The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-27

It's whole prosperity has its origin IN It's coal and Its
iron, and the manufactures which they have brought
iato existence. The coal now used by our steam
ships the gulf is furnished from the Mononga'
hea coal mines; and the movements OF our fleet
before Vera Cruz, TO which the eyes of the nation
are now turned, will greatly depend on an abun.
dance Of this important means of national defence
within our own borders Destroy the trade pro-
duced by these mines, and in time of war we might
have TO depend on-our enemy Tor a supply Of this
essential element in modern warfare.
! beg western senators TO look at the picture
which Ptsburg presents to them, IN the hope that
instead OF aiding 10 destroy the tariff, they VIII look
to the many points, equally well situated, with Goa
and iron around them, upon which cities may be
made to grow up, and, like IT, become market for
the vast agricultural products Of their fertile re-
gions.
The next most important product Of Pennsyya-
MA Is her manufactures ofiron. o.
BY the census Of ls40 the number Of furnaces in
Pennsylvania was 2l3. Returns procured in
1912 from large number OF them, showing them iol
be capable of producing l52 900 tons Of pig metal
The tariff Of 1912 found the fires Of nearly all
these furnaces extnguished, their wOrknen idle Il
and their families in many cases without the means
OF subsistence. And II 10 melancholy truth that
many debts then contracted for the means Of living
are still unpaid from the savings Of years OF hard
labor. Since the passage of the bill of lS43 more
than 100 new furnaces have been built, which pro-
duce l7s 900 tons Of meta-more than 100 per cent.
OF an increase.
The investment Of capital 10 produce one ton Of
charcoal pig metal is estimated at s47 and for an
thracite pig metal S25. These multiplied by.
the amounts Of charcoal and anthracite metal annu-
ally produced by the furnaces that have been erect
ed since 1872 shows capital Of 5000, 900 invest
ed In the business since that time. This and the
capital previously invested, with the amount neces
sary TO put the metal into castings, &c, makes the
whole investment about $50 900 900. This is who'll
y independent Of the current expenditures necessa
ry to produce the iron.
The metal produced by these furnaces annually,
in its raw state is worth sll 100000. If one-hat
Of IT, which is probable is converted into bar or
other coarse ron 1t cannot be done for less than an
expenditure of $4,000 000 and If the other half be
put into castings, il will cost 81, 600 900 Thus
showing actual expenditure Of "a 900 600 Of dol
lnrs annually in the neighborhood Of the furnaces;
the greater part of which is paid to the farmer the
Iaborer and the mechanic, Of the surrounding coun.
try.
A careful estimate shows that about SeVsnisen thou
sand men necessary to produce the iron made in
Pennsylvania this year, in the capacity of laborers
and mechanics, IN connexion with its Immediate pro-
ducton. Allowing six persons to family, and we
have Deer a hundred thousand persons Immediately
connected with the labor Of these furnaces. The
labor necessary TO convert this metal into bars,
hoops, castings, railway iron, &c, would fully
equal another hundred thousand persons. In this
estimate there is account taken of the thousands
upon tnOushnus Oh persons eHRhSeu ln INC various
pursuits growing out OF, and indirectly connected
| with, the manufacture of iron.
have given here a statement Of the manufacture
| OF iron in its first stages only | have no means OF
estimating the number Of persons or the amount OF
| capital employed in converting 1t into machinery,
mechanical uses and the endless variety of fabrics
| into which it enters. I
Every village in the State has one more found.
ries; every large town has its machine shop; and
| the sound Of the steam-engne greets your ear at
every turn. have not had time pursue this in
veshgation in all its minor details. There is no
means Of estimating the variety of use to which IL is
destined to be applied. 1t is already used extent
sivcly in boats and to extent in ships Of the
largest class; and it is the only material of which
| ships engaged in the commerce Of the gulf can be
made proof against the destructive character of the
| marine worms Of that region.~ ... '.'"..
| What have done has been with view Of show
ing the great importance of this trade, now threat
| ened with destruction with no motive that can
| see, unless it be to build up in the south lordly
/ arstocracy, who have conception of the dignity
| of labor. Ii shall not be said hereafter that this
calamity was brought upon the laboring men Of my
country, without all the effort in my power to pre-
ventit. MY sympathies are with these people. |
come from among the children Of toll, and, by
slant application and honest labor have reached the
| proud position occupy to-day. The best legacy !
could desire to leave my children would be the
fact that had contributed to defeat a measure
| fraught, as believe this is with calamity to those
| with whom have mingled all my life. These la
boring men mostly democrats. Their employ
ers are frequently Of the opposite politics; yet, with
the freedom and Independence that hope will ever
| characterize the yeomanry of this land, they vote
entirely untrammelled.1 They will be surprised to
be be told now that the doctrine of protective ta-
| riff, which they have always believed in and sus-
| tanned is not democratic. .. {
| What American citizen desire to see his fel-
low-ctZens brought down to a level with the pau
| per slahor of hat NAL trv
great but the industry, the intelligence, and honest
enterprise of the men whose means of living is to
| be taken from them by this bill? In what other
country under heaven has the who tolls for his
daily bread the right to say who shall make and ad
minister his laws' Where else is the proud specta
Gle presented of the laboring approaching the
| ballot.box free, and without restraint In what
| other country can the journeyman mechanic reach
| the Senate chamber And yet this bill seems TO
have other contemplation Of the laboring man
| here, than as the pauper laborer Of Europe. But
how different is their condition.! At one iron es.ab-
| Iishment in Wales, where three thousand men are
employed, over 1900 of them get but 125 cents a
day; others, from l6 to 90 cents day, and board
| themselves. IN this country the lowest price paid
is dollar, aud others receive from 80 to "a day
l. We make in the Union about 4S0, 900 tons Of iron
annually, more than half of which is made in Penn
sylvania. BIZ .aeg ..., ~.
The product Of British iron manufactured is about
0OO00tons. The population in Great Britain prop.
CT eAceeus ours ny ABOUT iuoV,UUU. In 1879, their
duty on ton, of bar iron S37 so. Ii was kept
at that until the facilities for making it enabled them
to make it cheaper than any other nation. Our ia
ciiies for making it are daily increasing; and the
day is not distant when the State of Pennsylvania
will be able to compete with England, if her fur
naces are not stranged now by this bill # o..
In France, at the present day, there is duty Of
| Sal IS on rolled iron, and SIS so on pig metal.
Russia has heavy duty on iron; so has Sweden;
and indeed every nation that produces it. The
consequence must be that the iron Of England must
break down manufacturers; for, having no other
market, she will at any price flood ours, until our
furnaces are closed and our capital gone into some
| other channels when, having no competition, she
| will force her own price and make her own profits.
Why should not this trade be preserved to our own
people, Why should the bonds Of union, formed
by the commerce in these articles between the diff
| ferent States, be broken up' II the Union is worth
preserving, why not by all means strengthen the
cords which bind it togetheri We may be almost
world within ourselves, We have every soil
| and climate under the sun, and every product OF
Il = - r o..