The Washington herald., 1909-04-18
Writer in Savannah Press
Wants High Tariff.
SAYS SECTION IS Ill USED
Shows How Northern States Pros
per While the south Stands still.
Finds Phnacea in Statutes Which
Would Retain the Duty on Ore,
Coal, and Lumber.
From the Savannah Press.

and abandoned elsewhere. II lets other
People write its history and awards them
prizes. even when in essays they say that
before the war "the South was intenec-
tualIy dead"
In politics It is equally blind. and Il
quietly grabs at the bait carefully pre-
pared for it by other sections, who hope
to maintain their commercial and indus
trial supremacy SO long as the South
eagerly swallows the bait and the hook.
and thanks the fishermen for giving II
the privilege Of being caught
For years many interests in other sec
tons built up by a protective tariff have
desired to increase their profits by Sc
curing lower prices on what they use as
raw material. and they have steadily
worked 10 develop a sentiment In favor
OF tariff reduction.
Means Lower Tariff.
To most Of them tariff revision means
a lower tariff or free trade on what they
buy and continued protection on what
they sell, and on that narrow ground
they are striving 10 make the South helm
70 bring about a revision along such
lines. Mr.. Charles NJ. Schwab is reported
IS being satisfied with the proposed re-
cuction in steel and iron. While Mr.
Schwab may have been misunderstood
MS company owns a vast iron-ore supply,
estimated at 500.000000 tons in Cuba. He
has lately spent $l7.000000 IN enlarging
his Bethlehem plant. and this foreign ore
IS essential TO him. II he can save 40
cents ton. IL would mean probably
N.Oe,oC0 or more a year saved. or possibly
per cent a year or $40 600 600
IL
favor Of free ore, but Mr.. Gates and his
associates are developing enormous de-
posits IN Canada for shipment by the
lakes 70 this country. and free ore would
save that company probably several hun
dred Thousand dollars a year
The Pennsylvania Steel Company.
owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. IS
now developing one OF the worlds most
remarkable iron-ore deposits in Cuba,
containing probably 600O00.000 tons Of ore
Free ore would mean the saving Of 80
cents ton on all that Il imported. add
inz enormously to the value OF that
property And free ore would all be at
the expense Of the South. II would stlH
further concentrate the iron and steel
interests in the North and West. and
thus delay the development Of the vast
iron and steel potentialiues Of this sec
ton. reduction IN the duties on pig
iron would likewise injure the South for
the benefit Of the foundries and shops Of
the North Atlantic coast.
\ Would Strengthen New England.
Free coal would strengthen the position
OF Kew England's cotton mills and other
Industries. against the growing cotton
manufacturing Of the South. and lessen
the New England market for Southern
coal
Free lumber, or even a reduction in
duty, is one Of the rankest suggestions
Of the tariff bill The South would be the
only section 10 suffer much and gain
nothing II would mean the opposite.
for II would result in destruction of
values. in lower wages, and in much
decentralization.
But. in asking US to swallow the bait.
we are offered nothing In return. The
things that the South buys more largely
than any other section. such as textile
machinery and Woodworking machinery.
would not be reduced.
Merely for sentiment. merely because
the politicians have talked free trade and
tarin for revenue. while other sections
have vigorously fought for whatever
would develop their business interests.
this section is still used in every political
game to pull the chestnUts out Of the fire
that others may, like the monkey. feast
on the chestnuts, while we, Ike the cat.
have only our burned paws 10 console US.
The story Of the cat and the monkey
presupposes that the cat never tried that
game again. but whenever the monkey
comes around, the South. learning little
by experience. is again cajoled into pull
ing the chestnuts out Of the fire The
monkey wakes fat and we keep sore
from our burns. Nobody can blame the
monkey for his skill in using US.
south should Protest.
The South should unite and say that
there shall be no reduction IN ore, coal
OF lumber. or pig iron. without there
being an equal reduction on everything
into the manufacture Of which these
enter. II this is TO be a protective tariff.
then let the South demand exact justice
for its interests and a protection on what
fl produces. IN exact proportion TO the
protection given 10 the things II BUYS.
If II Is to be fought on the basis OF tariff
for revenue. OF on the free trade basis
both % which for many years must be q
dream OF visionists, even on these
grounds the South can justly fight
against favoritism 20 other sections which
helps them al our expense.
The South boasts Of having more coal
by % per cent than all Europe: more
!ron ore than the balance of the United
States: more sulphur than is known Of
in the rest of the world. and other things
IN proportion, making this the most rich
" endowed section OF all earth. But our
Boosting is in vain unless these resources
be utilized. Our vast resources may fiji
our hearts with pride, but until devel-
6ped. they viii never fill our pockets with
money.
Pennsylvania Beats south.
We boast of our material progress. and
st IS great. but Pennsylvania has $780,
100000 more capital invested within the
State limits IN manufacturing than the
fourteen Southern States. Massachusetts.
only 5000 square miles In area, so small
that Il could be cut off from one end Of
Georgia and scarcely be missed. takes
our iron and coal, and cotton and lum-
Der. and with its 100000 population turns
out manufactured products equal 10 about
90 per cent Of the whole South. with our
26.OO00o0 people.
And so the story runs. They have made
business their politics. the South has
made politics its business. and they have
beat US at the game.
In the present tariff situation. II our
Southern Congressman would make the
development OF the business Interests OF
this section their politics. instead Of sac
rifcing business merely because Of the
cries which cannot possibly win in the
came now on al Washington the South