New-York tribune., 1868-05-11
PIXIES PIOUE.

Mr.. Frederick A. Pike is a Republican, and
represents the Eastern District of Maine, which
is largely interested in ship-building. 1t is not
80 prosperous as it has been, because we are
not building so many vessels as we formerly
did. One reason for not building them is the
want of frcights. We grew Five Million bales
of Cotton in 1859 and 1860; we now grow but
Two Million and there has been a like fall
ing of in our annual product of Sugar, Rice
and perhaps) Tobacco. Our Wheat crop
nearly failed in 1865, and was but mddling IN
1867; our yitally important Corn crop was but
half n crop last year. by reason of intense, pro-
tracted drouth; hence, we had not only less Corn
10 move by vessels, but less Pork, Lard, Beef
and other manufactures from Corn. Having
comparatively small use for vessels, and very
active employment for our labor and capital
we have not constructed new vessels to replace
those burned by Rebel corsairs or sold to
foreigners TO escape such fate rapidly
as Mr. Pike and his constituents could have
desired. Mr.. Pike says that tax of thirty
cents per tun on our shipping, imposed as
war measure for revenue in 1862, operates
greatly to depress our ship-buidng interest.
II So that tax should be repealed or modified;
and every champion of Protection to American
Industry will gladly cooperate in unburdening
this important interest There is no room, and
no call, for collision on this point.
But Mr.. Pike saw fit, in his late speech, to
talk as follows
THAT Is the way In which Congress now protects the
commerce aud the shipping interest OF this country That
Is @ way IN weSh Snn S E II or g tbe poTT Tbnf
the way you tax them. while you relieve cotton from tax
aud when you relieve the rich manufacturers OF the
try frpIu Of
rich you impose nSat M Ses S .ea Spoa s ig @
There another reason aud that your tariff Under
the operation Of your tariff 1t Ia enforced to-day 1t
costs 81 To build vessel IN an American port for every
dollar which II costs In an English port II costs 10000
to set anoat ship Of 1909 tnns built In Now.lork and
~ constantly for tarirsI do not advocate free
building free of duty or we cannot build ships Ifit
object TO have ships built m THIS country you must ao"
SO far Mr.. Pike. We do not wonder that
Mr. Eldridge 'alWiscOnsin Democrat, hailed his
speech as a windfall to his party; though we
think he did thaH party injustice in asserting
that Mr.. Pike was talking very much like
"Westen man [of the Eldridge patternl this
morning" We cannot believe that Mr. Ed
ridges model Western man" would insist
that whatever article he wants from abroad
must come in free, while everything else
should be subjected to impost. If he would,
he is narrower and more selfish than we have
supposed him.
There is Just one reason why American Ships,
or American Iron, or American COrdage, or
American Wares on Fabrics of any kind, cost
more than their foreign rivals this, namely;
american Labor insists on being paid much
higher than the wageS of Foreign Labor. Give
our employers Labor at European rates and
they will supply the country with Iron, or
Cables, or Ships, or Houses or almost
any other product as cheap as Europe can
furnish them. But, while New York mechanics
exact S4 to 50 per day for ten hours work in
house-building, we cannot expect to buylOr rent
houses so cheap as they may be bought OF
rented in Europe and the same is the case
with Ships, and Iron, and COrdage, and with
most Fabrics. By reason OF our cheap and
abundant soil of decided fertility, our superb
ority in implements and in the use OF animal
power in cultivation, we can grow many agr-
cultural staples so as to sell them below the
ordinary range of prices in Western Europe;
and we have doctors Of Political Economy who
hold that we ought therefore to adopt Free
Trade policy, produce Grain, Meat Cotton and
Tobacco for export, and buy abroad most of
the Wares and Fabrics we need, letting Europe
fetch and carry for us exclusively
her cheap labor shall enable her to run
our vessels off the ocean. This Is sub
stantially Mr.. Eldridge's view; and he calls 1t
Western Ours is radically different. We
believe it really cheaper and every way better
for our people to make their own Wares Fab
rcs, Iron, Ships, &C.. &c, drawing hither the
best artisans and arti6cers OF Europe 10y the
assurance of steady work and generous wages
We believe the Wares, Fabrics, and Metals
which Europe would sell US for Three Hundred