, 1873-04-11

tic laborora. md yct 1nnko iron at \ losa eoat
than Encla,,l or any other country In tlto world
manufacturer m mid Insist that wo phal aaoriilco
millions Of woaIth to moot their eoliBl emaula.
Tho imposition Of taxoa upon railroad iron can-
not bo tlofonicd upon nuy p!on OF tho uocossity
Of rovepro. Tho fucroaBo in tho consumption Of
tea, coffee sugar, and wlIBhy, tho iucroaso Of
incomes and Of tho 1ao Of stamps cauaod by tho
the country which would ensuo from tho con-
now deprived by tho duty on rails, would far
moro than compcnaato for tho loss Of rovenuo
which would follow from tho nbnscment Of ayca
duty upon tho rails themselves. Wo have to
learn tho lesson Of increasing our revenue By
Abatement, wo muRt Bhow what thoao taxoB coat.
II tho country cannot bo induced to demand
tho abatement Of duties upon railroad. Iron BY
the aimplo atntomont Of tho cost Of this tax in
:. Undor tho pretext Of collecting roven'lo, tho
dovornmont IN tho yoar l8G0, will ta1 tho pooplo
OF tie United States 1l2 miles OF railroad Tor ita
own use aud 1888 milos for tho solo uao and bono
ut OF tho iron mastera OF PonnBy lvania. From
but tho people may have to suffer tho loss of
5000, 900 II tho object for which tho protoc-
tion Is demanded shall 10 gainod. But tho cost
Of tho Tux upon iron is stifl creator. It Is eBt-
the construction Of o railroad creates demand
for throo pounds for chairs, epikoB, BRIDGES
buildings, locomotives, and cars nnd i'm
proyements incident to ito construction, and
additional quantity and cast it up in tho form of
milos Of railroad Of which wo aro deprived, wo
almost begin to bofiovo that the building Of tho
whole limo OF tho Northern Pacific Road ID pre-
vented or retarded by this misohioyous ta1.
Only consider, gentlemen, how imperative this
domand for railroads Ia. In spite Of an average
cost Of over 100000 por milo, England and
Mnca had in isoo uno milo Of railroad to every
11$ square miles OF SURFACE, while Wo had ~ tile
thlokiy gottlou Northern statoa only one 1ntie 70
twenty-five square miles (o1c!udthg Kansas ana
Oregon), and IN tho South only QUO to ninety
two. England and Wales probably have now now
ono milo OF railroad to eVery I'VE Bquaro miioR
OF gurface, and arc atill constructing moro.
Il we could discount tho wealth which our
roaus would create Wo might noe caro tor tne
obstruction OF the tariff, but actual existing
capital is tho only fund from @ which the wages OF OF
paid, and capital is only the saving Of past labor;
II accumnlates slowly; wo consume In Gaoh
year nearly al wo produco tho whole wealth or
the un.od statna IN improvements 1 On ~ iena OF
kind docs not exceed in yntuo flyo times our
annual product. Vo accumulate experience,
not material wealth, and in economic acionco We
have yet to begin to accumulate experience.
I have said that We havo made steop grades
upon every existing railroad. moan by this
that our fnlso revenue system onhancoa tho coat
Of ropairs and OF running our roads, and we stand
at cost far beyond what is necdful.
MaHsachusotts IL spending s1o,oo0,ooo to
pforco the HooBao Mountain, and thus Havo tho
25 contB per ton which would ba tho extra cost Of
hauling freight over tho mountain; yet, whilo
wo hayo been doing this, tho General Govern
ment has constructed ten artificial Hooaao
Mountains botween Boston aud tho Mississippi
River.
sippi might be rcl1ccd ten times Is cents pcr ton
did not. the law intorpono and forbid reduction.
To repeal TINT law would he to remove ton Hoo
Tho cost Of maintenance Of track and equip
mont, with tho o1ponso of running tho trninn.
is twice gront, ii goa in this country as it is
In England and tho largo portion of this differ
onco arises from tho excessive cost OF oil tho
materials used in repairs and maintenance Of the
roads, aud this excessive coat is to bo attributed,
like that OF construction, to tho tnxcs upon
iron, steel, copper, lumber, and eyory other ar
tic!e used.
reasoning, because, II tho dutios we're entirely
removed tho price Of rails would fall to tho full
oxtont OF tho amount Of duty now imposed hut,
ovon If we wore fully prepared to admit thie 81.
legation, 1t il not ono whlch tho protectionlat
can mako. II ho calls Tor ta1ln Tor protectlon,
ho asks it in order that Ao may maintain tho
price Of tho commodity protected. II nc cannot
accomplish s1ch malhtehanco OF ennancoment OF
keep up the price that THIS infant Of hundred
years old still erica 1or tue 1orco OF lhw. LIS
claim il that, II you will for timo giVo him
higher price than tho foreign ral1 WI cost, no
will presently glvo you raii at iess Cost.
thls we're traG, NOW lon9 cnn Me oan nola nno 20
wnit for cheap rails at cost OF 9lg5, ,ooo0o0 por
annnm! but II Is not true. Ha7o yon eEor
heard OF manuf9ot!rer OF IRON or steel VINO
would admit tnat he hau ceasea 70 DO an ihiant
and could llVo ~ tho use OK hlB own strength
and skill
We, as freo-traders, can admit and must admit
Tint there is no tatlaey 10 tho argMmont which
have adopted, and that we should MOI not at onco
OBTAIN q REDUCTION IN tne pfico Of Ialie oana! 70
tho full abatement OF tho duteB. Iho firRt eject
would doubtless be partial rcduotlon ID cost.
1t tic v same time @ We sbntod tho M lily on M rails Of
SID por ton, no might at first obtain an abate-
ment in the cost Of rails equal 10 the duty upon
the pig iron, since it has been fully demonstrated
ton, in gold, than any othor nation. But tho
moment we had any abatement in the price Of
rails, even Of % por ton, the conHunptiou and