The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-13

"The Hon. JAMES THOMPSON, the able and eff
Gent representative of the Erie (Pa district, has
returned and taken his seat in the House. We are
informed that Mr.. Thompson gives very iatter
ing report of the compromise spirit that now actu-
ates the popular mind of the Democracy of the
Keystone State. The tariff question has blown
away. We will carry the State the ensuing fall by
from fifteen to twenty thousand majority"
In the Union Of yesterday, a card from Mr.
THOMPSON appears, in which he says:
81 did not, and could not, have made the remark
that the tariff question had blown away in Pennsyl
vania. ! know that in regard TO great interest
much depression is experienced at this time. In
those sections of the State where the iron interests
prevail, much anxiety is felt that change in
the present duties on iron, as well in form as in
amount should take place. Many establishments,
heretofore giving employment to great number
Of operatives, have within the last few months sus
pended, and fear not soon to be resuscitated I'M
less under some temporary diminuton of i'm
portation of the foreign article, a change
in the present duties upon it. greater depresr
sion, ! am persuaded, is yet destined to ensue,
unless something soon be done by Congress. /
do not believe that any other of the great interests
of the country suffer in comparison with the iron
interest, if, indeed, they suffer at all under the ex-
dence of it is not unmistakable, as there seems
little, if any, dmnution of active operations
amongst them ! feel it my duty, therefore, to
say that it would not be just to impute to me, as
some have done the remark referred to in the par
agraph have quoted. feel that it is of great inn
portance to the iron interests that amendment
of the revenue laws in regard to them should be
made, and made at the present session of Con-
grcss.''
1t would appear, from this, that the tariff
question has not ''blown away" in Pennsyl-
vania. What Mr.. THOMPSON says, concern
ing other interests than the iron interest, eX
presses, no doubt, his own opinion as founded
upon his own observation and knowledge so far
as they went. 1t is unfortunately true, how
ever, that other manufacturing interests, as
well as that of iron, are also in a state of de-
preston. We should be within the mark in
sayiRg that three s33ggE'hs d. The cotton aGi2ries
in the State of Maryland, to go no farther, are
either stopped, or on short work, or doing a
losing business. Probably, in view of the lat
ter qualification, we might include every cotton
factory in the State. The vast production
of manufactures in Great Britain, since the
have consummated their tri-
umph over the landed and commercial interests
of the kingdom, is indicated by the fact that,
for the year l849, the official statement of
British exports shows an increase of some
"a 200 900 in the exports of cotton manufac
lures and yarn alone. We have no means
of knowing what proportion of this large ag-
gregate of increased exports in one branch of
in Great Britain came 10 the
United States. But. out Of the whole amount
exceeding in value twenty millions of dollars,
this country undoubtedly had its share. 1t is
no new thing for British manufacturers to
make the market Of the United States the re-
ceptacle for their surplus products, the sweep
ings of their warehouses, TO be sold here at any
price-since, in their calculations of the years
profits, this surplusage, which, if thrown into
the home Market might depress it unduly.
may be proftably sacrificed by being thrown
into our market for the purpose Of embarrass-
ing or running the American manufacturer.
The depression of the iron interest Mr..
THOMPSON acknowledges His own conslitu-
ents could assure him upon that point We
will not suppose, for fear Of doing him injustice,
that he is unwilling to recognise, in its applica-
ton 10 other great industrial interests, the same
principles Of protection, the benefits of which
the iron interests Of Pennsylvania do, in his
opinion, most urgently require to be extended to
them. Mr.. THonPsoN's attention was no
doubt directed most intently to that particular
branch Of manufacturing industy-and a most
important one it is-in which the GOLFERS,
miners and iron manufacturers Of Pennsylvania
are 80 much interested. But the protective
principle is one; it is applicable to all sorts Of
labor which may find natural and a national
basis in our country il claims affinity with
the vital elements Of our independence as Z
people.
We should hardly take this occasion TO en-
large upon the point here indicated, il it were
not for the knowledge, familiar and confirmed,
that while some political gentlemen of the Dem
ocratic school in Pennsylvania profess a strong
attachment to the protective principle as appl-
cable to the manufacturing pursuits Of Pennsyl
vania--with0ut which declaratOry assurance
they could not be political gentlemen at all of
any distinguished prominence--they continue
still TO adhere TO the antprotective party Of the
country; and for the sake Of party adhesion they
have not only submitted 10 the sacrifice Of the
dearest interests Of domestic labor throughout
the United States, but they have themselves re-
peatedly aided and abetted in the consumma-
ton of the sacrifice.
What aHlicts Pennsylvania now in her in
terests Of laborl OF what does Mr.. THoMP-
SON complaint Is il not the inadequate, the
imperfect. the delusive nature of the tariff Of
1876, established and enforced by party and
an administration which Pennsylvania helped
to bring into power2 The wheels Of her facto-
res are angud or still; the fires in her forges
and furnaces are going out; hundreds and thou
sands Of industrious persons employed in her
establishments and in her mines
are either left without employment or likely TO
be so; yet, in the face Of all this, who does not
know-wbo that has common faculty of obser-