New-York tribune., 1909-05-15
SOUTH'S VIEW CHANGING.
Leading Business Nan Tells Why
Protection Is FaUored.
From The Tribune Rureau.l


Washington. May 14.-The growing demand for
protection that is coming to Congress from the
Southern states gives color the prediction. fire.
quently heard Of late that within few years that
part Of the country below the Mason-Dixon line
Will be as devoted TO the protective system New
England or Pennsylvania. The candor with which
q number of Southern Democratic members Of
Congress have admitted that they the value
of protection has made il possible for the tariff
trainers 10 maintain high duties which would have
been lowered except for the assistance of these
Southerners This gradual change in sentiment
is logically accounted for by Daniel E. Tompkins.
of Raleigh, n. G. who IS a member Of the Ma
tional Manufacturers Committee of One Hundred
and one of the most influential business of
the South.
when the Union half slave and half free -
said Mr.. Tompkins a representative of The Trib-
une, when the northern half was devoting Its
energies largely TO manufactures while the south
half had become agricultural. there might have
then seemed unequal division Of the tariff 1t
then seemed suit the agricultural South to de-
pend upon English ships, to have revenue raised by
direct rather than by tariff on impoTts-espe-
cially tariff framed protect American manu-
factures, practically ali Of which were in the
North This view one of the consequences OF
slavery. But time has proved that slavery was
not only morally wrong but economically weak
ening The people of the Southern states have
totally changed their ante-bellum views about
slavery There are few who appreciate to what
extent they have also abandoned ideas and views
belonged slavery,
those held by their ancestors before slavery had
become a dominating influence.
I'VE find that Henry Clay, OF Kentucky, was
pre-eminently the leading protectionist of his day.
Mr. Tompkins continued: Washington and Cal
houn and many other leading Southern men were
protectionists so that the present movement in
the South is not a one, but only renaissance,
and is part of the necessary Teadjustment OF our
economic principles to fit free institutions rea-
sonable tariff on manufactured cotton products
do IN ~
terests of the Southern farmer than TO anybody
else The greatest need of the South has Deen
diversihcation of products and pursuits. In the
mast she has adhered strictly TO four staple crops
made by slave or unframed labor. These crops
were tobacco rice cotton and sugar. OF these
cotton was the most important A country claim
ing monopoly in cotton nevertheless deVelopeu d
conpetition which really cut-throat Ihis
competition drove the price OF cotton as 10" as
five cents a pound. The trouble was that every
bodr produced cotton under the system that grew
out of slavery There nothing else TO do but
produce cotton.
THE development of cotton and other factories
has improved this situation amazingly" went on
NJ ro,,rlzips .rVast numbers Of agricultural
laborers have been drawn by the factories on the
farm This so relieved the competition IN the cot
ton field that cotton is to-day worth 10 cents d
nound A crop OF 100000 bales used to bring
s9oO ooo oo. today the same crop brings $500 100000
Resides this advance in the price OF cotton the rac-
tories have developed a consuming popuIauon ior
other products of the farm, such as iru's' Fese'a
HES milk butter. etc. These add 10 the farmers
resources now, while formerly they did not. we
have boasted nightly about our cotton monopoly
and vet we have pursued economic policies which
have never given US any benefit from that mo
nopoly The South is just beginning to feel the
influence OF the diversifcation Of pursuits II mas
been found that intelligent free labor can do more
~ irnnrove the condition of a country than can
unintelligent and unskilled labor.
'1f the tariff has been influential IN bringing
about this result" said Mr.. Tompkns. 'as 1 think
il has none can deny that the protective tarln Is
AZ the same time. advantageous and profitable TO
everybody The yarn trade is at present partic-
ularly depressed. It not only needs protective
tariff but il needs be freed, at the earliest posi-
bic moment from all uncertainty about the tarlH
There can be no improvement in business until
This tariff matter is disposed of. and therefore it is
better that the bill be passed with some nconse-
ouentia inequalities than that the country expert
ence the damage of long delay and argument