The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-05-10
FALSE BASIS
Congressman Johnson Shows Fallacy Of
The Protective Tariff.
LUMBER TRUST ACTIVE
In a Letter to One of His Constitu-
ents the Congressman Tells Why
He Opposes the Doctrine and
Points Out Who Profits ty the
Timber Duty.

Points Out Who Profits hy the
Timber Duty.
Congressman Joseph T. Johnson
Of South Carolina states that he has
recently received a number Of let
ters from various sources in his dis
trict, suggesting that he use his in
fuence to induce the Democratic
majority in the house to "go slow"
in It's handling Of the tariff question
The following letter. written By
hin, to one of his constituents and
friends, shows how he stands on the
subject:
II have your favor Of the 21st, in
which you state that before the tar
if question is agitated very much
and before I commit myself, you
would like to say some things to
me relative to the manufacturing in
terests Of the South, and in the
North as well.
"I have committed myself 20
years ago on that question, and so
has the Democratic party. I do not
believe in the doctrine Of protection.
The Democratic party has always
contended that the government has
no right to levy a tax, except for
the purpose of raising revenue to de-
fray the expenses of the government.
The other political party contends
that the government has the right
to levy taxes not for the purpose
,: raising revenue, but for the pur-
pose Of protecting American manu-
acturers from competing with the
manufacturers of other countries.
It is unfortunate that many people
in this country have actually come to
believe that business prosperity is
dependent upon laws that give Ger
tain classes special privileges.
During all the last week we were
engaged in considering the Canadi-
an reciprocity bill. All speakers in
opposition to that measure professed
their belief that the American farm
er would be ruined If Canadian pro-
ducts were permitted to come into
this country free of duty. l do not
believe it. The statement made Of
tener than any other against per-
mitting the importation of Canadi-
an products was that land was cheap
er In Canada than it is in Minnesota
and other States in that section OF
the Union. and that the farmer on
high-priced land could not compete
with the farmer on cheaper land.
This proposition won't bear anal
ysis. The lands in every State IN
the Union vary in value. The lands
in every county in every State IN the
Union vary in value, and yet all
farmers compete with one another.
There are farming lands in every
county of the Fourth congressional
district of South Carolina that readi-
ly sell for 500 per acre, and in eV-
cry case within ten miles there are
lands equally as productive that sell
for $50 per acre. The arguments
that l have heard in favor OF protec-
ton, when analyzed, are about on
par with the one above suggested.
Southern farmers have no protection
upon their products, but we sell cot
ton in Liverpool in competition with
the low-priced labor OF Egypt and
India. AS a matter Of truth, the
Northern farmer has no protection.
It Is true that the tariff law leyles
a duty of 25 cents bushel on wheat,
and similar duties upon corn, barley
and various products Of the farm;
but those duties are put there for
the purpose of fooling the farmer
and getting him to vote the Repuo-
lican ticket. The Northern farmers
not only make all the wheat We can
consume in the United States, but
they make a surplus of many, many
millions of bushels, which is export
ed and sold in the markets Of the
world In competition with the
wheat that is grown in Russia and
in other wheat growing countries.
"The most active opponent OF
Canadian reciprocity was the lum-
ber trust; but the lumber trust nev-'
er shows it's own hand. 1t spent It's
energies in trying to get the farm
ers and others to protest against
Canadian reciprocity; but the real
object of it's activities vas in or
der that the great timber lords
might hold up the American people.
There are three holders Of timber in
the United States who have ss,09o,-
900 acres of standing timber - n
area nearly three times IS largo as
all the cotton fields of the Southern
States. These three holders own
timber enough to build a cottage
for every family in the United States
The lumber on the land at its pres
emf prices is worth 10, 20 and so
times what they paid for the land
and the land after the timber IS cut
off is worth many times what they
paid for it. And these powerful in
fuences have put every agency In