Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-06-04
The Tariff.

by the tariff question, we confess tha
we do not know where 1t is. In fact VIZ
have never heard of 1t, and we do no
think anybody else ever has.
While it Is probably a fact that uI
to the breaking out Of the civil war
which was in large measure the result
of tariff disputes, the people Of Soutf
Carolina were, as a whole, better In
formed than were the people of any
other state on the meaning and effec,
of any proposed tariff proposition, we
would say, in a general way, that the
people of this state, as a whole, now
probably know as little, in a general
way, about the tariff as do the people
of any other state and they probably
care as little.
We would not be understood as
meaning by this that the people OF
South Carolina are more ignorant thar
are the people of other states. On the
contrary the statement Is merely based
upon the fact that the tariff question
has so long been removed beyond the
power of our people to influence 1t
that they have lost interest in 1t.
The history of the tariff is easily ac-
cessible to all who care to read 1t. 1,
was the custom Of the robbers Of more
barbarous times to despoil their VIC
tins completely, not only Of their prop
erty but Of their lives Later, they (the
plunderers) began to realize, that peo-
pie were no longer useful after they
had been deprived of their lives, and
they very naturally fell into way OF
turning fat prizes lose after they had
been stripped so they would be good
for another picking. From this devel-
opment there was evolved the still
more rational system Of taking only q
part and leaving for the victim a nest
egg in order that he might continue
more permanently on his feet. We are
now very close to the origin Of the
tariff, which finally became a recosniz-
ed means of raising revenue for estab-
lished government, and still later OF
discriminating against the people OF
one section of country in favor OF
the people Of another section Of the
same country. .. r..
The first tariff levied by the United
States was strictly for revenue pur-
poses, and there was very little objec-
ton to it except from the standpoint
of rate, just as there is in the case OF
an ordinary state tax levy today. La
ter on the protective principle became
emphasized as a natural consequences
and the two sections Of this country
north and south, drifted apart, some
will say on the basis Of principle, and
others will say on the basis Of section
al interest. The north tending in the
direction Of manufactures and desir-
ing to monopolize the home market
against foreign competition, naturally
went In for protection, while the south
being more interested in agriculture
and having no manufactures to speak
of, Just as naturally favored the idea
of being able to buy manufactured ar
ticles as cheaply as possible, and con-
sequently stood out for free trade, OF
the nearest thing to it, tariff for rev.
enue only.
OF course, with the lines Of Interest
between the two sections so sharply
drawn, 1t Is not to be forgotten tina,
the mere question of the cost Of man.
ufactured article as affected by the tar
if, was not the only issue involved. II
can very readily be understood that
with one section having no manufac-
turing interests to speak Of, being COM
PEELED to supply all Of its needs In this
line at double prices from another Sec
ton, the section that sells manufac-
| tured articles would soon wax very
rich at the expense of the section that
had no such articles to sell. This IL
what happened even before the civil
war, and the operation Of the rule has
been ten times more pronounced since
that event, not only from a more aS-
gravated form Of the original cause;
but as the result of various expedients
Of discrimination intended to make the
vanquished side pay for the trouble and
expense of the war.
With it all, however, it Is not to be
denied that protection has become the
established policy Of this country
There are more manufactures in the
south than there were formerly, and
consequently more protection senti-
ment. This sentiment in the south
however, has its basis in the same
source as the same sentiment in the
north-selfish interest. The protection
principle can be defended in a general
way in reason, right and expediency
1t is not our business, however to try
to defend it. We will admit that TAX
ing a national view Of the question
protection has been of inestimable ma
terial benefit to this country as q
whole. We have millions and millions
of wealth-it would not be too much
to say billions-that would never have
been created except by reason Of pro-
lection. But still there has been in
justice and wrong piled on top OF In
justice and wrong even in the north
and in a general way the south has
been footing practically all the bills
paying the fiddler. The south has
gained certain indirect benefits; but
| it has borne a great deal more than
her own share of the burdens. And
| ! ally and truly we believe that even
at the north, the protective system Is
reaching the point where 1t will begin
to correct itself.
The present interest of the south, as
we see it, Is tariff for revenue only
as against protection; but still for free
trade as against tariff for revenue
only. We are speaking of the south
as a whole. There are more interests
in the south that may be benefited by
protection than there used to be; but
there are only a few even yet. The
south has not enough interests that
can be benefited by protection to put
1t on a basis of reasonable equality
with the north and west, and in the
very nature of tha case. cannot have