The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-24
THE IRON INTEREST.

great deal has been uttered and written in rela-
ton To the iron interest OF by the fed
eralists to the effect, that the "Keystone State"
will be ruined irretrevaby by the revenue tariff Of
1876. But man may be scared to death when there
is no actual danger, and many thousands Of people
may be thrown into paroxysms Of grief and over
whelming despair, by fnghtful representations and
horrible stories, based only in a crazy fancy. Cap
italists, who have invested funds in iron mines, may
be alarmed at the statements which are made by
rdul and selfish politicians; and such is the eager
ness the federalists to make false impression on
the people of Pennsylvania in relation to her iron
and coal trade, that they stop at means however
contempdble-make no pause in the propagation Of
any misrepresentation, however infamous-whieh
may either directly indirectly have tendency to
produce the desired effects.
Reserving the coal question until another time,
we give some facts in relation to the iron inter-
est, which seem to show clearly, that, tariff or no
tariff, high duties or low duties, the iron trade of
Pennsylvania can in nowse be seriously affected by
the new law. What we have to state is from I'M
questionable data and we are at loss to understand
how the federalists, with the same facts before
tons of ruin. ........
In such course the fcderalsts presume largely
upon what they impudently term the "Duieh stupid
iiy" of Pennsylvania. We are fully assured, how
ever that Dutch knowledge will be match for fed
eral cunning and trickery.
Now for our statements. The annual product of
pig iron in England is million FIVE hundred thou
sand tons. The railroads now in contemplation,
and to be completed in England alone, will com
prise seven thousand four hundred and ninety -four
miles; required for railroad purposes France, six
hundred and twenty miles; in Prussia, two thou
sand two hundred miles; in India, two thousand
miles; amounting, in the whole, to t,ctlpe thousand
three hundred ond fourteen miles Of railroad ohich
must be supplied mainly from England. 1t is estimated
that it requires FIVE hundred tons of iron for every
mile Of railroad; SO that to supply the demand to
complete the roads mentioned, there will be wanting
SIX million one hundred and fifty-seven thousand
tons of iron. Can England meet this demand To
meet the demand Of England alone, she must sup
ply, without affording a pound to the continent or
India, three million seven hundred and forty-seven
thousand tons! Recoect that her annual product is
only one million FIVE hundred thousand tons; and
she must produce four million six hundred and
hhy-seven thousand tons MORE than the usual an
nual production to meet the demand. ....
In this estimate we have not calculated the guam
tlsy lost in converting pig into bar iron, which is
about one-fourth; nor the quantity used for manu-
featuring, agricultural, domestic, and other pur-
poses. How, then, we ask--we demand to know
can the iron interest Of Pennsylvania or Virginia
be injured by the tariff of 1886 The state
ments, therefore, which have been promulgated by
the federaist journals on this subject are false
They are intended to deceive. We declare that
the iron trade of Pennsylvania is in no manner of
danger; and tho demand for the productions Of the
iron mines will be fully adequate to meet any fair
interest on any capital that may be invested 1t is
the duty of every democrat in Penney to pu,
this matter right and to explain, upon all occasions
truthfoly, the nature and tendency of the new
tariff of ls46. The time is at hand when j, will go
into operation; and We feel safe in predicting that
the result will be sautary and satisfactory. The
moneyed power cannot, must not, rule our nation;
1t must not encroach upon the Congress of the ma
uon, demanding exclusive monopolies, and special
privileges The toiling millions, the agricultural
laoorers, the mechanics, the artisans, must be
heard. s ....... ........'.. I'm. l#..4
The facts above set forth are worthy Of the
attention Of every man who has been so far
mised by the federal panic-makers as to imagine
that the great interest in question is placed in
peril by the revenue law Of the last session. We
believe that the democracy of tho country, with
one voice, will call for fair trial of the tariff of
1916 as u stands. Let see its actual WORKING be-
lore we begin to think Of modification In the prin-
e'pt of. the new law all democrats concur. As to
us details, there may be- and probably is, some diff
Terence Of opinion. But with a powerful federal
opposition aboring to pervert our whole revenue
system into gigantic burden and fraud upon the
people, to serve the ends Of cliques and sections,
wsshal never have tariff deserving the name Of
national If we refuse to rally cordially in support Of
law based upon just and wise principles, ill every
em OF Its provisoas is made to conform entirely TO
the views Of every section Of our party. Reform
IN the revenue system, like every other reform, can
0e sustained only in spirit Of mutual concession
and harmony.
We feel an undoubting conviction that the new