The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-02-22

North Carolina, viz the Central, and the relay
ing OF The Raleigh and CASTOR road, as TO be
equivalsHt TO direct tax GA the State Ut S400,-
OO0 1t would have fallen even more heavily
upon some other States and companies. II may
be well, too, Mr. Chairman, to remind gentlemen
that prior to the passage Of the tariff of 1872
railroad iron had always been admitted free Of
duty. During that period the Northeastern
/ States made great progress with their roads
1t seems hard that the Southern and Western
States, which are struggling to effect objects SO
desirable to the whole country, should now have
obstacles thrown in the way of their success.
II Is useless for gentlemen to pretend that If we
will submit to these burthens for time, we
shall thereby after season get the domestic at
lower rate than the foreign article can be OBJ
tanned This argument is reiuted and utterly
demolished by the leading positions of the gen.
tleman from Pennsy lvania, Mr.. HAMproy] him
self lie says that the main element in the pro-
duction of iron is the labor bestowed on it.
Unless, therefore, his constituents are willing to
work at less wages than the English operatives
do. that is, at less than 90 or rs cents day,
they cannot possibly make iron at a lower rate
than foreigners can do, but they not only ex-
claim 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
Pennsylvania is aboring. 1t is suffering from
the effects of our former excessive protection.
Having in consequence Of the former high duties
! a species of monopoly, and possessing in con
venient situations abundance of the raw material,
her capitalists found the iron business excess
! sivey profitable. There was great rush Of
: capital, therefore, in this direction. The iron
masters absorbed all the labor that could be OBJ
tanned, either at home or by emigration from
abroad, for this business. Their competition
soon made the rate of wages extravagantly high
. In this way, even if the tariff of 1912 had not
been changed, she must soon by Cutting the
whole market have had her progress checked
Undoubtedly the reduction of the duties down
to 80 per cent has contributed to bring on this
crisis rather sooner. The same result, however,
could not have been prevented at a later day,
even if the duties had been made prohibitOry.
The diminution of the profits of the iron masters
has obliged those having least advant'g TO
suspend business, because they canno. afford to
pay the present rate of wages, and hence some
operatives are for a season thrown out of en-
ployment.
j Such must continue to be the case | fear until
wages arc lower. ] need 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 re-
ceving not merely one, but ten dollars per day
This however, cannot possibly be- Those abo-
rers engaged in agriculture in the Southern and
Western States are generally receiving less per-
haps than fifty cents per day. Are not the
trainers as merito'ious as the manufacturers!
If so, why should we impose burthen on them
constituting as they do the vast majority Of our
countrymen, for the benefit of the few. The
real point in the case, Mr.. Chairman, is simply
this. The farmers of the country on nm average
are not receiving cents per day for their lab
| and we are asked to tax them, in order that the
manufacturers Of iron may be able to get one
dollar per day. Stripped Of all humbng this ia
the naked proposition before us. Will any one
affirm its Justice When they consent to receive
only the same rate of wages as the laborers of
the Union generally obtain, they will be EN-
ployed. The gentlemen from Pennsylvania in
Inmates that tn y will not consent to this, and
he asks how we are to get along, if the iron
business of the country should stop. But the
gentleman might have gone farther, and de-
manded with additional emphasis what is to be-
come ofus, if the frame of the country should
cease to make grain Ifyou were to tell New
England farmer, who is receiving 10 cents per
bushel for his corn, that the price woud 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 re-
ceivc so cents per bushel would be equally
alarmed at the prospect of only getting % cents
/ Yet we know, sir. that there are parts of the
| Union where corn ia made and sold at only 10
cents per bushel. These people continue the
business, because they cannot do as well at any
thing else. They prosecute their patient indus
try, and do not raise great hue and cry, and
send swarms of lobby members to induce us to
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 con-
stantly happening with merchants, farmers, and
other classes In fact the higher the profits in
any variety Of business the greater the rush 10
it Of wild adventurers, and the more numerous
the fixtures. Why, sir, if our tariff was repealed
entirely, it would hardly affect the aggregate
|, amount ofron made in the United States. A
portion Of our population would still find il to be
their interest to continue in the business, and
would soon be content with the same rate
, of wages that the rest Of our laborers are get
ting. 1t is possible that PENNSYLVANIA will in
that event see some of her operatives removing
from time to time to the fresh and fertile lands
Of the West. She might not show an increase
, in her population in the next ten years Of more
than thirty per cent, but she would still con-
time to increase as fast as several of the old
States have been doing. The condition o.
Massachusetts, as respects her cotton manufac-
, tures resembles that Of Pennsylvania.
: There has been there an excessive nccumula-
{ ton of capital and labor, in this and some other
f branches Of business, and she is now suffering
from like causes Is it not better upon the
whole that she and Pennsylvania, when their
whole capacity for production is considered, both
agricultural and manufacturing. should make up
their minds to see portion Of their people emf
CRATE, rather than attempt to detain them by
) high wages, which can be maintained only by
highly artificial system. A system too, which
: imposes greater burthens on other sections, than
!, benefits on themselves. The competition Of for
egn fabrics, is not the sole cause Of the present
suffering of Massachusetts. The high price of
{ the raw material, cotton, at this time is perhaps
the main element of her distress. There is
another reason, however, which ought not to be
overlooked. | mean the growing competition
: of the Southern States. This is cause which
L. Il l.