The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-05-28

= ~ st~atsAci4 yyitl Outtcuul tlie cultOIb "
the Tribune and Clipper ian article sta-
ting that sixty-nine parcels Of land inclu-
tding nine furnaces were to be sold BY the
Sheriff Of Clarion county, Pennsylvania, ON
1.-THE first: of May, proceed to make some
comments thereon have had it in CON
Temptation for long time towrite an arti.
Itcle on the subjectof the Psndsylvapia fur
naces, and shall devote this Communication
to that subject / saw it stated year OF
two ego that between the passage of the tar
if actsof 1912 and '46, upwards of 10 fur
naces were built inthe State of Pennsylva-
MIA. This was held 10 as evidence Of the
great prosperity Of the country under whig
rule. The result has proved that it was not
evidence of prosperity, but merely a trans
fer Of capital from one kind Of business TO
another. 1t showsthe folly Of individuals
whorush headlong into business they know
nothing about, because their fayorite party
has succeeded in getting into power. We
all RENE mber The means. used by the whig
party 10 gain the ascendency in Congress in
1910. Such as drinking, feasting, singing
songs, promising high wages to laborers;-
money was to be made plenty as soon as con-
fidence could be restored; in fact, everything
was promised, if the people would vote the
wing ticket. The consequence was, the
Fwhigs went into power with an overwhem-
ling majority, and relying on the strength of
this majority and the tariff 1912, the capi-
talists Of Pennsylvania went crazy on the
manufacture of iron. Consequently every
hill and mountain that was supposed to con-
tain iron ore was eagerly bought up and the
furnaces built But as aborers did not
share in the benefits Of the tariff, wages got
lower, money scarcer than ever, times har-
der, the people lost faith in whig promi-
ses--that however beneficial high tariff
might be to capital, laborers were none the
better for it, The consequence was that
Polk was elected over the great champion of
American industry, Henry Clay, and the tar
if was so modified as TO make all branches
Of business equally prosperous and laborers
get fair wages in cash for their work.
II is unfortunate to be sure, that so great
sacrifice of capital should take place any
where as is the case with regard to the Penn
sylvania furnaces, but who is TO blame not
the democrats, for they never promise to up
hold one branch of business at the expense
of all others. The whig politicians and the
whig newspapers, such as the Tribune and
Clipper, are alone to blame for the sales OF
furnaces and real estate in Pennsylvania by
the Sheriff. They constantly hold out in
ducements and make large promises which
they have not the power 10 fulfill.
If capitalists are silly enough to embark
their means in business they know nothing
about, on the strength and faith of whig
promises, fail, and have their property sold
by the Sheriff, they must moi expect demo-
Gratis to change their principles and for the
time being become wings in order to help
them out of bad scrape.
| The same article alluded to, states that
the democratic majority has increased from
1000 for Polk, Cass, &C., 10 1900 for Bigler
last fall This shows the estima ton in
which whig tariff is held in the districts
which are supposed to be the most benefit
ed by a high protective tariff The fact is,
if capital expects 10 be protected by law
from foreign competition, it must share
with labor part of the profits growing out
of that protection, or the operatives them
selves will turn against them, as they do in
Pennsylvania. The working men in fur
mace district know too well the system Of
oppression practiced by the owners 10 have
much sympathy for them when they come
TO be sold out, and the probability is that no.
body suffers but the poor deluded capitalist
who suffered himself to be led astray by the
Syren song of whig promises. If the iron
ore in the hills and knobs of Pennsylvania is
too poor TO make iron proftably, perhaps
when the Sheriff sells ii, different class of
proprietors will get hold Of it and develop
the resources much better than iron making
can do, and thereby render the country more
prosperous than smelling pooi iron ORE
This matter expect is understood by the
voters Of Clarion county, and is the reason,
why the democratic majority is increasing.
BOB WALKER.