The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-06-13

Mr.. ID. 4. Tompkins says That the
Democratic Congress In It's Attack
on the Cotton Schedule is an Enc
my TO the Cotton Resources Of the
South.
Mr.. ID. A. TompkIns, OF Charlotte.
has given out an interview In which
he attacks the policy of the Demo
cratic House Of Representatives. as
shown In their cotton goods tariff
bill. He shows that this proposed
attack upon the cotton schedule of
the tariff bill will affect the cotton
industry OF the South and have the
certain effect of lowering the price
OF raw cotton as well as manufac-
tured cotton. We make the follow
ing extracts from Mr.. Tompkins' long
and comprehensive statement:
Il note In the press dispatches
that Mr.. Underwood has re-intro-
duced his cotton goods tariff bill.
There is a strong feeling among
Southern cotton mill men that these
cotton goods mostly made In the
South have always had the least ad-
vantage OF the tariff Therefore,
these feel that a Democratic Con-
gres ought not to proceed to reduce
this first OF all. 1t Is a question
whether those grades OF cotton goods
made in the South have not always
been on the low limit. In a general
way we do know that the South has
suffered because of n, rthern advan-
tage in the matter of tariff Yet
Southern statesmen, from John G.
Calhoun to the present time, have
always in their movement to equal
lie a revenue, as a protective tariff,
have started in to reduce some
Southern interest
I'm the present situation the price
of cotton is dependent upon the
Southern cotton mills. 1t is these
which have given other occupation
to excess labor in the cotton fields.
1t is these whose working population
makes markets for farm. products
other than cotton, and this helps to
relieve the competition in cotton
production, and this helps to keep
the price up. Shut down the cotton
mills and let the working operatives
in them go back TO the cotton fields,
and the price of cotton would drop at
once and the values of perishable
, farm products would be lost immedi-
lately. Indeed the basis of a lot Of
the latter day prosperity of the South
would be gone at once.
Tariff Commission.
I'VE cannot have free trade be-
, cause we must have revenue to run
the Government There is required
about one billion a year for this pur-
, pose. In the present situation about
one-third Of this amount, or some
thing over three hundred millions,
must be raised by means of the
tariff.
why should the Democrats in
Congress always turn the fight on
Southern interest for an alleged ad-
vancement of Democratic politics?
, The South should get its fair proper
: ton of this tariff. We should have a
tariff commission with judicial func-
tnons of its own to investigate each
item separately and report findings
TO Congress. Such commission
might determine the items OF a fair
revenue and how to lay such a tariff
: that it would best foster and protect
American industries and wages
The Comprehensive Question.
Sometimes We hear that the cot
ton schedule is to be attacked again
in the interest of politics. OF course
the tariff is an important element in
, the trusts question. OF course it is
important to the American people,
that 1t shall be fairly and eQuitably
laid for revenue purposes, and l can
see no reason why in laying a tariff
for revenue it should not be made to
i incidentally protect home industry
The only way l can see to do this is
to have judicial commission to in
vestigate one item at a time, as q law
court investigates a case in law
The Need of the Hour.
"The tariff needs a comprehensive
overhauling. Some of the items are
too high and some are too law. The