Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-05-18
The Tariff ON Iron.

In an article on this subject,-one in
which the people of this section have
large and important interests at stake
the PittSbSrgh ReUieig e Price CurTeat,
of the 18th inst, observes, that for the
past month the entire strength Of the
free tarde faction has been concentrated
upon the work Of reducing the tariff on
iron. Pig metal comes in for the bulk
of their terrifying explosives, and moth
ing will be satisfactory to them short of
an absolute reduction of the tariff on
that staple from nine dollars per ton TO a
third of that amount. 1t is claimed by
these philanthropic reformers that the
iron manufacturers of our country, boil
stored up by a infamous tariff, are
making enormous fortunes from the
sweat and blood of the farmers, the
railroads, and all else who are obliged to
use iron. In urging this point, the free
traders neglect to consider that there is
no monopoly in the manufacture of iron,
and if the profits of FORCES and blast fur
naces are so overwhelming, the next six
months will see sufficient capital invest
ed in iron works to force down prices by
merely overlooking the market.
In a community so keenly alive to the
sources of profit as ours, the law ofsup-
ply and demand acts with a distinctness
and force that always brings capital to
where it will yield the largest returns,
and this alone should satisfy the malcon-
tents that their tinkerings at the tariff
law are not only mistaken in policy, but
needless. Let us suppose for a moment,
that the prayers of the free traders were
granted, and the duties on pig and rail-
road iron reduced to the point they de-
mand. As an inevitable consequence,
the production ofthose articles in Ameri-
ca must cease. For a few weeks there
would be an apparent advantage to our
people. The cost of pig and railway iron
weuld be reduced in proportion to the
diminished tariff. but the moment the
English market felt the pressure of in
creased orders, the rate would amount to
at least the present scale of prices. That
this would be the inevitable result. has
bDOh OCAA1OlAslAdNCu over anu ONtT dkdlu
in the case of other articles of English
manufacture. How, then, would the
dream of the anti-protectionists be real
lied? Mines closed, furnaces and roll
ing mills idle and silent-Skilled work
men penniless, scattered or employed in
other pursuits-our gold and bonds pour
ing toward England by every steamer to
pay fOriron that should be made and pur-
chased at home, the home market for
farm products destroyed, the capital in
vested in mines and iron mills sunk and
lost, and with all these disasters, iron
just-a costly as before. The reduced
price of imported iron would last Just
long enough TO break down and destroy
u own manufacturers, but no one who
knows the spirit of English commerce
will doubt that her iron-mongers would
extort the last possible cent from the
American consumerthe moment the sui
cidal fallacies of our free traders had
placed the iron market in their power
The fervor with which the warfare
against the iron tariff is being waged
either shows it to be the strongest point
in the free trade argument, or else indi-
Gates that there is British influence, not
to speak of golden subsidies, behind all
this frantic parade. That England has
contributed largely to aid the free trade
movement in this country is not even
denied, and this fact alone should warn
people against the sincerity of its advo-
Gates.