Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1848-03-09
The IRON Enterest.--Inlended COn-
yeMfiOn.

Pennsylvania, under the Tariff oil 1916, ailrlb-
ulng il 10 the actual operation of lha, magnif-
cen, device of Locofoco patriotism, will be able
10 explain The meaning of The call for Con-
ven,ion OF the Iron Manufacturers and Miners
of Pennsylvania, which appeared in our paper
on Wednesday, having arrived at SO late an
hour, unfortunately, the previous night as To
prevent its receiving The editorial notice its i'm
porlance suggesls,-and which will appear a
gain. The call il will be perceived. is signed
by no less than foriy-two firms, largely engaged
in these interests in Pennsylvania and the
deluded politicians, as above, and especially
The Washington Union, which recently rejoiced
with so mighty spirit of rejoicing. over the
annual statistical returns Of the past prosperity,
will be asionshed 10 learn that the cause
signed for The movement, as stated III he call,
Is ga great revulsion which has come upon.
those interests within a very short period. y
They will be as,onished 10 leard that the ad-
verisers complain Of ruinous prices; OF
" many mills that have suspended their opera
lions from necessity, and thousands of laborers
who are deprived of employment of the ces-
salion OF orders for American iron, and The
irsnsference Of ordersto England g for $5, ,O00,-
600 worth of rails from the Eastern States a.
lone of " evil and injustice bearing so oner-
ously on these highly important branches of
domestic industry" but. above all! they will
be amazed TO find that this calamilous state Of
things is attributed, by the advertisers, TO the
direct operation of that Tariff Of '46, which,
with lis deadly character written so plainly
upon lis face, lis advocates have been so de.
sirous TO represent as the benefcenl friend and
protector Of The gtea, Pennsylvania interests.
Sbut for
the gentlemen of the fery-lwo films. who in
vie their brother manufacturers of Pennsylya-
MIA 10 consult with them a, Harrisburg, on he
22d oil March, inst, on The common suffering
and danger, " that great revulsion has come
upon these interests within very short period"
thai . English iron is now pouring in upon
Us al prices ruinous 10 he American manutac-
turers.'--and that ",he dependence Of ibis
country upon the fiuclua,ion. Of English prices
for iron, of necessity involves the existence of
this branch of American and pre-eminenly
Pennsy yIvanisn industry" They who feel the
calamity can trace The cause In the absurd
orkngs of an ad Uolorem tariff, which lsvishes
protection where II is not wanted and denies
II when actually needed Thus, as the adver-
Users justly say,-lhe duty being 80 per cent,
every rise IN price of $40 per ton heaps an ad-
di,onal duty of $3 per ton and every $40 fall
in price reduces The duty SO. And hence,
when the home market of the Blush manufac-
tHrers fails, and their iron becomes drug, they
can introduce it into the United States al mere
nominal duies, 10 crush, in a minute, the COM
petition of American iron and The America an la
Dor that produces it.
The Roman SvIIa believed so much in luck
that he made it his god---it seems 10 have been
The good genius of our friends Of the new school
of freetrade Locofocosm, who passed the tariff
of 1876. No better law could have been con.
trived 10 injure American industrial interests,
especially those involved in agriculture and
manufactures. lis natural operation is to de-
press the latter by Introducing excessive for
efgn cOmpeh;ion-just the Pennsylvania
iron interests are depressed; and to hurt The
former by diminishing the numbers and means
OF The consumers Of bread-stufs in our own A
merican mills and workshops. This natural
operation Of the tariff Of 49, as every man Of
sense knows, was for atme, entirely suspended,
il regarded our farming andirUn interests, by
particular evenls which no human wi, could
have fOreseen. The general failure of crops
in Europe, IN SAG, leading 10 actual famine in
some countries, nearly doubled the price of
grain and made a temporary marke, for Amer-
can farmers, which is now lost, or nearly so.
A, the same time, the prodigious rail road ma
MIA in England created such demand for iron
as to raise lis prices unusually high; ; and the
American iron market was thus left exclusive
ly TO the possession of our own iron-makefs.
But the railroad mania is over: British iron
has sunk low and il is now pouring in upon
us al prices before which American compeli-
lion sinks,--profs are swep away mills are
closed ,-work,nen are robbed of employ ment,-I
and capitalists, who enjoyed few moments OF
artificial sunshine, meet together in convention
for The purpose of finding some remedy against
evils which are overwhelming employers and
employed in common calamity.
There can be no true remedy ever fonnd ex
cep' in a return by The national government TO
The lrue principal ofthe protective policy, aud
total ahjuraon Of the destructive absurduies
Of Bmish lree-lrade 'Fhe national governmeHr
will never return TO lhese principles un'il i, is
changed and men whose heads and hearts bot
are rghl, are substituted in power for the South
abstraciionists aud HE Northern renegades.
who scheme in nothing so fercely aud Jealous