The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-12

the distance of mile, and with completed
facilities for obtaining iron, coal, lime, sand,
wood, etc., as cheaply as at any manufac-
turing point in the whole country; and
why should we fear New England in the
proifered race of manufactures Why
should we not rather throw down the gage
of competition, and show her what
proud old Virginia is capable of achieving :?
This is the spirit Of rivalry we wishto en-
courage among our people, and nothing has
rejoiced us so much as to see that this
spirit has already awakened such unexam-
pied enterprise, thrift and industry right
here in Richmond, and among southern
born men too. We would be glad to well
como northern manufacturers to our city,
but we take far greater pride in seeing
our own peoplc-those financially pros
trated and ruined by the war-leaping upon
their industrial feet, and contending for the
proudest prize that ever offered itself for
Virginians to win.
But to do this we must have continuance
of the protective policy which has made New
England the financial dread and manufac-
turing bugbear of the Enquirer. To illus
trate the fallacy of our free-trade neighbor,
let us take single article of American
consumption. So long as we were unpre-
pared to make Bessemer steel, no English
manufacturer would sell ton of steel rails
for less than one hundred and fifty dollars.
But when the Bessemer process was
brought to such degree Of perfection that
two American factories were able to turn
out the Bessemer rail, the price fell to one
hundred and thirty dollars ton and,
finally, when our works increased from
two to six large manufactures, the English
dropped their price to one hundred dollars
ton. And had it not been for the protec-
ton extended to this branch of American
industry, we should be paying to-day fifty
per cent. more for English rails than what
the price actually is in the market.
And what is true of Bessemer rails is
equally true of almost every article Of
American manufacture. For more than
fifty years it has been the avowed policy Of
England to crowd out American manufac.
lures. Lord Brougham declared this to be
the settled policy of his government as far
back as 1915, when be said that 1--WE should
spend any amount of money TO straagte al
tie cradle the I'M ant industries pllich the eri-
geacies OF the ioar hare called into existence III
the United Stotes." And they aoiU spend
any amount of money now to strangle the
the Bessemer rail-works in the United
States; and then they will put the price up to
any figure that may be satisfactory to them
selves. No such advantage as this can be
taken by any New England manufacturing
company, nor by any number of them
combined. The same policy that encoura-
gcs them, invites to successful competition
in Virginia; the same prosperity that lifts
her people up and crowns them with Tho
abundance of thrift, will revert with equa
plenty upon our own industrial popula-
tons. aI
The Enquirer is prodigously in error il
its estimate of the advancing tendency o
free trade. No such strides are being made
in the progress of that fallacy. France, thu
only manufacturing government on the
continent which was disposed to give tho
free trade policy a trial, is already turning
her back omit, and prominent among Tho
measures of the Theirs government is :
thoroughly protective policy for the Frenci
people. Even under the Emperor Napo
leon they only doled out some nomina
facilities to the British manufacturers il
their commercial treaties with England
Louis Napoleon was about the only man il
France who was at heart free trader, ant
he showed almost as great criminal weak
ness in this respect as he did in precipita
ting war that cost him his throne, if not
dynasty.
We can assure the Enquirer that thi.
question as vital one, both to this city ant
State, and that it soiU be pressed by us
most vigorously during this campaign. The
manufacturers of this city are anxious tc
know not only how Captain George d.
Wise stands on this question, but how
he will vote. if elected, on it. They have
no solicitude as to the Republican nominee
but they want distinct and emphatic
avowal from Captain Wise. Shall they
have it? re-