New-York tribune., 1870-12-02
CdTCE md EFFECT.

CAUSE And EFFECT
We have already called attention 10 the ad-
missions of Mr.. ID. A. Wells, at the late Free
Trade dinner, that " the country is prosperous
and that eve have recovered FROM the effects
"of the war with a rapidity almost mar
"yelous.r We have cOntrasted these admls-
sions with the historical fact that years of
depression, lack of employment, widespread
disaster, bankruptcy, and suffering, followed
the close of our fathers struggle for indie
pendence, as also their sons short and not
exhaustive war with Great Britain in 1924.
Why this contrast exists, Mr.. Wells perfectly
understood five years ago, though he would
now seem befogged on the subject. 1t is be-
cause we have o more diversified industry,
far wider range of emplOyments
for our people, than we had ninety
or sixty years ago. When our vOlun-
teers were mustered out in 1865, they soon
found work to do at good wages, if they
earnestly sought it, and began to open mines,
construct new and repair old dams raceways,
mills, furnaces, factories &c, as their fathers
and grandfathers, when likewise mustered out,
could find no one to pay them for doing :;
hence the swift recuperation which Mr.. Wells
a phenomenon whereof the law is unknown to
us-an effect of which we fail to apprehend
the cause Mr.. Wells's professed ignorance in
the premises is more marvellous than our
swift recovery from the baleful effects OF civil
war.
Suppose the people of our great Valley had
formerly been growing Food without exception
| and exchanging it with Europe for Metals and
| Fabrics. To simplify the matter we will call
| the food Grain, wherefOr payment was made
by Europe in Pig Iron. Millions of men in
the Valley of the Mississippi and its afliuent'
farming and exporting their surplus products
in the shape of Wheat and Indian Corn; mil
lions in Europe producing Pig Iron to eX-
change for these grains and still other millions
driving wagons, running canal-boats cars
ships, steamers, to carry the grain to Its
| European consumers and bring back
| the Pig Iron and distribute it among the
American grain-growers. AT length, the lat
ter say: eve have Ore, Coal, Wood for Char
coal, in abundance right here on the Ohio,
" the Missouri, the Mississippi, the Lakes
"why not make our own Pig Iron and save
ourselves the cost of two ocean transts y
So said, so done; in a few years, furnaces are
flaming and roaring all over the West, and
the Pig Iron formerly brought from Europe is
all made within hundreds of miles of its con-
sumers whereas it was formerly transported
thousands, and the Grain sent as far to pay
for it. Now instead of Five Millions of men
growing Grain, Two Millions making Iron, and
Eight Millions constructing vessels, barges
canal boats, &C., making and running
wagons, elevators, cars, &C., &c, and navi-
eating the barges, ships, steamers, we have
Ten Millions growing Food, Three Millions
making Iron, and Two Millions effecting all the
required exchanges of their products: who does
not see that the net result is an enormous and
rapid augmentation of wealth. No matter
though the Pig Iron cost more dollars per tun
than of old, it costs no more days 1COrk, and
there are Six Millions per day of these saved
from nOn-productive avOcations and employed
in augmenting the mighty aggregate of pro-
ducts to be divided and consumed OF pre-
served.
All this is so simple that, though the shall
low pedants who are hired to teach Political
Economy may ignore it, there is not black
smith in the land who cannot be made clearly
to apprehend it. BigOted, unreasOning parti-
sanship may cOnstrain him to bandage his eyes
and protest that he "always votes the Demo
Z" cratic ticket, AS his father did before him !"
but the Laboring Glass as a class only need
to have the truth clearly set forth, and they
will recognize and embrace it. We shall not
carry the myriad loafers around the corner
grOgshOps who run the Democratic machine in
this City; but We shall carry two-thirds of
those who live by useful labor, whenever we
can get a square issue between Protection and
Free Trade, and have time to bring the truth
home to the public mind.
We fear nothing for the future of this ques-
ton but muddle. If the Democratic wire
workers can plausibly argue that their Tariff
Is as Protective as Ours-that the difference
between them is one of details-thcy can hold
their habitual voters in spite of MS. But give
us Protection on our side. and genuine Free
Trade pitted against it, and not many months
VIII be required to secure for the former the
irreversible judgment of the People.