The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-26
wAsHINGTON WEDNESDAY MORNING. MARCH 2e 1851

q,
would in fact realize nothing; being obliged to pay
out fully that amount during the production.
II were even conceded that he in this way cleared
70 per ton. this would be only ne-fourth as muct
as the purchaser would lose. Ii is obvious, there
fore that, both the seller and the buyer being alike
entitled to our protection and favor, the taking S2(
from one to give the other, but So would be q
losing business to our countrymen. II this be the
whole case, it is admitted by everybody that such
policy would be short sighted and ruinous in the
extreme. The gentleman from Pennsylvania
however, says that while employed in tho produc-
ton Of this iron, q number of our laborers find
employment. and are better paid than they could
otherwise be. He tells that furnace capable
OF making annually ten thousand tons Of railroad
iron, will give support, including both the work.
men and their families, to six thousand persons.
But the ten thousand tons of iron are sufficient for
q railroad OF more than hundred miles in length;
and everybody knows the expenditure made in
constructing railroad of that length. is greatly
more than sufficient to support this number Of
psrsons The gentleman says further. however,
that such q furnace affords a home market, and
enables the farmers 70 get better price for their
produce than they otherwise could do. IL is un-
doubtedly true that the persons living in the
vicinity Of such furnace would be thus benefited.
But 1t will not be denied that railroad Of one
hundred miles in length, properly laid out. would
spect The railroad would not only be accessible
TO a greater number Of persons by reason of it's
length, but would also lead to markets less easily
glutted than the furnace. Railroads are therefore
lators OF industry and enterprise Of all sorts Such
is the extent of our country and the diversity of
its productions, and 80 strong is the desire of
people to be travelling from point to point, that the
energies of the community are everywhere direct
ed to the opening of these highways of commerce
and travel. We admit their importance ourselves
when we here give large bodies Of the public
lands to facilitate their construction Yes, sir
and at the very time when we devoting the
public money, or property, which is the same
thing, to such objects, we are guilty of the folly
OF throwing obstacles in the way of individuals
and States, who are engaged in executing the
works On one day we declare that railroads are
such favoritcs with US that we make appropria-
tons to secure their construction, and the next
few wealthy capitalize. l say a few. for do not
believe that there are dozen establishments in
all the United States that ever have made. or are
now disposed to engage in the making of, railroad
iron.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (AIr. HAmr-
TONY admitted the other day In reply to question
put from the other side Of the House. that in his
own State, and in the immediate vicinity of these
works, they were using the foreign iron for their
railroads. Those engaged in making them, rather
than purchase the domestic article, prefer to pay
the duty on the foreign and the cost Of importa-
tion, amounting together to fifty and a half
per cent. Great Britain takes our cotton free Of
duty, because by its manufacture shc gives en-
ployment to a large portion Of her population. by
imposing high duties en- it she might benefit her
East India cotton planters; but she has the saga
city to sec that by such proceeding she would
lose moro than she could possibly gain. Why
should we not initiate her wisdom, and avail our
selves of her cheap production of iron, so as by
means of railroads, TO stimulate American in. .
dustry? There is another principle bearing upon
this view, of which the friends of protection are
constantly endcavoring to avail themselves. BY
the proposition of the gentleman from Penns Viva
mia, (Mr. STRosoD offered in Committee Of the
Whole the other day. certain articles now taxed
were exempted from duties. The reason given for
this is that those articles arc used by the manu-
| fact ture nd fhev aho he frao Ia
them TO obtain them cheaply, SO as to promote the
manufacturing interests. For a similar reason
sheathing copper is required to be free of duty,
bottoms of our vessels. They will not consent,
therefore, that any duty should be imposed on that
article for the benefit of the Lake Superior and other
manufacturers and ship builders use themselves
they desire to get free and cheap, because, they
say, our industry is thereby stimulated. Docs
not this principle apply in an eminent degree to
iron? II Ia an instrument Of industry alike to the
farmer and to the mechanic, affording to both
the implements necessary in their daily occupa-
tons, and in the form of rails it constitutes the
thoroughfares of commerce and travel. Not less
than a million tons Of iron are supposed to be an
nually consumed in the United States IF the
manufacturers could attain 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 millions of dollars. No rate Of duties, how
ever, could in fact have produced any such effect,
because throughout all the interior States there
arc establishments already sufficiently protected
from foreign competition by the difficulties of
transportation from abroad, which supply the COM
mon kinds of iron for domestic purposes at prices
not affected in any way by our duties II is differ
ent, however, with railroad iron, almost all that
ia used being imported from abroad. Any addi.
tional duties on it would be 80 much at least added
to its price. The proposition of the gentleman
from Ohio, made at the last session, to which
have already alluded. adding as it did one hun
dred and fifty per cent additional duties to that
already existing on railroad iron, would have in
creased much the cost of the iron necessary for
North Carolina, viz: the Central and the relaying
of the Raleigh and CASTOR road, to be equivalent
to direct tax on the State of 100000. II would
have fallen even moro heavily upon some other
States and companies may be well, too, Mr..
Chairman, to remind gentlemen that prior to the
passage of the tariff Of 1892 railroad iron had
always been admitted free Of duty. During that
period the northeastern States made great prorrces
with their roads. II seems hard that the southern
and western States, which struggling 10 effect
objects 30 desirable to the whole country. should
now have obstacles thrown in the way of their sue
cess II s useless for gentlemen TO pretend that il
We win submit to these burdens for time we shall
thereby after a get the domestic at a lower
rate than the foreign article be obtained. This
argument is refuted and utterly demolished by the
leading positions OF the gentleman from Pennsyl-
vania (Mr. HAMproN) himself. He says that the
main element in the production of iron is the labor
bestowed on it. Unless, therefore, his constituents
arc Wllnng 10 work AT less wages tnan the English
operatives do that is at lees than twenty or twenty
five cents day. they cannot possibly make iron at
a lower rate than foreigners can; but they not
only exclaim against this, but it is avowed that
they cannot consent TO work for less than dollar
per day.
We are now brought sir, to the solution of the
real evil under which the iron interest OF Pennsyl
vania is laboring. 1t s 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 of the material, her capitalists
found the iron business excessively profitable.
There was great rush of capital therefore, in this
direction. The iron masters absorbed all the la
Dor that could be obtained, either n. home or by
emigration from abroad, for this business Their
competition soon made the rate Of wages cxtrava.,
ganily high. In this way, If the tariff of
1S42 had not been changed, she must soon, by
glutting the whole market, have had her progress,
checked. Undoubtedly, the reduction Of the du-
ties down to thirty per cent. has contributed to
bring on this crisis rather The same result,
however. could not have been prevented at a later
day, even If the duties had been made prohibtory.
The diminution of the profits Of the iron masters