The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-11-18
Facts bOEEecled win the TariG.


aws are sssured BY; our PennsylvsuIs co.
tempUraEies," says the Columbus (Ca.l
Times, ''that the recent defeat Of the admir-
i.tration Democracy in that State, is trace
sble, among other causes, 10 . general din.
satisfaction with the operations OF the prs.
sent Tariff The same authority informs IN
that the returns from the iron manufsctur.
ling Districts, more than elsewhere, exhibit =
falling of In the Democratic vote. The
bankruptcy and ruin, which for the last
twelve months have Swept with desolaIing
violence through every condition and avenue
OF northern industry have found solution
in Pennsyivania in the fact that the existing
tariff affords an Insufficient protection TO
American labor. Something more than
mere statement Of the relation Of cause and
eject is necessary TO command Our belief In
ito existence. Obviously, the inquiry 10 not
impertinent, why this result was not earlier
developed. For ten years-frOm l846 to
lS56-the duty upon iron was thirty per
cent. ad vGlortm. During that period hard
ly q wo.d was heard from the iron munufac.
turer on the subject OF further protectiOn.-
In 1856 it wss again reduced to six per cent.
making the duty - per cent. To this, Oh.
lection was made at the time, as il slwGyS
is; still the clamor was faint. Everything
ent along very we'll until last year, when
the crash came. Suddenly, in the twink.
ling Of IN eye, il became apparent that the
colossus Of foreign competition had protrast.
ed home manufactures.
SHOW oil this Is explained simply in this
way. During ten years Of prosperity, every.
body in the north became drunk with the ex-
hiiration Of amassing fancied fortune.--
In the northwest, this riotous insanity
reached it's highest development. Man.
persons, there, thought that light shone upon
no other portion Of the earth's surface. Il
accordingly became the theatre for the most
extravsgunt and visionary speculations.--
Men lett to sluggurds the dull routine Of
legitimate trade, and hoated on the wings Of
credit through the regions Of pure chance.
Enormous railroad enterprises were project.
ed. and, with no reference to cost, pushed
forwards; everything stundiug upon q basis
Of pure credit, or on grants Of public domsin
at romantic valuation. Thousands Of tons
OF iron were ordered and supplied, the manu-.
facturer taking railroad bonds or other equal.
ly worthless securities for payment. The
demand being greater than the capacity to
furnish, he never thought Of competition un.
til the bubble bursted and reVeulsd the hol.
lowness ot his hopes. The nudacity with
which he now asks the country 10 repair the
consequences Of his own reckless improvi.
dence Is seldom pareIleled.
"But iurther ON this subject. We hope Il
is no evidence oi bieOtry that we hsve eyes;
and in the exercise Of this excellent organ
we may be excused for rejecting the con.
ciuoions which pampered nonsense would
have US adopt. in order to make OFT his
claim to luther protection, even upon his
own notion OF justice, the iron manufacturer
must show that his present distress is charge.
able to the competilop Of the foreign pro-
duct. This, We think, will be rather diff.
cult to do. Fortunately 6gures, always an
admirable corrective of iaIse philosophy,
have Come tO our aid. A cuiempurury tells
Us that the 't.tal imports Of railroad iron
from Great Britain to the United States, for
The fist seven months OF 1856, compared
with those during a ike space in 1857 and
1858, ere Ms follows: 1856. 8l,005 tone;
1857, lu56IS. tons; 1888; 5,536 lons.'
"lhe above figures prove, Ind.sputobly,
hat not to excessive importation, and cOnso.
)uen,ly not to inadequate protection, is tho
prescott depressed condition of the iron in-
eres, Charseabls. Tbcy prove sIso that
here is no demand for iron at this time, and
cannot be contended that an increase of
r.H Will creGts a demand. Tue coinci.
Ience in point OF time between the reduced
'uty aDa general bankruptcy, was quite
utficieAt, however, to support an issue which
contributed TO the deieur OF the Pennsyl|
unia Democracy. Thus we go.".