Evening star., 1909-05-04
PLEA FOR THE SOUTH
Senator Bradley Wants Its
Industries Protected.
APPEAL TO REPUBLICANS
Would Blot Out All Lines in
Legislation.
ARGUES !, FOR HIGHER DUTIES
Declares That the Jute Industry, Un-
less Encouraged by Tariff, Will
Be Annihilated.
FOR HIGHER DUTIES

strong plea for the principle OF the
protective tariff. with special plea for
the south. was made in the Senate today
by Senator Bradley of Kentucky.
Give us fair protection In Kentucky,
said Mr.. Bradley. facing the republicans
of the Senate, land I promise you that
in a short time 1t shall become as GER
tainly republican as the great state of
Massachusetts.
Referring to political conditions in the
recounted the efforts and difficulties Of
for state control.
Now. during all these struggles" he
said. the republicans of. Kentucky have
received compa ratively little aid or COM
fort from their brethren in the north.
We, complain not of that fact today,
but we do complain because our people
have not been given that justice in legis-
latfon to which they were entitled. And
l may say in this connection that not
only the people Of my state, but the peo-
pie of nearly all the old slave-holdinR
states; have been denied the justice to
which they are entitled.
Pleads for the South.
II plead for Kentucky in the name Of
the Great Harry of the West who did
as much to engraft the doctrine of pro-
lection among the national policies as
any other American statesman. / plead
for Kentucky in the name of that great
est and best of all her SONS. and of all
Americans, whose kindness of heart and
gentleness of nature, combined wits splen-
did courage and unequaled craftsmanship.
won for him the most exalted place in
all the rolling years of time-the immortal
Lincoln.
And I plead not only for Kentucky,
but for the whole south. Nearly half a
century has passed since the echo of the
last hostile cannon died in silence. Near
ly half century has elapsed since the
soldiers of bo n armies returned to their
homes and mingled back into civil life,
the one elated with victory and hope, the
other almost in despair. having lost all
save the proud reflection that they had
shown their willingness to bleed and die
in cause which they believed TO he
right.
disgrace, and which, thank heaven, new
er prevailed in Kentucky; despite the
devastation of war, the Slave-hOlding
section of the country has developed
rapidly and is now more rapidly devel-
oping possibly, than any other section
OF the land Every loyal American on
either side of the struggle has forgotten
the bitterness of the past, and we are not
worthy the name of American If we do
not today cherish in common the glorfes
of that great conflict which made all men
free and preserved every star on the ma
tiOnS flag.
Would Blot Out Sectionalism. 7
II plead today for the blotting out>of
all lines in legislation, for the harmonic
ing of all sections, for the cenening to-
gether by the ties of commercial interest
brotherly love and affection all the peo-
Pile. Our great and good President is
patriotically engaged in an honest effort
to recognize and do equal justice to every
section of the Union. His example should
be emulated and followed by all
Let the north, the south. the east. the
west each and all be protected as they are
entitled to be protected, and the nation
move forward with increased energy, at
tanning a degree of prosperity and power
of which we have not even dreamed"
Mr.. Bradley declared that unless the
jute industry. on which he asked a pro-
tective tariff duty of one and one-half
cents a pound, was protected, it would
be annihlated.
1T has been demonstrated by actual
experience in the last five years said
Mr. Bradley, that hemp may be success
fully grown in Pennsylvania. Indiana,
Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Kansas,
and we are informed by high and un-
questioned authority that it may be sue
cessfully grown in limestone soils any
where in the Mississippi valley. as well
as at many points along the Pacific
coast: in fact. in almost every state in
the Union
He exhibited to the Senate photographs
of hemp fields in Kentucky, Wisconsin,
Indiana and Pennsylvania. Formerly,
he said, hemp was largely commercially
grown in Virginia. Kentucky and Mis-
souri,, but for the last ten years it has
1s.,yl
lucky, Nebraska and California. the
greater part of 1t having been grown in
kentucky. Unexplained the uses to which
merican hemp was put. fine twine of
great strength as we'll as heavy cordage
being made from it. For the last two
years he said, the Navy Department has
consumed nearly 20 per cent of the en-
tire production Of double dressed hemp.
Decline of Hemp Industry.
"At one time he continued, there
was in the United States s3.34l.5OO in
5000 hands employed, at yearly wage
of nearly $1,-uO,OOO. and Alt mills in
operation. 159 of which were in Ken
throughout the country. There were
then from 1900 to $4,000 tons raised each
year, which, If now raised, would be
worth more than $10.OOO.OOO. But now
lHeTe are Only lNculy-elSut Hills III the
United States. two of which are in Ken
lucky, and all of which, to a large ex-
tent, are manufacturing foreign fiber, and
the present tonnage of hemp is only
5000 tons, and those who once found
remunerative labor from that source. have
been compelled to seek less remunerative
employment elsewhere. The mills have
rotted down SO that in most instances
there is not even a vestge remaining to
point to their former prosperity. 1t is
true that at one period the uncertainty
and great cost Of labor contributed to
the serious injury of this industry, for it
must be remembered that our laborers
have been paid average wage of
/ $50 per day, while those in Indiana
have obtained but cents per day.
| 1T occurs to me that the giving of
protection to the American manufacturer
of jute, and at the same time denying
protection to the producer of hemp. who
| is brought directly into competition with
! the producer of jute, is travesty on
| the doctrine of protection. 1t Is indeed
| a shameful injustice-to protect one in
terest while another is permitted to lam
guish and die and is not only unrepubli-
can, but unAmerican. Let us have pro-
lection to both classes or protection to
| neither.
Imports Of Jute.
'The value OF jute and jute manufac-
lures imported in 1904 was $2O.OOO.OOO in
round numbers, and In 1908 it increased
to $34. 100000. In other words. in four
years these importations increased at the
q q rpoinp nf ThnS III is