Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-08-27
From the Republican Bannerl
THE IRON INTEREST OF AMERICA

We have before us a copy of the
Washington Globe, of the 18th, con.
tanning an interesting and exhaustive
argument of Hon. s. S. Marshall, o.
Illinois, disappearing ofthe tariffleg'
islation attempted to be eingrafted upon
House bill, ostensibly introduced to
reduce internal taxes and for Other
purposes. Mr.. Marshall denounces
it as an endeavor to fasten upon the
country an outrageous and intolerable
increase of duties and burdens of tax
alton upon articles that are indispen-
sable and of universal use. Mr.. Mar.
shall confines hisargument principal
ly to the two articles ofiron andsteel
He uses strong language. He charges
that the Congress is asked to vote sew
eral millions of dollars per annum oi
the money made by the sweat and
toll of the people into the pockets ol
a ring of INSCRIPTIONS lobbyists, who,
If they had their just deserts, instead
of being thus rewarded, would, for
the residue of their days, remain with
in the walls of penitentiary.
Mr.. Marshall contends that these
muscles of modern civilization, iron
and steel, should be furnished to our
people as cheap as possible, If we
would compete successfully with other
nations. Instead of taking this tax
off and giving us cheap rails, rail-
roads, and consequently cheap
fre!ghts, we are accually asked to raise
1t now to over seventy per cent. ad
vdlOrem.
Protective duties are not now and
never were necessary to the manu-
facturers of iron. Mr.. Marshall,
claims, and Is sustained by the facts,
that in America, we have the finest
ores on earth, with the best coal, in in
exhaustible abundance all over our
land. We can manufacture iron and
steel as cheaply here as it can be
brought to us from any other land on
earth. OF this truth the proof is
abundant and overwhelming. Much
of 1t has been gathered together by
Commissioner Wells, but is to be
found all over the land, and most OF
IL in fact Is taken from the mouths of
these very men who are clamOring
for protection.
Indeed, the weight, of evidence
tends to show that pig iron could be
produced more cheaply in this coun-
try that it is sold i'm Great Britain.
Commissioner Wells, i'm his report
of December, 1869, states rs the result
of his information and Investigations,
that on the line of the Nashville and
Chattanooga railroad pig iron can he
made and delivered in Nashville for
nineteen dollars ton; that at CarOn-
delet, Missouri, the cost, including an
allowance for interest, taxes, and in
surance, does not exceed twenty-five
dollars per ton. In the valley of the
Cumberland, and in the anthracite
dirtricts of Pennsylvania, the cost was
put down ut twenty-four to twenty
six dollars per ton. This estimate
was assailed by the protectiOnists as
false and unjust; and this, as isknown,
led to Inquiries and Investigations
which have caused their utter over
throw, showing that the fair cost of
production was i'm fact less than thus
stated by Mr.. Wells. And notwith-
that the manufacturers have
labored to keep back the facts from
the public, there can now be no doubt
that the estimates of the Com mission
er were very liberal instead of being
too low.
Mr.. Marshall says:
One of the clearest and most valua-
BILE statements / have seen anywhere
in regard to the cost of making pig
iron in this country is found in the
letter of COlenel George II. Lewis, OF
Clarksville, Tennessee, dated April
10, 1870, addressed to Hon. J. A.
Garfield, of this House, and publish
ed April p, in the Republican Ban
ner, of Nashville, Tennessee, which |
now hold in my hand. Colonel Lewis
is n gentleman well and favorably
known, long engaged In the manu-
facture of iron, and whose reliability
has been indorsed by the Pottsville
Miners Journal, the Washington
Chronicle, and other protection Jour
nails.
Mr.. Marshall quotes from Mr.. Lew
is letter to this Journal, in e.rtenso,
and by it and other equally convinc-
ing proofs abundantly sustains the
position he has boldly and rightfully
assumed against the high tariff pro-
tectionists and ring lobbyists.
We have before us copies Of the
Pittsburgh RerieW and Price Current,
devoted to the iron and hardware
trade, in which we find the following
interesting letter from its special cor
respondent, dated Chattanooga, bear
ing upon his subject of cheap iron
manufacture in Tennessee, Alabama
and Georgia. We ask for this letter
the attentive persusal of all interes-
ted in the subject. 1t tmore than sus-
tains Mr.. Lewis In every word he has
written to this journal in regard to
the great iron interest OF the South
west:
"IRON IN TIE SOUTH"
From the Pittsburgh Review and Price
Current.l
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, June 10 1870.
Editors Review:
The following facts in regard to the
facilities and resources of the South
for making iron in particular, and
manufacturing in general, will be of
interests to your readers. The won
derful deposits of the richests iron
ore, coal, limestone, ETC., throughout
the greater portion of Tennessee,
and Georgia, warrant the
prediction that the South will very
soon manufacture all the iron needed
there, and WW ere Tong be sending
IL to parts Of the country Tess favored
by nature in this respect.
OF SOUTHERN ORES.
The iron ore of East Tennessee,
Alabama and Georgia Is not surpassed
in quality by any in the world. This
is the opinion not of theorists but of
practical iron men who have visited
all parts of the iron regions of the
South, and have seen the iron work
ed and used. An idea of the iron of
the South can lie conveyed to the