New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-07-16
SENATOR GRIMES ON IMPORT DUTIES
AND PRICES.

Mr.. Grimes Of Iowa, in urging the Senate 10 post
pone to next December the consideration OF the House
Tariff bill, sees fit to say:
Think it will be some time before shall b. abe to bring
the people Of North West up tho belief that their
advantage to increase the duty stefan essential 90 their
you can convince the people Of my State will BE- 20 be
advantage TO put duty what necessary TO the deye
make their farms productyO lumber aduy % 80 per
thousand don't believe that convince them that IL
ousy from S0 to go un. You cannot convince them that
will be to their advantage 10 increase the duty tie low
grades Of cutlery such as goes into every farmers house, cd
per cent"
- If Mr.. Grimes had seen fit 10 tell US how the
rates of duty on Iron are increased $50 to $50 per
tun" when the entire duty Oh Pig Iron by that bill
is 80 per tun, while railroad bars pay but Sl5 and
the average rate on Bar is certainly not above S2j,
and not increased by even $40; and if he had shown
US how duty Of S3-or even S30-per thousand
feet on Lumber could increase, by the smallest
fraction of cent the cost Of that article to the peo-
pie of Iowa-who never did and never will buy or
use any imported lumber-we might have felt re.
spect for his candor if not for his wisdom. But let
that pass.
The evident design Of Mr.. Grimes is to dauso or to
strengthen the impression tina. any addition 10 duty
on Imports naturally increaSes by so much he prize
Of he homemade article nhoh riraiS The imported
article thus n1ed. This current assumption of
Free Traders we have thousand times refutcd: Mr..
Grimes ignores ell refutatons, and talks exactly as
though no word in favor of Protection had ever been
uttered. He compels Us wonderngly to ask, How
could Mr.. Crimes have supported Clay against Polk
in ISi47
In that year, Guan C. verplarck separated from
the Whg party, with which lie had for ten years
acted, and went over to Polk, substantially on the
ground now taken by Mr.. Grimes. Bat Mr.. Yer
planck was lifelong, earnest Free Trader he acted
in perfect accordance with his antccedents and BIZ.
well known convictions. The case is otherwise with
Mr. Grimes.
Suppose Congress now 10 increase the duty on
imported Iron TO 900 per cent, what would be the
natural effect Of that increase the prices of Iron
throughout our country Is there one man in the
Senate, or in Iowa. who believes that the price Of
Iron would be increased even 100 per cent And if
there be not a man on earth who believes this, why
should a L. S. Senator talk as though it were un-
doubted
But make the increase of price consequent on such
an enhancement Of duty what you wl-2j, so, -,
100 or even 200 per cent.-he higher you place it,,
the more certainly and intensely do You stimulate the
production of American Iron in every section and of
every kind. Ii we may suppose the price 50 raised
by this duty that the average profit on making Pig
Iron would be S. and that on Bar Iron and Rails
so per tun then it is inevitable as that water will
run down hill that tho American product OF Iron
would be rapidly doubled-quadrupled eyen-until
the price had fallen SO low as to afford no greater
profit ronmaking than to other branches oindustry
There is no mystery in iron.making; ore
beds are abundant than oysterbeds; millions of
acres of good Iron ore can be bought for S2I up to
so per Ire. Our carpenters, stonemasors, dggers,
lumbermen, &C., would have few busy weeks in
putting up new furnaces and rolingmill or fixing up
old ones; but within four months from the passage of
the act we should be making American Iron beyond
the wants of the country-making it in every section
| and almost every State. And we should soon be
making it cheaper than now, because Of the certainty
Of "a gYQle hons market impslpg thogsaI4s 70