The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-01-04
DRANTLEY OFF
TO WASHINGTON
BEFORE LEAVING HE TALKS OF
FIGHT ON HIM ON WAYS AND
MEANS COMMITTEE.
Prominent Local Congressman Says
aas Has Never Stood for Principle
Of Protection and Does Not Now.
His Views on the Question.

hon. William G. Brantley, the able
congressman from the Eleventh
Georgia district, left last night for
washington to resume his congress
slonal duties in Ire house. Since tt =
announcement that an element in the
house is to make an effort to onst
Col. Brantley from his position on
TIE ways and means committee in
the next congress because of his
vote to put tariff on lumber, he
mas been considerably in the lime
llght and a vast percentage of his
democratic colleagues have come to
Els defense in this fight that those
democrats who believe in the theory
OF free raw material are making
upon him. That Col Brantiey has
some very pronounced views on the
subject and that they are backed b,-
the very best kind of facts is best i'll
dicated by the following statement
made fy him to a reporter for The
News yesterday when ne was asked
for an expression on the subject:
The doctrine of free raw material
has no place, in my judgment, in the
democratic creed of tariff for rev.
enue. Free raw material is Drotec-
ton, pure and simple. 1t is defend
ed upon the ground that it protects
our home manufacturers and enables
h1em the better to compete with for
eigners. The practical effect of It's
application in our section is to COM
pei US to pay protective prices FOR
all that we buy while selling the
things we have to dispose of at tree
trade prices.
Every tariff tax whether levied
for the ostensihle purpose Of protec-
ton 'or for revenue, is in its nature
protective. The democratic party
has always stood for equality of bur
den and benefit If we are to pav
tariff taxes on wat we buy and
thereby carry a burden. we are enti-
tied to the benefit whether it may
be Of tariff taxes on what we sell.
In this way the burdens and benefits
OF taxation are distributed. y
In reference to lumber the argu-
ment in favor of free lumber is that
it will make lumber cheaper to the
! consumer. Assuming for the sake Of
argument that this is true, this line
Of reasoning would require that blau-
kets and all wooden goods, all cotton
goods. sugar and all other commodi-
ties that are now taxed lie paced on
the free list, so that they might be
made cheaper to tee consumer. The
argument for free lumber is the a..
gument for free trade. for which the
| democratic party does not stand.
| The small revenue duty that is i'm
| posed on lumber does not as a mat
| ter Of fact effect the price of lumber
to any appreciable extent in Goor-
gia, because no lumt er is imported
into Georgia. If putting lumber on
the free list, however, would result
in reducing the price of lumber To
b1e Georgia consumer to the amount
I of the tax, the result would be a sa"-
ing TO the people of Georgia of this
tax, or about 10 per cent of the to al
output of lumber in Georgia, which is
all that is consumed in the state, and
a loss to the state Of the amount cf
the tax or afo 80 per cent of the
total output of lumber. The srna,]
duty imposed on lumber is distinctly
a revenue duty producing several mil
lion dollars of revenue every year. It
enables the lumber manufacturer of
the south to reach certain markets
inn, the north and northwest that ae
qon3 not otherwise reaCh by reason
Of The long freight hall and there
compete with Canadian lumber
Il have never stood for the princi
pie Of protection and do not now !
do not believe the government has
any just power to tax anybody except
for governmental purposes, and yet
do not close my eyes to the very
simple fact tlat all taxation by tar
if tends towFrds protection. The
cardinal distinction between demoo-
racy and republicanism is that the
former taxes only for Governmental
purposes while the other taxes for
Durely protective purposes"