Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-02-17
CONGRESSMAN BRANTLEY HAS
TIE LOGICAL SIDE.

ra Savanna Press has been some
vae ea@o-1us for free lumber and
1.hs- -ss -aw products. 1t has main
4rst 2a- ses only way to prepare.
b ~ breaking down OF the high ia
if 8a IS Go begin on the raw sup
l.es 1as e@.s- in Tie production Of
la ueaasac -@-aG articles and use
l,s - q leverage tor throwing down
ls aatz. system Q. industrial fay-
srsa ia. c1s Republican party has
ereas
F>ss raw products would be all
sa. l. ,@s-s we're any guarantee that
.1s-s uca-5 Be = corresponding ad-
sa-.4zs gwen consumers generally in
reflections OF the nigh tariff schedules.
8.. unfortunately there is no such
guarantee. The Republicans control
the Senate and the insurgent. senators
are far from being committed to a
wholesale reduction of the duties suf-
fcienJ to Offset the losses the produc-
ers OF raw supplies may meet through
the wiping out entirely of the tariff
on their products The lumberman
who has to pay abnormal prices foa
his saws and every other article he
purchases for use in his mills, as
we'll as the prevailing high prices for
the supplies for his stock and hands,
is very apt 10 find no compromising
reduction in prices on such supplies
after his own products have been low
cred in value by the wiping out Of the
duty on lumber
We are inclined to believe that the
logical end of the free lumber que.
ton under the conditions now exist
ing, has been taken by Congressman
Brantley and that the Savannah Press
has allowed its enthusiasm for tariff
reform to put it in a position where
it actually advocates an injustice to
a great Southern industry. Congress-
man Brantley we'll says:
The Democratic party stands for a
revenue duty, and so the lumber du-
ty is strictly Democratic in principle
1t is true that the Denver platform
calls for free lumber, but it also calls
Tor a general lowering of all the Ia
riff schedules. Presumably one OF
the jusJifcations for the free lumber
plank was the other planks proposing
that the people in the lumber sections,
as in all other sections, should buy
their supplies more cheaply. I found
myself in a Republican house, where
the majority refused to recognize the
I Denver platform or to enact it into
4 law. | found the tariff schedules gen
orally being increased, and not de-
creased, as the Denver platform de-
manded. Under these circumstances
free lumber meant to increase the
inequalities and determinations of Re-
publican tariff legislation. 1t meant to
add to the burdens then being made
/ greater of the people | represent II
meant to further handicap a large
number of people by giving them a
less price for what. they had to sell
while at the same time increasing
the price of what they had to buy
This was not the Denver platform, moi
was it Democracy as | understand it
My vote was against the discrimination
proposed, and under the same circum-
stances, would again be cast that way
/ voted against placing lumber and all
other so-called raw materials on the
flee list. | m opposed to the doctrine
OF free raw material, nor do | believe
It is Democratic. Henry Clay many
long years ago named the advocates OF
/ free raw material as one of four
classes of protectionists. The Demo
cratic theory of tariff legislation is
revenue. To make raw material free
is not to raise revenue, but is to pro-
/ teCt; it is to enable the manufacturer
to Day his supplies more cheaply. Tc
give the manufacturer duty on tha
product he sells, and to exempt from
duty the product he buys is not only
to doubly protect him. but it is to dis
CTiminate against the man selling the
raw material, who must thereby part
with it at a free-trade price, while
at the same time having to buy it balB
in its finished state at a protected
! EriCe. Democrats cannot favor free
raw material upon the ground that the
m .nuiaCturer would need a compa lsa-
tory duty on his finished product to
offset it, as has been suggested, Ue-
cause This would be to insist upon tie
! principle Of protection "A compensa
Try duty is for protection, not rev
enue.