Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-03-07
Delivered in the Senate of tho United States,
February 2d, Sd, and 9th, 1882.
CO\rI\EEip.

appeal, Tor It's truth, TO common observation
TO all practical men. appeal to the farmer of
the country, whether he does not purchase on hot
ter terms his iron, salt, brown sugar, cotton
goods, and woollcns, Tor his laboring pcoplo7 And
i ask the cotton planter if he has been better
and more chcaply supplied with his cotton bar.
ging7 In regard to this latter article, the gentleman
from South Carolina mistaken in supposiny
that had comp ncd that, under the existing d,I.
ty, tho Kentucky manufacturer could not compete
with tho Scotch. The kcntuCkian furnishes a
more substantial and u cheaper article. and at n
more uniform and regular price. But it was tho
frauds, the volatiG"s Of law, of which did COM
plain: Not smuggling, in the common sense of
that practice, which has something bold daring
and enterpriSng in it, but mean, bare faced cheat.
ing by fraudulent invoices, and false denomina-
ton.
plant myself upon this FACT, of chcapness
and superiority, upon impregnablc ground
Gentlemen may tax their ingenuity, and produce
thousand speculative solutions OF tho fact: blu,
the fact Itself will remain unds,urbcd. Let us look
INTO some particulars. The total consumption of
bar iron i'll the United States, is supposed TO be a.
bou, 100000 tons, of which, 112 sec tons are made
within the country, and the residue imported
The number OF men employed in the manufactures
is estimated at 29,254, ana the total number Of
persons subssted by il, ut l46,273 The measure
OF protection extended TO this necessary article
was never fully adequate until the passage of the
act of 1925 and what has been the consequence
The annual increase of quantity, since that peri.
cd, has been in Il ratio of near % per cent and
the wholesale price of bar iron in the Northern ci-
ties, was, in 1928, Sl05 per ton in 1929. SlOO in
1890 $50, and IN 1881, Com SsS5 to S75-con.
stontly diminishing We import very little En-
glsh IRON, and that which do, is very inferior
and only adapted TO few purposes. In institutinr
comparison between that inferior article and our
superior iron, subjects, entirely different are COM
pared They arc made by different pro-
ccsses. The English cannot make iron of cnual
quality 20 ours, at less price than we do They
have three classes, best-bost and best and ordinary
1t is the latter which isimPortcd OF the whole
amount imported, there is only about 1000 tons
OF foreign iron that pays the himh duty: the resi-
due paying only duty Of about thirty per cent
estimated on the prices of the importation of 1899
Our iron ore is superior to that of Great Britain
yielding often from sixty to eighty per cent, whilst
theirs produces only about twcnty.fivc This fact
is so we'll known, that / have heard of recent cY.
portations of iron ore to England.
1t has been alleged that bar iron, being raw
material, ought TO be admitted free, or with low
duties for the sake ofthe manufacturers themselves
But take this TO the true principle that II orr
country Is producing material of prime me-
cGssity, and, with reasonable protection, can pro-
dnce 1t in sufficient quantity to supply our wants
that raw material ought to be protected altbouob
1t may be proper to protect the articles also out
OF which 1T is manufactured. The tailor will ask
protection for himself, but ishes it denied to the
grower OF wool, and the manufacturer of broad
CLOTH The cotton planter enjoys protection for
the raw material but does not desire il to be extend
ed to the cotton manufacturer. The ship builder
will ask protection for navigation but does
not wish IL extended to the essential articles
which enter into the construction of his ship-
Each, in his proper vocation, solicits protection
but would have 1T denied to all other interests
which are supposed To come into collision with his
Now the duty of the statesman is to elevate him
SELF above these petty conflicts; calmly TO survey
all the various interests, and deliberately To pro
portion the measure of protection TO each accord
ing to lis nature and 10 the wants of general society
1t Is quite possible that, in the gree of protecon
which has been afforded to the workers in IRON
ttcI IL,
have lately read argument of much abil;tv
proving that no injustice has really been done to
them. If there be, it ought to be remedied
The next article to which call the attention of
the Senate, is that of cotton fabrics The sue
of our manufacture of coarse cottons is gene
rally admitted 1t is demonstrated by the fact that
they meet the cotton fabrics Of other counrr;es IN
foreign markets, and MAINTAIN successful compc !
ttiOn with them. There has been a gradual in. |
of the export of this article which is sent 4,
Mexico and the South American Republics to the
Mediterranean and to Asia. The remarkable
fact was lately communicated to me, that the same
individual who twenty-five years ago, was cnpar
ed in the importation of cotton cloth from Asia
for American consumption, is now engaged IN the
expectation of coarse American cOttons To Ash,
for Asiatic consumption! And my honorable friend
from Massachusetts, now in my eve, Mr. Sill sbee)
Informed me, that on his departure from home A.
nong the last orders that he gave, one was for the
expectation OF coarse cOttonS to Sumatra, in the
vicinity of Calcutta i hold in nv hand state
mCDt, derived from the most authentic sourcc
showing that the identical description of cotton
cloth, which sold, in 1917, at 20 cents per ward
was sold, in 1872, at twenty cents: in 1891 nj
nineteen d half cents; in 1928 at seventeen ccpts.
in 1925, at fourteen and half cents; in 1897. At
thirteen cents; in 1922 at nine cents; in 1890 nt
nine and half TO eleven. Such is the wonderG,I
effect of protection competition, and Improvement
in skill, combined! The yer of 1899 was ouc of
some suffering TO this branch of industry proba
bly, owing to tho principle of competition being
pushed too far; and hence VIC elScrvo small rise
in the article the next two years. The intro.
duction of calico printing into the United States
constitutes an important era in manufacturing
industry. 1t commenced about the wear leIj and .
has since made such astonishing advances that the
whole quantity now annually printed is but little
short of forty millions of yards-abOut two thirds
of our whole consumption. IL is a beautiful man.
ufacturc, combining great mechanical skill with
scientific discoveries IN chemistry. The engraved
cylinders for making the Impression require much
taste, and put in rcquisiton the genius OF the fine
arts OF design and engraving Arc the fine graceful
forms Of our fair countrywOmen less lovcy.wbcp
enyCoped in the Chinscs and calicocs produced by
ndtirc industry, than when clothed i'm the tin.cl of
foreign Jrapory!
Gentlemen are, M DOUBT, surprised at these facts |
They should not undcrratc the energies, the en- /
terPrIse, and the skill, Of fellow citizens. .
nave no doubt they every way competent TO |
accomplish whatever can be effected by any other
feoPle, hcncourdged aud protected by the fostering
Gaze Of our own Government. viii gentlemen he.
heve the fact which am authorized now TO state
mat the United States, at this time, manufacture
one hail the quantity of cotton which Great Rri 4
tain did IN lolo! VIC possess three great advan.
tages: LIST. Inc raw material I'd. Water power
instead of that OF steam, generally used Il, En-,
land And Sd. The cheaper labor of Ccualos T.
England, males spin with the mule and weave. i
this country women and girls spin vitI d.
lhroste and supcriDtcnd the power loom