The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-05-20
ONLY A JOKE
THE ABSURDITY OF THE PRO-
TECTION SYSTEM
Shown Up BY Senator Tillman in
His Proposition to Tax All the
People for One Man.

People for One Man.
The tea industry of the United
States came up for a little discus
sion in the senate day or two ago,
says Zach McGhee in his letter to
The State. DR.. Shepherd Of Sum-
merville, you know, is the tea in
dustry. He has tea farm upon
which he grows $4,000 pounds OF
tea. Senator Tillman, in order to
show the absurdity of the protection
system, interrupted some Republl-
can speaker and said:
"Now Just wait one minute-and
as it is acknowledged by the senator
that we could obtain $40, 100000
by a duty of 10 cents a pound on
tea, and it would not increase the
cost of tea at all-so these importers
tell newly do we not pick up that
$40, 100000 and give protection to
this industry down in South Carroll
ma, where there is one tea producer!
There is poor little pulling infant
industry Jout in the piney woods
at Summerville, begging the United
States for help, and saying If tea
can get protection of 10 cents
pound it will Sbe the pioneer in in
Producing into that Southern country
great industry"
Mr.. Hale-Let me say to the Sena-
tor
Mr.. Tillman--Will the senator
vote for it, or will he have this COM
mittee report it favorably? l want
to introduce the amendment. Now,
1 will join you. want protection
for that pulling infant in South Car
olina-the tea industry-and we
shall get s1O,OOO,OOO by it, too,
Why not give me protection for this
industry in South Carolina?
Mr.. Tillman-I have got a real
industry. One man down there pro-
duces $1,000 pounds of tea.
Mr.. Hale-If that can become a
prosperous and leading contributor
to the industries of the United States
as against foreign competition
never so dangerous as now and as
it will be in the next 80 years-then
the Republican party will adopt his
bantling. l have no doubt of it.
Mr.. Tillman-I can only assure
you that this gentleman, DR.. Shep-
herd, who has been experimenting
with tea culture for 20 years, has
reached that point where, like ali
the others in this country who are
seeking to increase their profits,
wants enough protection to increase
his price. He knows that as soon
as he would get 10 cents per pound
additional, it would raise the value
of his tea.
Some of us people in South Car
olina have an idea that we OF the
South are great tea drinkers. That's
because we do not really know much
about the general run of people
about us. Those Of us who can trace
our ancestry back to England or
English immigrants, and do it with
out the assistance of professional
genealogist or coat of arms manu-
| facturer, usually drink tea. Many
others of us who, while we can not
trace our own families back, have
been associated with those who can,
| alEo drink taa. But hear what
Senator McLaurin Of Mississippi
says:
What do you pay for tea now?"
asked Senator Hale.
Il don't pay anything" said Mr..
McLaurin. Il don't buy tea; buy
coffee. We don't use tea very much
in our part of the country
And that's a fact, true not only
CT Mississippi, but Of the South gen.
orally. | have an idea that it is
true to a larger extent of the whole
country, to even of New England,
than is commonly supposed. But
your Lodges, your Hales, your
Cranes, Aldriches, Fryes and so on
do not know it, They belong to the
tea drinking class, and know little
about the lives of the great mass of
people in their States.
If Dr.. Shepherd lived in New
England, what Senator Hale says
might BE- true, they might let him
enjoy the special privilege of as
sessing all the tea drinkers in Amer
lea in order that he might make
profit But since he lives in South
Carolina and most Of the tea drink rs
are in New England, there is no
chance for him