business "a lot of financial buccaneers
and plungers, who, by the marvellous prof
its that could be figured. possibly on pa
per. put on foot impossible schemes which
have resulted disastrously to the missing
industry of the country" He said that
what is true of the cotton industry Is
largely true of every other manufacturing
industry.
"Monstrous Injustice of Bill.
The monstrous injustice of this bill is
made in two particulars" continued Mr..
Smith. '"rhis bill declares that it is for
the purpose of encouraging American in
dustries and guaranteeing to them rea-
sonable profit. while. on the other hand.
in Sharn with II n hill g
incorporated a tax on the very fertiliz-
ing element upon which the agricultural
laborer is dependent for the enrichment
of his soil. This ammonia, or this nj
trogenous element that is SO costly and so
essential in the production Of this crop.
must be taxed because few coke and
gas companies which. already protected
and making their millions, cannot be de-
MED the privilege of making other mil
lions out of that which the government
ought to see that the farmer gets at the
lowest possible price
During the course of his speech Mr..
Smith read some interesting figures to
bear out his contention that the protect
i've tariff worked hardship upon the
people of the south, who had to pay most
severely for the prosperity enjoyed by
the manufacturers. The eleven cotton
growing states last year produced $716,-
:,522, 2G5 worth of raw cotton, he said, and
500. 100000 worth of cottonseed- This cot
ton they had to put upon the market at a
price fixed by Liverpool. That price was
fixed in Liverpool upon the basis Of the
cost of labor in Europe and the price at
which they sold the finished product.
Therefore the whole American cotton
crop is sold upon the basis of free trade"
said Senator Smith. so that. in the cot
census figures of 1900. there are engaged
in agricultural pursuits 100000 people,
and their average earnings for the year
are 9,33, 600
Goes to Protected Interests.
Taking the outcome duties on articles
imported, such as are used on the farms,
there are consumed about $66357 900
worth. Taking the consumption of do
mestic manufactured goods, the proper
tonate part of the south is s., $50, 600 600.
The indirect tax paid on this consump-
ton, due to protection, is 1885. 100000.
Now, this for the entire south, regard
less of the work engaged in. Dividing
this by the population of the south, the
taxation per capita due to these duties
paid on domestic and foreign articles. Is
SCI in round numbers Deducting this
s6l from the sl3S there is left s72. repre-
senting the actual value received by the
laborer for his years work. He could
purchase for $71 in Europe, where the
price of the raw material is fixed, what
Therefore. out of the $500, 900 900 produced
by the cotton growers of the south prac-
tically $40O,O0O.OOO of 1t goes into the cof-
ferS of the protected interests
Profits for Others
Mr. Smith said it was not only true
that the southern cotton farmer had to
pay about $6 a ton more to produce his
cotton for fertilizer in order to give a
little additional profit to an already pros
porous protected industry, but he must
also pay a duty on his bagging and ties
in order to build UP a bagging industry
on American soil where no raw jute ma
terial was produced, and on the other
hand to add to the profits on the great
steel trust.
Declaring that Mr.. Roosevelts "Coun-
try Life Commission" which toured the
rural districts last fall "either proved
that for once he (Mr. RoosevelD did not
give evidence of that intelligence that
characterized him or he was attempting
to deceive the rural population with
show of interest he did not feel" Mr.
Smith bitterly asked: who is there such
a fool but who must understand that no
man is going to take up a vocation, the
profits Of which must go by law into the
pockets of those not entitled to them?"
Il believe" said Mr. Smith. in con-
clusion, "that the laborer is worthy OF
his hire, and that the right consideration
of every statesman is the welfare of the
masses of the people. 1t is Il
great joy to me that the south is able
10, hIrn nf