The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-02-11
c0EoNEL "BoB" DAVIS AND THE
TARIFF


It pains us to find that our good
friend, Colonel Bob" DAVIS. editor Of
he Gainesville Sun, believes with ex-
Governor Sidney ]. Cats, that our
Southern products are Ianguishing for
the want OF a protective tariff.
He holds to the opinion that all our
Southern products have competi-
ton, and that OF the strongest kind,
and makes special INCEPTION of cotton.
He says:
Massachusetts cotton manufactur
ers have. grown rich on cheap south
ern cotton. Whenever the southern
farmer has held it for price the
manufacturer has res0rted to cheap
imported cotton"
Congressman James Young says
that Texas alone grows 100000 bales
Of cotton and only 10 per cent Of i
reaches the mills Of this counfS
This being true the price il fixed
abroad, principally in Liverpool
Just to think. Ninety per cent q
II goes abroad. So what earthly ben
eft would d tariff tax accrue to the
Southern farmer?
we commend to Colonel Davis Wnat
this Texas congressman says on TINS
subject:
arf Won would bring relief TO the
catton farmer. it will not be by tarlH
legislation. but you will have to open
I'm the European markets SO that the
|peouIe in Europe who need this great
commodity can come here and pur-
chase this commodity from US They
can not do it. They need credit. They
need funds with which to pay, and yet
you are holding up here by this bill
a power that will prohibit a movement
into our territory Of a lot of comno-
Edities from other countries that would
enable the wheels OF commerce to
move. Fl you pass this bill, I say to
you that other nations will respond
to it and close their ports to us, and
Won will thus clog the wheels Of com
merce.
The South grows nearly if not quite
$4,000, 900 bales and the official re-
cord show that We import only 10o,-
900 bales.
So, what effect does 100000 bales
have upon 13.ooO,ooo?
Besides the 100000 bales is Egyp-
tan cotton which we understand is
of much finer texture and commands
a higher price than our native cotton,
So that being true. and we believe It
to be true, Colonel Davis is mistaken
when he says that whenever the
Southern farmer holds his cotton for
a higher price the Massachusetts
manufacturer resorts to cheap import
ed cotton.
Besides if these 100000 bales were
not imported they would find their
way to English mills and It would
cause them to buy Just that much less
Of Southern cotton.
In the discussion OF THIS SuuJ0te
agree with the able tariff writer Of
the Times-Union.
That paper says:
sThe protectionists are making q
supreme effort to commit the South
to a system of robbery that will add
10 the wealth Of wealthy manufacture
scrs at the expense of the people OF
tlss South and of the large majority
of the people of all other sections.
The only purpose Of protective tariff
is to make the rich richer regardless
of the fact that It makes the poor
poorer. Incidentally it is imposed in
such way as to bleed the agricultural
sections of the South and West and
so as to swell the circulation of the
manufacturing sections OF the North
and East. The Southern people know
this and hence they are opposed to
protection. The people of tire West
are learning it and will probably not
much longer remain the dupes of
those who are drawing from their
wealth. :