The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-04-09

market aud enables the farmers TO get better price fo
Their produce than they otherwise could do II IS un
doubedy true that the persons living in the vicinity o
such furnace would be thus benefited But Al will moi
be denied that railroad OF one hundred miles in length
properly laid out, would be greatly more advantageous
even in this respect The railroad would not only be
accessible 10 greater number Of persons, by oil h
length, but would also lead to markets less easily gued
than the furnace Railroads are, thereiote, Justly
garded by our people the great smuiatoFs OF industry
and enterprise OF all sorts. Such is the extent OF
country and thedversy OF its productions and strong is
the desire OF people to be travelling from point point
that the energies OF the community everywhere d.
eced TO the opening OF these highways OF commerce and
travel we admit their importance ourselves, when We
4 here give large bodies of the public lands to facilitate
their construction Yes, sir, and at the very time when
we are deyong the public money, or property, which is
the same thing 70 such Objects guilty of the fo
OF throwing obstacles IN the way OF individuals and States
who are engaged IN executing the works, On day
declare that railroads such favoIiles with that
we make appropriations 10 secure their construction, and
on the neN sacrifice these p, Otege for the benefit
OF a few wealthy capitalists. say Jew, for do not
United States that have made, disposed
to engage in the making Of. raIlroad IRON
The gentleman frun Pennsylvania Mr.. HAMPTON ad-
mied the other day, In reply TO Question put from the
other side Of the House. that in his Sale and in the
immediate vicinity of these works. they using for
egn iron for their railroads Those engaged in ing
them, rather than purchase The domestic article, prefer
to pay the duty on the foreign and The cost OF Importation
amounting together TO fifty seven and half per cent.
Great Britain takes cotton free OF duty because by its
manufacture she gives employment to large portion OF
her population. By imposing high duties II she nigh,
benet her East India cotton planters but she has the
gaciy to see that by such proceeding she would lose
more than she could possibly gain Why should not
initiate her wisdom, and avail ourselves OF her cheap pro
ducion OF iron, 80 as, by means OF railroads. to stimulate
our American industry There j. another principle
bearing upon this view, OF which the friends Of protection
are constantly endeayorng to avail themselves. BY the
STRONG offered in Committee of the Whole the other
day, certain articles taxed exempted from du-
ties The reason gwen Tor this is, that those articles are
used by the manufacturers and that they should be free
/ q
the manufacturing interests For similar sheath
ing copper required 10 be free of Duty because ship
They will not consent therefore, that any duty should
be imposed on that article for the benefit OF the Lake Su
perior and other copper mines OF the Union In word,
what the manufacturers and ship builders themselves
they desire To get Tree apd cheap, because they say our
industry thereby stimulated Does this principle
apply IN eminent degree iron! 1t instrument
OF industry alike to the farmer and TO the mechanic, a
iordng 10 both the implements necessary in their daily
occupations. and in the form of rails il constitutes the
tAooughafes OF commerce and travel Not less than
million tons OF IRON are supposed 10 be annually con,
sumed in the United States II the manufacturers could
attain the object they have view OF rasHg the price
OF the article %lo ton above lis presen, rate they would
thereby impose an annual tax the consumers OF the
country OF ten millions OF dollars No rate of duties,
however could in fact have produced any such effect,
because throughout all The interior States there are es
Adjustments already sufficiently protected IRON foreign
competition, by the difficulties OF transportation from
mesc pufqses at prices affected in any way by our
duties. 1t is different, however, with railroad iron-al-
most all that is used being imported from abroad
Any additional duties il would be much least ad
ded 10 It's price The proposition of the gentleman from
Ohio made al the last session, which have already al
uded adding as did l5o cent additional duties to that
already existing on railroad iron, would have increased
SO much the cost OF the iron necessary Tor the compile
ton OF the two roads now in progress IN North Carolina
ton roadas TO be equivalent to direct tax on the State
OF 100000. IL would have fallen even more heavily
upon some other States and companies i may be well.
too. Mr. Chairman, remind gentlemen that prior to the
!
been admitted free OF duty During that period the north
eastern States made great progress with their roads II
seems hard that the southern and western Saes which
struggling 10 effect objects desirable 10 the whole
country should now have obstacles thrown in the way
of their success II is useless for gentlemea 10 pretend
that II will submit 10 these burdens Tor a time we
shall thereby after season. get the domestic al lower
rate than the oreigp article can be obtained Ihs agu-
is reiuted utterly demolished by the leading po
sons OF the gentleman from Pennsylvania MIR. HAMp-
TONI himself He says that the man element in the pro-
ducilon OF on is the labor bestowed on It. Unless,
therefore, his constitute MS willing TO work at less
wages than the English operatives do-tha s, at less
than 30 or % cents day-lhey cannot possibly make
iron at lower rate than foreigners do; but they
not only excaim against this, but 1t IS ayowed that
they cannot consent to work for less than dollar per
day.
We brought, sir, 10 the solution of The real
evil under which the iron interest OF Pennsylvania Is
laborlng II Is suffering from the effects oi our fornei
excessive protection. Having, IN consequence OF the
former high dues species OF monopoly and possessing
in convenient situations abundance of the raw material he
capitalists found the iron business excessively profitable
There gTea, rush OF capital therefore, IN this direc-
ton The iron masters absorbed all the labor that could
be obtained, either at home or by emigration from abroad
Tor this business Their competition soon made the rate
OF wages eSiravagaDtly high in this way, even the
tariff OF 1912 had not been changed she must soon by
gluttng the whole market, have had her progress
checked Undoubtedly, the reduction OF the duties down
to 30 per cent has contributed TO bring this ctis:
rather sooner. The result, however, could no
have been prevented at later day. the duties bac
been made probibory. The dlminuton of the profits o
the ronnas,ers has obliged those having least adyanta
yes 10 suspend business, because they cannot afford lc
pay the present rate Of wages, and hence opera
lives Tor a season thrown out OF employment.
Such mus, continue to be the case, ear until wages
are lower. need not say, that should rejoice moi
only those engaged the iron business in Pennsy
vana, but every laboTng man throughout the United
States receiving not merely one, but ten dollars per day
This, however, cannot possibly be- Those kborers en-
gagged in agriculture In the southern and western State,
are generally receiving less perhaps, than fifty cents pei
day Are not the farmers AS meriorous as the manuac
turers II so, why should we impose burden on them
constituting they do the vast majority of country
men, for the benefit OF the few The real point in the
case, Mr. Chairman, simply this The armers oil the
country average are not receiving nifty cents per day
for their labor, and asked TO tax them in orde
that the manufacturers of iron may be able to get one
dollar per day Stripped Of all humbug this is the max &c
proposition before Will any one affirm its justice
When they consent 10 receive only the rate of wages
the aborers of the Union rally obtain, they will
be employed. The gentlemen from Pennsy vana init
that they will TO this. and he asks how
to get along the iron business OF the country
should stop. But the gentleman might have gone further
come OF the farmers OF the colntry should
make grain II you were TO tell New England farmer
who is receiving seventy five cents per bushe for bis
corn that the price would be brought down to Fifty cents