New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-22
THE STEEL QUESTION.
JAMES NJ. COOPER, esq, Of Pittsburgh.

taken to advise me "a to the method you would have
me ADOPT ir any economic discussion may hereafter
take part rejoice TO be informed by you that you
yourself as q prominent steel manufacturer, strongly
resemble "the infant Hercules" and that you nave
grappled successfully with Sandcrson Brothers. Jonh
Brown, JessOp, and other "foreign serpcnts VINO u"
deavored to "enfold You in their Shiny coils (Du you
not mean GELS hope you did not lhlan'
muscles as even "diSnterested patriot IKE
myself could not have "looked on hppo'ihsB
had such misfortune overtaken you hu'
while thus asking me to regard you Us inc ini"n'
Hercules" rocking so peacefully IN your craV' may
not ask IL YOU do not ovcrtask the common mlhu III rs
Stunning at once the guse OF Ithurieli Really my own
IMAGINATION is not equal TO the abrupt ransorma-
ton Won have made both in your personaon and in
nina IN first depicting ga disinterested patriot
overlooking your struggles "infant ana then iin
n1ediateiy calling upon me 10 think OF myself as Willy
serpent" who has crep into your Eden and upon whom
YOU as Ithuriel have nnicteda an immedcaDle wound
NAV ask Won If Pittsburgh is EdenT 1t always bore
more resemblance the other place to my eye ana am
led 10 think OF II still In the from the fact that
your langua 90 would lead TO believe that heeoore
would be the right thing IN your place for my "ouu
IL was not, "a you say, "immedcable.'
ASH am not satisfied with the foregoing attempt 70
"reform nv style altogether" upon the model OF your
owp even by the of your own words ana neres Vi
sreech will now give III my own way my roasonS io'
taking any notice whatever of the letter you nave aU
dressed TO me in THE TRIBUNE OF April H. ana Ill INC
Commercial BhUCin OF April To- lou PAN
sumed 10 advise me, in somewhat arrogant manner
r. 20 conduct discussion. You say that he who at
ten pts to instruct the people should at eastbe accurate
and "you offer apology for arraignng me al INC pu
of public opinion" for an aleged outrage lou "ehne
tho outrage in the following language: That having
been invited by the Executive Council of the Natoha
Board OF Trade substitute for an absent mem
her In their interview with the Committee OF COM
merce OF the House Of Representatives, In WASH
ingtOn, q few weeks ago, you tp aNaheu 'V"i''A
1myselO OF that opportunity to venuate your th9I
opinions by q gratuitous assault upon one vi
the most meritorious industries OF your country.
You further say that 1t was gross hnperunehce W
inject your INV opinions the steel trade into subject
with which il had no Connection and that the National
Board of Trade had conferred upon you ne no autho
ity 10 give forth any such uterances on their oehan
Now Sir perhaps you will make apology, and per-
haps not Il neither ask IL nor expect it, when tell you
that every statement upon which you arragn is un-
true make this statement not because 1t OF any inn
portance reply TO the vuperaton OF gentleman VINO
has lost his temper but because am unwilling that the
members Of National Board of Trade who differ from
me should led TO think that had msrepresened them
have good believe you knew the statement to
he untrue did not take the place of absent mem
Der Of the Council did not address the Committee OF
Commerce as q member of such Council did not as
sumo TO represent the National Board Of Trade In any
manner whatsoever hence your arrogant and unasked
advice TO me becomes only an impertinence
so far from assuming the function which vH% have
charged me with hsv-s suueraKen. when Gen. Negley
asked the Hon Frederick Fraiey OF Philadelphia the
sOmewhat insulting question MS to whether or not the
Council OF Board of Trade had telcgaphed for me TO
come ON and help hm and his associates in their enort
TO obtain free registry for foreign-buit ships ana the
free admission Of materials for the construction OF shps
be WAS informed by in the presence of the Commit
tee that appeared there only by request to answer
Questions as to the former construction OF ocean stea
s, OIL IRON, in Boston harbor Tine request was made
because the debate at st. Louis upon the resolutions
in favor OF free ships and free materials which the Cou
Gil under the instructions of the National Board OF
Trade were Washington for the purpose Of presenting
had given certain statements of fact upon which some
members of the Committee on Commerce desired in
formation When did address the Committee, first
carefully Invested the members OF the Council OF
the National Board Of Trade and the Board itself of
all responsibility either for my presence or my dongs
in the matter, and when had answered these
questions and had somewhat enlarged the scope
OF my remarks, fearing lest should not conhne
myself within the requisite bounds, apologizcd to the
Committee for lny zeal, and thereupOn invited by
the Chairman and other members TO 60 on in my own
way therefore cannot permit you any other person
seeking bounty TO be paid in part at cost, to claim
monopoly OF the right 10 be heard III Washington.
said that, being there would address the Com
mittee simply citizen upon whom it was proposed to
place a tax for the support OF men whom considered
fully competent to take care of themselves, by the
passage Of bill granting subsidies iron steamships
now in process Of construction the Delaware. The
discussion Of the iron steamship question led to
sderation Of the question Of inland river transportation
by means OF steel barges and was in that connection
that made the assertion that 1t would be decidedly
better cheaper for the country 10 pension the little
force engaged the facture Of steel than TO be de-
prived of the opportunity to purchase ships the
Clyde, If they be had there at the lowest cost"
Whether there was any connection between the sub
ject hand and the steel trade, shall now have
otr1ga Ipala IN fha INIT tho
allegations made TO me by English gentleman that
day, member OF a firm who have established, or arc
about establishing, line Of steamships from Liv
erpOol TO New-Oreans. This gentleman had just
amined the conditions Of transportation the Mssis
spp he told that he wished to get bill through
Congress whereby he might be enabled TO place upon
the Mississippi River free Of duty, largo number Of
steel barges carrying and other heavy freight
His plan was to send them out in sections and have
them put together this side, and II free Of duty he
proved that they would cost 80 per cent less than II
made here If there were facilities for building
them here, which there were not. The merits OF such
bargcs would be light draft strength, and great carry
ing capacity each barge being competent to carry 10000
bushels of grain. He stated the then cost Of carrying
grain from Cairo and ST. Louis to NewOrleans at 10 and
cents per bushe and that with his steel barge lines
well established the business could be made very profit
able cents at saving OF 5000 for each trip
Of each barge. and that each barge could make more
than 10 trips in a year. then made the calculation
that II these estimates were true and that no more IMAM
200 such barees were placed upon the river the SAYING
saving alone would form fund ample for the pension
and support of all the steemakers OF the United states
You cay this little force Of laborers cannot
number less than 1000 men, L accept your estimate,
and each aborer earns 81 600 year. only fourteDths
Of the saving that have indicated would TO
sion them. The Western grain growers are now de-
prived OF these improved methods Of transportation in
order that force of engaged i'll the facure
manufacture OF steel may the average wages OF
other artisans engaged in other empOyents that can:
be protected, by whose competition the standard OF