New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-01-13
THE PAPER QUESTION.
Letters to she; Tceo. Schuyler c"'i"N' Sre""'
ar Of tho House Of Representatives
LETTER fIkST.


tAe press, publishers Of books ana newspapers naF'
heen for two years past, s0d are yet engayed ~ n'
r.r,,rn,nce Of m act hat as 1t seems to ne, elosey
r.,ep, les suicide: and it ia because Of my eaire 70
..r ii, eli, eyes 10 the fact tLa it really is suicidal Ia
sts tendencies that venture trouble you with the
neruss OF ills letter. Throughout by far the aisor
portion Of nv lie was among them, ard a'honsn
ears hsve elapsed since ceased 10 be connected
with tho business Of Publication the feeling OF interest
IN those concerned In IL bas remained wholly u'iHpae"
II js. therefore, as Oh fiiebd lnte n co "oo'ti
With tbemseyes-a feow.citizen having no Interest," :"
the question except in common with oil VINO are eFou-u
hir,-that TO YOU and through you 10 them, propose
a. .neok bopnr that they may be disposed 10 rcts't
eareev on the views that viii be presented and con-
Adeny believing that tley may be satisfied that them
p,cep, course Of proceeding however injurious II ma!
h 10 the makers Of paper tends 70 the pToducon Z"
sesalts utterly destructive to themselves
Nss naturally they are anxious that paper shall Dc
shear and that ther business may be Ia e md "n'
able SO am J. well knowing ne do, that II Is 10 th'
uniy ersal development of intellect among our people
that we now stand indebted for the fact that This Union
hes been maintained; and that Ii we are to prosper III
the future it is 10 tine direction of further aud more
complete development Of the national mind that pros
peri,y,must be sought 20 that emo books aud news
young poor and rich. black md white.
Thus fny agreeing with thon il the result Mt which
We should desire to arrive, propose now to AJAX Doth
you ard them TO look with the measures by which
Il NAV be attained To that end, elbow me now to ask
The ouesuonWhat are the circumstances under which
commodities of all kinds tend 10 become cheaperi Is
not when ard where there is competition for hei' sdIe'
What on the contrary those in which they lend TO
become deareri Is IL not when and where there is
competitors for heir pagGs9 TO these questions there
can be but ore reply and that in the affirmative.
What. nov, would ask, has been the tendency OF
me action Of publishing friends throughout the last
two yearsi Has il9nded to promote the building Of
mills and the increase Of competition for the sale of pa
pcrf As IL seems TO me- 1t has lot. On the contrary.
n propose to show II has been in direction exacy
she reverse OF this. II not, then. they them
selves the authors of the grievances OF which they no"
% much complain That they are. firmly believe and
equally firm s 10y belief that they may be satisfied that
srcb has been the case Should they be then NAV
We onoe again see harmony established between two
great interests each Of which is directly interested
IN the prosperity of the other that 1t is as very
certain entirely impossible to pure either one without
Ct the same time nhictng serious injury on the other
Break down the eottonspnners and the weayers will
soon cease to prosper. Break down the paper makers
employment. and their offices closed.
BY the freetrade tariff of 1896 that tariff to which VIC
ere mainly indebted for all present troubles. the
dsty Cd paper fixed a: 80 per cent. by the Hhrs
feeirsde tariff OF 1857 it reduced 10 % per cent
bot as the duties all the materials Of tire manr-
fscture-soda ash. bleaching powders. rosin telling
vire-eloths, &C., &c,-were ccrrespondn:y reduced.
Chs change was really unimpoTtant
BY the Act Of 1861 paper restored 10 the place
assigned it by the freeraders OF lea being subject
ID to duty of 80 per cent. TIE duties on raw mate
ytals were. however largely increased. and In zone
eases than uebled. Alum was carried up from
Is ~ so cents per 100 pounds while bleaching
powders raised from cents 70 80 and
soda ash from 4 to 80 Such having been
the case 1t NAV DO regarded certain that Ibis most
important manufacture Lad not been allowed 70 profit
"a even the slightest degree Of tie adoption by tho
Chicago Convention Of Proeiion to Domestic Industry
- part Of the platform Of principles upon which The
party stand Tor all 81" fp- Os -n '"s --ri's
Industries Of the country, it ~ believe, the only
enc that thus excluded and yet in all my inter
course that date with gentlemen Interested there
In have never heard the exclusion made the tut Jet
q complaint II wrong nevertheless.
At date of the passage orthat act the county had
Tor several months been greatly agtated by the Sc
stand Competition for the purchase Of paper had 10
existence but tie competition Cor It's ssle had greatly
crown that the market price below its actual cost,
while every foreirn product rsed In the manufacture
ssme 10 the man ufacturer butdened with the ncreate
q duty 10 which have referred This state Of things
continued throughout the whole OF ihe year ls6l and
sbe change afterward bot very Slight until toward
Che close Of the Summer OF 1862 As consequence Of
this continued pressure upon heir resources many
papermakers became bankrupt while Throughout the
country miils everywhere Idle and unprodnctive
Such was the state Of things when, on the fist of
July, 1862 Congress passed law imposing TAX Of
Der npun all the paper made in the country. ana
further tax OF per cent upon the incomes Of a con
serned in the making Of IT, fortnight later with
view 20 retaining for the domestic manufacturer tie
place the foreign he previously Lad
occupied. the duties imports were increased and
paper was raised ION 80 ~ 81 per cent Thus far,
therefore the paperm0kcr Continued 20 be excluded
from all share IN tho advantages derived by other
branches u manufacture from the great change Of pub
Nc opinion that had been DGRested BY the most entn.
sastc adoption OF the pIooetsaist PLANK OF the Chi
eago platform.
Shortly after this che commerce Of the country began
most rapidly to revive md with that revival
great increase in the demand for paper. Then. an3
rot until then. the paper.consUming world began 10
appreciate the effect on the supply Of rags resulting
om toe closing Of Southern ports against tie export u
cotton Cotton goods were eWce and dsar. aad Ell
were endcayOring 70 avoid their purchase The Old
shit continued 10 be used when under other oieum
stances, il would have gone to the paper-mhL Cotton
waste longer to be obtained. Linens, 100. had