Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-13

The National AssUciatt0n or Iron MANU-
facturers had a meeting not long since in
Cleveland, O., and resolved that "in the
present condition of the iron trade in this
country It is desirable that the production
of metal should he curtailed as far as posi-
Bile until more favorable market is estab
lished." There is great deal of meaning
in this associated effort to "curtal the pco-
duction of iron as far as possible," to en-
nance the first cost of all iron, steel, and
their fabrics, whether made in part or
wholly of this metal, 10 forty million con-
sumers. It was once thought and taught
by Greeley, Carey and other men
of acknowledged ability, that protec-
ton of the nations great iron in
terest would operate to give farmers
and all other consumers, cheaper iron than
Pcould be bought in any foreign country.
With grain SO cheap that farmers burn it
fer fuel and meat so cheap as 1t grows on
a Texas or Kansas prairie without labor,
there was in truth not unreasonable pros
pect that, by wisely diversifying our produc-
tive industry we might ultimately produce
iron, steel and their numerous fabrics at
less cost than is attainsble in any other ma
ton. Let us examine briefly the outcome
and first cost OF this charming industrial
theory for the term of thirteen years. In
its volumes of instructive facts, the ninth
census tells us that the country pro-
duced S69,64O,49S worth Of pig metal;
forged iron, $l2S, 062, 1921; nails, $24 S2S, 1896.
Without consuming space to go over the
long list of iron and steel goods manufac-
tured and sold TO American consumers, suf-
fee it to gay, that the aggregate exceeds
three hundred and sixty-four million dol
lars. We have no doubt that the enhanced
price paid for these articles by reason of
monopolies Of all the American markets
through protective tariffs has greatly ex-
Gee ded 80 per cent, but to be within bounds
and out of the reach of cayil, we will call it
thst sum. These figures, which are all
from the United States census, except the
duty estimate, based on laws of Congress
and the known acts of monopo-
lies, make the yearly premium paid
to these iron and steel monopo-
lies and their subordinates $l09, 100000.
Throw off the extra nine million and two
hundred thousand dollars, and reduce the
sum paid to this class of spectators, who
ia a national council resolve to make iron
scarce and dear, by stopping furnaces and
FORCES, to one hundred million dollars q
year, and their plethoric pockets have re-
ceived thirteen hundred million dollars
from the now e7nptied pockets of the peO-
pie. We have unwisely built up a MAN.
moth iron monopoly rich enough, when
Joined with other rich manufacturers, bond
holders, bankers and railway owners, to
buy up members of Congress and Legisls-
lures, very much as butchers purchase fat
sheep and cattle in the market. The sum
paid into the pockets of monopolists as
bounties, for the last thirteen years, has not
been less than three hundred million year.
Our intensely partisan Government has
robbed the people of three thousand nine
hundred million dollars since 1860, for the
benefit of outside monopolies, not dime
of which has ever gone into the public
treasury. This is the undeniable fruit of
the protective policy; nor will the weighty
chsins of strong iron and steel monopolies
be so easily removed from the feet aud
hands of the people as many believe. They
have every department of the Federal Gov
eminent, with an INSCRIPTIONS man al its
head on salary of fifty thousand dollars
year, to do their bidding. The world wor-
ships the golden calf, and that is the
kind of stock raised by all monopolists.
The fact has trsnspired that the large ma
nufacture!s of salt in New York and Michi-
gan have subsidized the works at Kanawha
to curtail production, and thereby enhance
the price of salt paid by al consumers.
Only create chance fo- avarice 20 steal or
rob with impunity, and from the President
to tide waiter, the opportunity will not pass
unimproved. The New York Globe SEALS
the attention of those simple-minded people
in the rural districts who have listened TO
the delusive prate about home markets
that the great bulk of the deposits of IRON
ore in localities where it can be produced
cheapest, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, are
owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by
the pig-iron interest in Pennsylvania, and
that this control has been sought. at great
expense, and is exercised expressly, not for
the purpose Of developing these mines and
augmenting the number and range of home
markets. but for the purpose Of preventing
these ores from being developed, and Of
keeping them from competing with the ores
of mines already being worked" These
revelations present our minerals in new
light, and indicate the use that is made of
the $l00.000,0O0 premium paid to
few iron mongers in Pennsylvania.
Do monopolists want cheap iron, so that
the iron on farm wagon will not cost the
farmer as much as the wood wOrkp Ger
tainly not. They want the largest pile Of
agricultural staples for the the smallest
weight of iron, and of all that iron and
steel will make. Farmers, what do you
think of this sort of protection of manu-
featuring Industry? Doyou not see that in
place of benefLing home labor of any
kind, it puts out the fire that mslts iron ore,
FORCES bars, rolls railway rails, fsbricates
bolts, spikes, nails and hOrseshoes, that the
price of all these articles may be kept up
to their high cost in foreign markets, en-
HANGED by exchange, transportation
and high protective tariff?
Farmers, with you this is bread and butter
question. 1t fixes at low figure the value