, 1870-04-07
CATCHING A TARTAR.
Commodore Vanderbilt mud tho Fro.
1ccIfnnth14.

Commodore Vanderbilt mud the Pro-
tcctfoni4t4- |
The following sharp correspondence between |
PeanBylYanin protsctiouist and Commodore
Vanderbilt vii show how, in the Co1modorc's
case. tho pigirnn men teekoned entirely with
out their host:
PHILADELPHIA, March 10, 1870.
trul and Hudson hrer Ratlroad:
Dean stR: I enclose : COPY Of = petition
which has already been signed by the officers
Of railroads that have laid mora thin three
fifthA Of al the steel rails of which the Bail
road Commissioners Ut Massachusetts, were
atle to obtain returns, IS published in their
report OF February IL, 1870. According to
careful estimates from other available sources
tho sArne companies are consumers Of ma
jurity OF all the steel rails TINT have boen Ibid
and are being imported into the United Statee
l trust that you viii appreciate the a11vantsge
Of sustaining the homo competition - the
only defence upon which dependence c2n be
plAced TO secure our railroad companies against
the e1tortions OF foreign manufacturers.
earnestly hope that yon viii sign the enclosed
petition and return il to ms at Jou1 earliest
convenieuce. in order that it may Be forwarded
70 Washington 1t the proper time. iours
truly, 8. N. FzL1ox,
No. 125 Soutll Fifth street, Philadelphia
NEW YoRx CENTRAL / HCpsoS K1vKR r ri
AyESrrs, NEW YoR1, MARCH "a. ls,o
S. u. Fslton, Esq, Philadelphia, Pa:
DEAR SIN: an in receipt OF your letter
aaking that instead Of Tie present ai paloren,
duty on steel rails, \ specific duty Of two cents
Per pound be levied, and requesting our official
signature thereto. can resdily conceive the
| benefits which would accrue to American steel
makers in the event Of m increase Of duty ~
petitioned for, but in what manner. the rail-
IoAiis Of the country Ere 10 be enriched must
confcss am at loss TO discover. Thirty
three ont Of the thirty-Aix Of the siSuatures TO
tho petition ara well-known representatives, Vt
leading railroads, majority Of them beine 10.
Gated IN or running through Psnnsflvanisl
conclude their principal pfnterest was ecu
tered in the steel worke, and not in the rail-
roads which they. represent. You urge the
advantage Of sustaining the home competition
Al the only defence upon which dependence
can he placed to secure ouE railroad compAniel J
against the e1tortions OF foreign maaufac'
tuners, We are decidedly in favor OF sustain ,
in. competition; not home competition alone
but both home and foreign. and do not pro
rote to advocate any measure which will pre-
rent it or place us ii the hands OF home e1tor-
tionists, who would undoubtedly bo as mex
orablo in their demands as foreign manufac-
turers would be were the SANG protection
given them. A monopoly in the production
Ut steel Tai1s, tho valuo and importance Of
which to railroads Las been thoroughly
OCAuOA!oA2<<Of NOA1LA OAANa NOAAR@A tAa W tANN
an inferior article At any price tho monopolistt
might choose to put upon it. We would mol
haTe you believe that We are adyerse to patron
I izing our own manufactures. We only desire t.
. 10 allowed to purchase from whom We can ge
tho best article At the lowest price, and, in n.
: Judgment, these important considerations Cal
only be attnined by keeping up vigorous com
, ! petition. AS an argument Of the justice Of tn
: petition, it is claimed that tho signers thoret'
represent railroads that have laid more thai
| $bu ~ all tbc afan1 raS}a ryaaH In fhi
: country. In order to correct any wrong i'm
= pressions that might obtain on this point, y
y reason Of The position no t.ako, ,wo desire 7
say TINT we alone have used on the railroad
= represented BY US lthe New York Central
!, Hudson River, and New York L Harlan
= fu1lr one-hfth OF all the steel rails Laid dowI
; and one-thid OF the steel rails imported I
! this country. We wore among the first in thi
!, : country to adopt steel instead Of iron Iail'
!. and intend continuing 60 to do ~ rapidly .
- the earnings and price viii warrAtt.
= With respect, an yonta truly.
- CoRHE1ITs VANDERBILT, President