Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-11-10

Vice President Colfax's late speech
OF his neighbors in exposition and
commentator OF the principles and
acts of the Republican party is-in
50 far as it discusses the Tariff ques-
tion-distasteful to the Chicago
Tribune. That jour .al kindly sug-
gcsts way in which he might have
treated the question that would have
been satisfactory to 1t; but that, OF
course, differs widely from Mr.. Col.
fax's way. 1t says:
MIR. Colia1 selects the article OF
Pig Iron to prove that manufactur-
ers have prosperca greatly since
1861. 1t is true that the production
Of Pig Iron has increased very large.
Is. Mr. Col!ax is undoubtedly aware
that for several years past the Gov
ernment has been stimulating the
production of Pig Iron, not only Dv
a prohibitory tariff, but by donating
its public lands by millions OF acres
to railroad companies, upon the ex-
press condition that they shall use
only American iron. In other words,
we have been, transmitting the pub.
lie domain into Pig Iron. It would
be surprising if the production OF
that article, undcr such exciting slim
ulants, had not largely increased.
But the American people have paid
for all this iron nine dollars per tun,
in gold. more than it is worth; and
every branch of manufactures to
which Pig Iron is raw material, has
been correspondipgly depressed and
discouraged"
CONTESTS ny THE n. Y. tribune
I. A great many railroads in the
Western States have been construct
ed by the help OF lands granted fJr
the purpose by Congress. The Hi
nois Central was the pioneer but
Wisconsin, Iowa, Mime sofa, Mis-
souri,, &c, have been largely favored
by these grants. Their greatest ben
iticiary is the city OF Chicago, which
probably has 100000 more inhabitants
and one third more wealth than it
this land grant policy had not been
inauguratcd, Yet she is a focus OF
the demagogue clamor that the Ma
tional policy, under Republican rule.
has constantly aggrandized the East
at the expense OF the West. No mat
ter; we deem that policy wise, ben'g-
nant, and cannot doubt that our
country is to-day more populous,
stronger and richer, than it would or
could have been in the abschce OF
these land grants.
But were the grantees required to
use only American Iron? Not at all
The Pacific Railroad, built mainly by
Government subsidy or upon Gov
ernment credit, scas required to lay
A merican rails; but the impression
conveyed by our Chicago namesake
that all land-srant railroads were
subject to this requisition is mista-
ken. :.
Nor is it true that the only Pacific
Road vet constructed has been track
cd exclusively with American Zig
Iron. II we are not misinforsncd,
immense ouant tics Of worn-out Eu-
ropean rails have, been exported TO
this country unde.- the low duty on
Scrap Iron, and have been rolled in
to American rails .sor the Pacific
Union and Central Companies, to-
gether forming the line from Omaha
10 Sacramento. This may have been
or not been good policy; il. certainly
is not transmitting the PuNic Do
main into" -4merican Pig Iro.7."
II. The Chicago Tribune cooliy
asserts that "the American people
have paid for all this [homc-ma Del
Iron nine dollars per ton more tn. IN
it is worth" How so: Why, be-
cause the duty on imported Pig Iron
has been 50 per tun. Well; suppose
it had been $50: what then! Should
We pay 800 per tnn more tor al! the
Iron smelted IN this country? Ifyou
say yes, what il the duty had been
5000 per iun? Can't a man evince some
common sense, even though he is q
Free Trader?
Let us call attention to few items,
which seem 10 us pertinent to the
main question:
l. The duties levied or Iron of ey-
cry description We're raised by the
Protective Tariff OF 1S2S-that On
Pig Iron from $40 to Sl2a per tun.
Oi course, says q Free Trader. our
>. orlc had to pay s2A more per tun
ior Pig Iron. But Niles Register
states that not only was this not the
case, but that Iron was actually cheap
er IN this country after than before
chat increase of duty, and especially
cheaper ia those districts .fwthest from
the seaJoard. What do yon say to
that?
,. The duties OH imported Copper
Ore, Shcathing, &c, were consider
ably increased by a special bill pass
ed some two years ago. we shall
have to pay % per cent. more for
Copper sang the Frec-Traders in
chorus, before and just after the pas
sage of that bill What has been the
fact? Has not Copper been cheaper
here ever since? Has one Free Trade
journal quoted its price to prove
what they confidently predicted! Not
one.
8. We printed, last Winter, the
circalar oi British house largely
engaged in the expectation Of Iron,
and especially of Rails, to the Iron
masters Of Great Britain. That CIR
cular, after giving the product, ex-
ports, and prices, o! British Iron for
the preceding year, stated that the
hopes of an advance in the price OF
British Iron rested wholly OH the
prospect OF reduction Of the Amer
lean Tariff. II we reduced our du-