New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-08-02


reopening Of some of our long closed fur
naces and the unemployment Of oar long
idle Iron. makers. Bat how long will this
lastl Let it proceed far enough to effect
seriously the British Iron market, and
down will go prices and out go the fires of
our furnaces again. Is it wise, is it right,
con it be advantageous, to subject Amer
lean Labor and Enterprise to this gambling
ordeal : Would it not be better to so ad-
lust the Tariff that our furnaces shall
keep in blast and our lion makers keep at
work, the numbers of each steadily in
creasing, Until American Labor shall pro-
duce ell the Iron needed for American
consumption
But would mt this make US pay TOO high
for our Iron = queries doubter.-Why,
Sir, hear The Post on that subject. That
paper tells you above that
THE number of manufacturing establishments OF va
rous kinds has been large for the wansuf coun
try larger OF capital IL invested In them
can be profitable. That some of the owners must
ruined Is what have been telling them for the last
dozen years." &c. "a,
This is untrue as fact, but shows q cor
rect apprehension Of the law of the case.
Home competition will reduce profits in
any open business to the general level in
spite of any restriction on Foreign lmpor-
tation. If the duty on Iron were fixed at
five hundred dollars per tun-tor the next
twenty year there cannot be rational
'oubt that Iron would thereby be sensibly
cheepened in our markets within three
years. The real danger would be, as The
Post indicates, not that Iron would rule
too high, but that SO many would rush into
Iron-making as speedily to render the price
Of Iron ruinously low. And thus Mr.. Blu
chanan, after the election of Polk in 1874,
publicly congratulated the Pittsburghers
on a result which (he sadly saved
the Manufacturing interest from ruin
ing itself by excessive competition.
The danger here indicated is one
against which those exposed must
take due precautions or suffer the cOnse-
quences. What we ask is that the Gov
ernment should secure to American Labor
the supply of American wants, so far as
Nature has interposed no impeachment.
Providence, in filling our soil with Iron
Ore. has plainly indicated a purpose that
we should make our own Iron. Before our
mines are fairly opened and proved, while
Railroads and other means of transportation
are few and imperfect, and our experience
in mining ores, &C., is in its infancy, we
can hardly expect to make Iron so cheap
as it can be made by the aggregated Cap
ital, thorough Experience and half paid
Labor of Great Britain; yet we insist that
huno-maJo Iron 10, even now, realty
cheaper, estimated not in dollars, but in
our Labor or its products, than British
Iron; while every days prosperity to
Iron-making here tends to cheaper the
process and improve the product Of Ameri-
can Iron. making. Hence we anXiously
desire the restoration of efficient Pfotec-
ton.
But the patient will get well without
physic,' says THE Post. There is show
of truth in this. The advantage of fabri-
eating for ourselves is so immense and 80
obvious, the intelligence, ingenuity aud en-
telprise of ouI people are so eminent, that
We too believe that there would come a
time, even without Protection, when this
country would produce its own supply of
Cloth and Iron. But can any one discover
in this a valid reason for suffering our
present Manufactures to langui5h and de
cay! Suppose this City were on fire, and
Ihe Post were TO cry our, " Do nc arrest
the con agration artllicially; lee 1t
burn the last building; for, such Is
the admirable location Of this empo-
rum, that it IS certain to be al re
BULL within thirty yeafs'-who would
consider that good advice or sound logic !
No more can we consider it wise to leave
the stability and growth Of Manufactures
III this country exposed to the relentless
rivalry Of the older, stronger, more expe-
iieLced, more cheaply manned Manufac-
lures Of Europe, because the former are
morally certain, at or before the NJ leni-
I'M, to triumph over all opposition. 1t Is
precisely because we believe our Manu-
features hare Inherent vitality, and are
rooted in the interests of our whole people,
that We demand for their infancy that
measure of Protection which will bring