North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-03-15


principle apply in eminent degree to iron2 Ill
is an instrument of industry, alike to the farmer
and 10 the mechanic, af1ording to both the impe-
ments necessary in their daily occupations and in
the form OF rails it constitutes the thorou ghfaresofI
commerce and travel. Not less than million tons
OF iron are supposed to be annually consumed in
the United States. If the manufacturers could at
tain the object they have in view of raising the
price of the article $40 ton above its present rate
they would thereby impose an annual tax on the
consumers Of the country of ten million of dol
lars. No rate Of duties, however, could in fact
have produced any such effect because throug bout
all the interior States there establishments al
ready sufficiently protected from foreign compet-
ton, by the difficulties of transportation from
abroad, which supply the common kinds of iron
for domestic purposes, at prices not affected in any
way by our duties. 1t is different, however, with
railroad iron, almost all that is used being import
ed from abroad. Any additional duties on it would
be so much at least added TO its price. The prop
ostion of the gentleman from Ohio mode at the
last session. to which have already alluded add
ing as it did $50 per cent additional duties that
already existing on railroad ron would have in
creased so much the cost of the iron necessary for
the completion of the two roads now in progress
IN North Carolina, viz the Central, and the re-
laying of the Raleigh and CASTOR load as to be
equivalent to direct tax the State of $500, 900.
II would have fallen even more heavily upon some
other States and companies. 1t may be we'll, too,
Mr.. Chairman to remind gentlemen that prior to
the passage of the tariff of 1912 railroad iron had
always been admitted free of duty. During that
period the n Northeastern States made great prog
with their roads 1t seems hard that the South
ern and Western States which are struggling TO eff
feet objects desirable to the whole country,
should now have obstacles thrown in the way Of
their success. 1t is useless for gentlemen to pre-
tend that if will submit To these burthens for
time. we shall thereby after a season get the do
mestlc at lower rate than the foreign article can
be Obtained. The argument is refuled and utterly
demolished by the leading positions of the gentle
man from Pennsylvania, [Mr. Hamptonl himself
| He says that the main element OF the productio
of iron is the labor bestowed on it. Unless, there
fore, his constituents willing to work at less
wages than the English operatives do, that is, at
less than 20 or 25 cents day, they cannot posi-
! bly, make iron at lower rate than foreigners can
do but they not only exclam against this but it is
avowed that they cannot consent to work for less
than dollar per day.
Weare now brought sir, to the solution of the
real evil under which the iron interest of Pennsy-
Vania is aboring. 1t is suffering from the effects
! of our former excessive protection. Having in
consequence of the former high duties species of
monopoly, and possessing in convenient situations
abundance ofthe material, her capitalists found
the iron business excessively profitable. There
was great rush of capital therefore, in this d.
reclion The iron masters Absorb ed all the labor
that could be obtained, either at home or by emf
grafton from abroad, for this business This COM
petition soon made the rate of wages extravaganza
! ly high. In this way, if the tariff of 1912
| had not been changed, she must soon by glutting
The whole market have had her progress checked
Undoubtedly the reduction of the duties down to
80 per cent has CONT ibuted to bring on this crisis
rather sooner The same result, however, could
not have been prevented at later day. even if the
duties had been made prohibilory. The diminu-
lion of the profits of the iron has obliged
those having least advantages suspend business,
because they cannot afford to pay the present rate
| OF wages, and hence some operatives are for a
season thrown out of employment
Such must continue to be the c,se, fear, until
wages are lower. Ineed not say, sir, that should
rejoice not only to see those engaged in the iron
business in Pennsylvania, but every laboring man
throughout the United States receiving not merely
one. bu, ten dollars per day. This, however can
not possibly be. Those Iaborers engaged in agri.
culture in the Southern and Western States are
generally receiving less perhaps than fifty cents
per day. Are not the farmers meritorious as
the manufacturers ? IF so, why should we i'm
pose burthens on them, constituting they do the
vast majority of our countrymen, for the benefit o.
the few2 The real point in the case Mr.. Chair
man, is simply this The farmers of the country
for their labor, and we are asked to tax them, in
order that the manufacturers of iron NAV be able
to get one dollar per day Stripped of all humbug
this is the naked proposition before us. Will any
one affirm its Justice When they consent TO re-
ceive only the rate of wages as the laborers
of the Union generally obtain, they will be en-
ployed. The gentleman from PennsyIvan init
mates that they will not consent to this, and he
asks how to get along, if The iron business
of the country should stop. But the gentleman
might have gone farther and demanded with ad
ditional emphasis what is to become Of US, if the
farmers ofthe country should cease to make grain
If you were to tell New England farmer who
is receiving IS cents per bushel for his corn, that
the price would be brought down to so cents he
would probably tell you that he would be ruined
and would have to quit the business. Those in
another part of the country who are accustomed
to receive SO cents per bushel would be equally
alarmed at the prospect Of only getting IS cents
Yet we know, sir that there paris of the Union
where corn is made and sold at only 10 cents per
bush el. These people continue the business, be-
cause they cannot do as we'll at any thing else.
They prosecute their patient industry, and do not
raise great hue and cry, and send swarms of lob
| by members to induce 10 tax other interests for
their benefit. Nor. is it any thing to the purpose
| to tell us that failures have occurred there.
The same thing is constantly happening with mer-
chants, farmers, and other classes. In fact the
higher the profits in any variety of business, the
greater the rush it of wild adventures, and the
more numerous the failures Whv sir, if our
tariff was repealed entirely it would hardly affec,
the aggregate amount of iron made in The uni,ed