New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-18
PROTECTION.
HENRY C. CARY ON MR.. wELLs's REPORT

cnce TO the greatest OF manufactures ana coiesPohu
ing suppression OF all tending to prove the advantage
that had Invariably esulted from every erlke Ior hue
pendence having enabled you with some appearance,
tbouoh with none of the reality, OF "hstoreal truth
TO make the extraordinary assertion" that mo matter
what had been the character OF the legislation wheiher
the tariff was low high whether the condition OF the
country was one Of peace the increase OF tho
production had been the of about eight Per
cent per annum than double the ratio OF the IN
crease Of population you next proceed to speak OF Tue
present and the future, under the head OF 1aAa'o W.
Pig Iron" as follows: ,..,o
- a. s.,e ,here Jnfy originally levied for revenue
and protection, or as an offset 70 Hi attained
continued long after its object has beeh uiy s ~
t the interest Of the few but TO the detrment OF the
existing duty on pig So gold equivalent
70 over si2 currency The average expenditure requisite
to produce tun OF pig IRON IN te Uited o s toy
currency and in the case OF furnaces VOraOy stuaeu
as regards cheap coal aud ore and under gOod manage
nent The actual cost could be truly ascerained would
not probably be- found in excess OF S2 now the Seuk
States al present and year, has ranged from
81 10 $40 per tuu with demand continually tehulhg 10
Under these circumstances the manufacturers OF pig
iron have, 70 the detriment OF the rolngml mterest
and 10 the EXPENSE Of every OF iron from ran
to a ovsliare, and from boiler plate 10 tenpehny
nail realized continued profits which nayS be rerns
OF set Of furnaces in one OF the Middle states So
nuncated Commissioner showing yearly proa9ucs
5000 tuns, capital Of S4OOOO sold al Pon' u
from SO to $40 per tun. 49, ~, ,o,o no. ,etoro
him letters from the representatives OF inc Dar anu
sheetron interests In nearly all sections OF inc
~ mis- effect: Our busy but not remuneIave
The profit OF the iron manufacture Is a 10y .o
nanfacpTers Si pig Of proteerion by Congress at
II would seem that II the manufacturers OF pig
iron had really heart the great interests OF American
Industry they would Of their own accord memoradlLe
Congress to this effect Our profits being Iar tn
is necessary for the prosperity and rapid extension oI our
business desire and can have 40 more eeleat
ton than what would OF Necessity ne ~ and
the prosperity and extent OF the rolling nun inteIS MIa
this protection can De readily at'sH, dep the exist
10 producers and consumers Oy snoIns unu @ raS
ing tariff manufacturers Of rolled lron cheaper raw
iron SO far as 1t has heretofore been imposed or main
tanned for benefit may be relaxed OF NhO Donsneu
in the interests OF the associated branches OF tne 1 III
dustry, which less prosperous. Inc Commissioners
been contemplated but the contrary 1t rs apparent
from an Inspection OF House bill No l,2l now penulne
that the M OF mgTT9 1S TO- AK from Com
gross at this session such further legislation as WILL WIN
out reducing the present unduy enhanced cost OF pig
non guarantees 20 the latter the expense Of the con-
suers such additional profit may render their bnsi
remuneratlYe."
The answer to all this, and the extent Of deriment
TO the many would both TO be found In the facts
that the men who need boiler plates and tenpenny
nails" stoves steam-epgIos, and other machinery OF
comfort or production, now enabled to consume y
per cent more per head Of iron than they had done IN the
closing years Of the tariff OF 1876 whereas In
these latter years they had consumed forty cent less
per head than they had done in the corresponding years
OF the tariff Of 1872 What is needed Is that this import
ant commodity be placed within the reach OF the largest
portion OF the community and that such has invariably
been the tendency Of the protective policy Is fuy proved
by
First The greatncrcase Of consumption from 1894 to
1885,
Second It's extraordinary growth in the period from
1872 to 1913; and
Third: The great ncrease'from 1861 to 1868.
Wholly overlooking the fact that there really per-
fct harmony in the real and permanent interests OF So
cety your report looks to stimulating dscord by con-
doing with the mechanic for being required to aid in lib
orally rewardng the services Of the farmer then con-
doing with for being required to contribute
small portion of his greatly increased receipts toward
enabling miner and the furnace man to obtain such
wages as will enable his wife and children to live In COM
fort then further condOng with the rolling miller In
reference prosperity Of the furnace man, and then
a.a4a, oondoliug with all for being without the
slightest they required to contribute
few cents per head annually toward that development
OF those great mineral resources 10 WHICH Sono o "
look in the for the establishment OF eher hduS
trial or political independence aud to which at THIS mo
mt we stand indebted the facts thus given by your
self, to wit:
"Thst within the last FIVE years cotton spindle
more iron smelted, bars rolled moro steel made
more coal and copper mined. more lumber saved anc
hewn, hOuses and shops constructed, more manu-
factories of different kinds started and moro petroleum
period in the history Of the country; aud that this in
crease has been greater both as regards quality ano
quantity, and greater than the legitimate increase to bt
expected from the normal increase Of wealth and popu
laOn"
This is remarkable state Of things, but strangely
enough, you do not, think, anywhere suggest to
your readers that it occurs period when they
heavily ared By protection; or that desiring to find
the thereof they need only turn to the CLOSING
years OF the Utared system OF 1916 TO find IT, Looking
around theIn" you might well have said, they
would the prosperity Of the worker In iron keeping
steady pace with that Of railroad men; that in turI
keeping pace with Improvement In the condition Of the
farmer the mechanic the MINER and the laborer profit
ing again by the increased demand Of the farmer for
pows, harrows and all other Instruments used In the
work OF cultivation and all combining make such de-
nand for iron to consumption TO advance one
haf mere rapidly Than population. Let them them" az
we may properly suppose you TO have continued
compare this with the paralysis from wbiel
they had redeemed by the passage Of the Protective
act of 1861 and that the consumption Of ron for pur
such above enumerated had under the anti
protective policy, in the short period Of dozen years
declined II cent popadaOn meantime Increasing 40
per cent; and then, having carefully studied these facts
of historical truth, deliver Judgment the who
placed situation Of the highest responsibility, had
hberately ignored all these great facts trned
with them to venture the assurance that
"Study Of all the facts pertaining to the national
Developments from 1870 70 1890 and from 1855 to the
present time. Enthusiastically teaches this esson-that the
progress OF the country through what may the
strength OF us elements OF vitality independent Of
legislation, and even OF the impOvershmet aud waste Of
great Like one OF our mighty rivers Its
movement Is beyond control Successive years, like
auents only add TO and increase It's volume
while legislative enactnents and conflicting commercial
policies like the Of piers and the deposit Of
sunken wrecks simply defect the current, constitute
temporary distractions In fact, II the nation has not
yet been lifted to the fun comprehension Of its work.
II builds determnately, as II we're, by instinct"
Having told us what, you think the furnace-man
ought now TO you perhaps he disposed to read
what appears to you might with perfect truth
and great propriety yourself have said as follows:
Ihe iron manufacture, fellow citizens, presents for