New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-12-21
Free Trade Again St American In
dusfry,

The facts stated in thh following letter from
Hon. ANDREW STswARr. the veteran advocate
OF protection TO American manufactures. a d
therefore the tue Trend of the American Ia.
borer, TO Hon. wv. II. KELLEY. deserves the
most earnest consideration:
UNroNTOwN Pa. Dee IL lo1l
Hon. W. d. KELLEY:
DEAR SIR: Last winthr the free traders sue.
eeeded IN reducing the duty on pIriron fir m -
80 81 per ton, and see that they now propose
to reduce il to s5 This reduction of 50 was
made 10 reduce the price in accordance with
their theory that ''the duty il always added TO
the price and paid by the consumer :" while on
the otner hand, you cdutended that the eff ct
would he TO break down our weak estt bl sh
ments, check the strQDg discourage il vest.
ments, destroy competition and Of course di.
mlnlsh supply, and thereby increase the price
Such were the arguments; now fer the facts
and results.
Let these free traders To- X ai the price cur
rent of pig-lron, whc1 they reduced the duty
about year ago. and at the price current
now, and they Will find that instead OF reducing
the price oil plg iron ~ ton, 1t has increased it
on an average near Y 81. say s. per ton. Then
let them look at the official reports British and
American, and they will find that We have i'm.
ported, since the reduetiCn of the duty, about
2QQ,0OO tons OF pig metal, which, ut an III
crease OF 81 ton, will make clear gain TO
foreign importers of 81 900 900, and an equiva-
lent loss to American consumers beside the
millions lost by breaking down American com
petition and supply
But this is not all. The Treasury has, by
this act, lost - a ton on 200 600 tons of mig
iron, amounting to 100000 in gold revenue
which our own people must now ray TO supP,y
TINS loss Such are the fruits of revenue re-
hay ib,t 10
these results, but this cannot impair the truth
or destroy the influence of the facts stated
With these undcniable facts, proved by re-
cords staring them in the face, these revenue
reiormers now propose to repeat the experiment
by which they have robbed American consum.
ers OF 81 900 600, and the Treasury of S4oO, 600
more to favor foreigners.
Now, had they reversed this action. had they
added 81 ton instead of taking it of, thereby
stimulating production and encouraging in
yestments at home, developing our own re-
sources, giving employment To our own labor
and markets and money to our own farmers
instead OF foreigners how many millions would
1t have saved, and how many would il have
added to our national wealth and resources
Now permit me to add, briefly. few rsa-
sons why pig iron, above everything else. re-
CURES high protection.
L. Because 1t is the product, almost excu-
sively of day labor uraided by iabor-saviDg
machinery; for what is clearer than that
American labor, getting from 81 50 10 S2a
day, must be protected In It's struggle with
foreign labor for the American market. receiving
wages on an average less than half that sum?
Especially as the cost Of transporting foreign
pig iron To this country rs "A mere tritlr often rs
ballast, less than 50 u ton; about the cost of
caring IL ten or fifteen n es on ordinary roads
2. Because almost the whole value of pis.
iron consists of agricultural produce. Ask
any practical pig-iron maker and he will tell
you that about thrtefOurths of the money BE
receives for his pig-lran goes tC the neighb0r-
ing farmers for the Subsistence of his labor
the horses mules, and oxen, men, women, and
children employed about bis iuruace--the ore
aid coal of which his iron Is made being utterly
worthless it left NIB thu ground aud so the
foreign iron purchase consists of the agri-
cultural produce of foreign farmers sent here
in disguise, worked mp into pig iron, and our
money sent by millions TO pay tor it, instead
o. being distributed among our own farmers
and laboring men.
3. Because iron Is alike ESSENTIAL in peac.
and war, and for which We ought, therefore, %
be independent of the world
f. Because the coal and ore of which iron is
made are useless and worthless IT LETT unused
and unconverted Into iron.
g. Because our capacity to produce iron ia
unlimited; our coal and ore lnexhau,tlbe;
easier of access, and more equally and generally
distributed thar in any other country. Hence,
ought we not only 10 supply ourselves, ou'
also, in time, the old and exhausted countries
of Europe with iron, as we are BOW doing with
many other articles herct fore imported but
now exported under favor Of high protective
duties, which having done Iheir work are now
useless and imperative?
Very respectfully yours,
A. STEWART.