The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-24

the Hon. ROBERT j. WALKER, dated at Pitts
burg on the 18th instant, in reply TO an invita-
ton extended TO him, on a recent visit TO that
city, To meet his party friends at public din
ner.
The greater portion Of il is devoted 10 the
expression Of his views in reference to the pro-
tective policy, or, 10 be more accurate, in rela-
ton to the results which have attended the
abandonment of that policy in the tariff of 1916.
On this head Mr. WALKER says
"Thc position of this city is peculiarly favorable
to the successful development Of the great princ-
Piles Of commercial freedom She stands at the head
Of the great Mississippi valley the largest and most
fertile OF the globe, with every variety of product,
and able to feed and clothe every nation Of the
earth. Ii is 10 the agricultural development Of this
valley, destined to contain several hundred mil
lions of people, that her chief manufacturing city
| must look for the principal element of her pros
perity. That valley must have for its products,
cd and unrestricted the markets of the world,
| and then, in its enlarged numbers and augmented
prosperity the manufacturer would find his best
customers. This agriculture can never reach its
great development, when restricted in its exchanges,
excluded by high tariffs from international com
merce. But fill up the West with farmers, by do
nations TO settlers of the public domain, and by
opening every market to their products, and you
would build up here the greatest industrial city the
world has ever beheld.
"Two of the States OF the West could feed and
cothe the people of this whole Union; and is such
valley to be limited To sales here twenty mil
lions of people, and shut out from the markets Of
the one thousand millions who inhabi the earth?
To do would be To limit the advance of our agri
culture and population, and rctard the progress of
your manufacturing cities. Ii is vain To say that
we cannot competcwith what is called the 'pauper
labor Of Europe Our workingmen have more igor,
energy, intelligence, and inventive genius, and al
ready we export abroad millions in value of Amer-
can fabrics If such competition were impossible,
why told that high tariffs in time cheaper
| our fabrics, and enable the American ultimately to
| undersell the foreign manufacturer although the
| same element Of foreign paupcr labor Gas it is
called) remains unchanged. This is an admission
that successful competition is not only possible, but
| certain; and even now We selling abroad
| not only an immense amount OF American bread
| stufs and PROVISIONS but millions of dollars in
value every year of American manufactures of
cotton, wool, iron, and other fabrics So far from
high tariffs being necessary effect this success
| full competition, the aggregate value of our own
| manufactures, sold here and abroad, is greater
| now, under low duties, than at any preceding pc
| Rod, and is rapidly augmcntng every year. Even
in iron there has been larger aggregate in all its
| branches manufactured here, and more American
| labor now employed, than under any protective
| tariff. The largely increased amount Of imported
| pig and bar iron has been worked up by American
labor, and has afforded additional employment 70
| thousands OF our mechanics and artisans. The
American blacksmith, mechanic and artisan have
made more shoes for the augmented number of our
farm horses, more ploughs for fields,
| to fell our forests, more agricultural implements
| Tor our extended cultivation, more iron for our
| ships, and more machinery for our steamers that
carried home and abroad our additional products
Even in this city of Pttsburg there arc now more
men engaged in working up iron in all its branches
than under any preceding tariff.
Chow then can system which employs more
labor here even in iron, reduce the wages of labor
| il may be true that come forges furnaces nju-
diciously located, or founded pcrious loans and
| expensive credit, may have ceased to work; pig
and bar iron, the great material Of the manu-.
facture, may have fallen in prices but the working
up Of iron here in all its branches and for the va
rious 10 which it is applied by man, is much
larger now than under any protective tariff. Pitts
burg not only works up more iron now than ever
before, bat the diminished price Of the raw material
enables her artisans 10 sell their iron fabrics 10
greater amount and with augmented profits. Even
| then in iron, more American labor has been EN-
Ployed than at any preceding period; whilst in our
agriculture, commerce, and manufactures, taken
| In the aggregate, the demand for labor has been
vastly increased, and wages thus maintained which
must have sunk under the protective system"
IL is not our intention. at present. 30 give "a
the reasoning Of this distinguished advocate Of
II a. n
which it merits. We desire, however, TO get
some light, If any Of those who adopt Mr.
WALEER's views are disposed 10 furnish it.. up
on the precise meaning and scope Of some Of
his statements, especially the concluding one
Even then in iron." says. Mr.. WALLER,
at any preceding period" This averment. il
we interpret it correctly, based il professedly
is only on the alleged condition Of things in the
single city Of Pittsburg, canno, be intended 10
have any wider application than TO that town
II the statement is meant 10 be more compreheD-
sive than this. we should be glad to see the cvi-
dence by which il is supported. Itclcarly does moi
follow. that because "Pitisburg works up more
iron now than ever before" if such be the fact,
we are warranted from this single instance in
concluding that the same increased use of iron
exists in all other localities, or. indeed. in any
Nor, II we could indulge ourselves in 70 facle
a method df conjectural statistics, would it prove
any thing until another point was settled. The
population Of the country has advanced and is
advancing with unoxampled npidity. The
consumption Of iron may have increased in
absolute amount throughout the nation. and
yet i may be smaller in proportion TO the en-
tire number of consumers than il was five years
ago
The same remark applies 10 the statement
that ''the aggregate value Of our own manufac-
lures sold here and abroad is greater now under
low duties than at any preceding period" In
the natural progress Of population, and increased
amount Of labor resulting, il the distribution Of