The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-06-18
WEDNESDAY EVENING. JUNE1s,ls7
Theory ana practical Results.

Theory and Practical Results.
We find in recent number of the Lon
don Telegraph an article touching the
importation into the English markets OF
American iron, which it would be well for
the advocates of free trade in this country
to read and very carefully consider. If the
" sharp competition" Of which The Tele-
graph speaks has been produced by high
prices under one set Of circumstances, why
should not other and more different cir.
cumstances stimulating TO high prices, like
tariff impositions for protection, operate in
the same way? We think the following
extract from The Telegraph of the 3Oth
ult.. is a sufficient answer to all that class
of fallacies which are constantly coming to
rs in the shape of frec-trade arguments, so
adroitly distilled through the columns of
The World, and based on the assumption
that customs duties are always added to
prices paid by consumers:
High prices promote sharp competition. This
trite remark, but ii has just received stnlt.
ling Illustration. The cost of British iron has
become so great LndJ AllleIlCd HAS tHleltu us II
rival into our markets. The iron masters at
Wolyerhampton on Wednesday, it is reported,
were informed that n consumer of the finished
article has undertaken to import large consign-
ment from the United States, and TWAS further
stated that railway aXles are t3 per ton cheaper
III American markets than they are at Stafford
shire. Should these reports be correct,
modify equal in quality TO British produce,
we are plainly beaten in a field considered al
most peculiarly our own. The quality of the
metal, of course, is material element in the
question. 1t is not enough that goods should be
cheap--they must be sound. Cheapness alone
viii not give any fereign or home product per
nanent place. We know nothing respecting the
character of the low.priced American iron.
which may be better than any we manufacture.
Bat, should it be only equal British capitalists
and workers have stiff rivalry to encounter If
it pays 10 bring American strip iron and axles to
England how much more to carry them into
France, Germany, and Russian The reserves of
ore in the states are practically unlimited and
the energy of our cousins in utilizing every field
opened up has passed into a proYerb. Steam has
now bound together the commercial and indus
trial markets of the world, and it is pretty plain
that wider averages than formerly ruled will
regulate prices, supplies, and profits. IL is only
10 be hoped that rivalry so keen Will stimulate
invention, diminish the cost of processes, teach
our Workmen moderation in pressing their adj
yantages, and 50 enable ms TO hold our ground
How often has The World and other
free-trade journals of the country paraded
the following paragraph, or something
very similar to it, in their columns and
challenged the advocates of protection to
show wherein its allegations were untrue ;
and yet, singular enough, in the very
teeth Of these alleged truths we are sue
cessfully competing with the greatest
free.trade country in the world, and that
in the very staple on which so much
emphatic stress is laid:
The agricultural west should know that when
n farmer starts for his work he has shoe put on
his horse with nails taxed at 81 per cent driven
by hammer taxed 45 per cent; cuts a stick
with q knife taxed 90 per cent. and bitches up
his horse with trace-chains taxed 81 per cent,
lie returns from labor to his home at night and
lays his wearied limbs on n sheet taxed SIS per
cent; and covers with blanket that has paid
pms on his humble flannel shirt taxed
1T so per cent; shoes taxed at 50
per CENT and hat taxed at 70 per cent opens
taxed % per cent, and kneels to ms God on q
humble carpet taxed 100 per cent. lie sits down
10 his frugal meal and eats from a plate taxed
40 per cent, with knife and fork taxed SO per
cent; drinks his cup of coffee taxed AZ per cent;
or tea rs per cent; with sugar taxed 20 per
cent; seasons his food with salt taxed 100 per
cent, with pepper 297 per cent He looks around
upon his wife and children all taxed in the same
way; takes q chew of tobacco taxed 100 pei
cent; or lights cigar taxed l20 per cent, and
thanks his stars that he lives in the freest and
best government The world ever saw.
Now, this is nothing more nor less than
tissue of ahsurdities and downright
falsificatiOns. For the many notifications
made in the tariff since The World first
gave this delectabe paragraph to the
public, has rendered the statement untrue
in most if not all its particulars. Tea and
coffee, which are set down in this exIraor-
binary paragraph as taxed rs per cent. and
A per cent. respectively, are not taxed at
all, the duties having been entirely removed
from both articles last year, notwithstand-
ing the most vehement and angry protests
of the free-traders in and out of Congress,
the latter insisting that these duties, which
were real taxes and heavy burden upon
the consumer, should be retained in order
that certain of the protective du-
ties might be abolished. Tobacco
and cigars, too, are not taxed to
like the extent stated. In despite
of protests from free-trade members and
all the free-trade journals of the country,
these taxes were greatly reduced and sim
plified by the last Congress. The protec-
tive duties on hardware and on several
other articles of iron manufacture have
long since ceased to be tax upon nybody
except the foreign manufacturers who seek
our markets. In the same manner we
might 60 through the entire list seriatim
but the extract we make from The London
Telegraph is the best answer from a free
trade source which we can give to our own
iree-trade journals, holding England up as
the model of ee-trade government, and her
journals as the soundest opponents Of free
trade doctrines.
FEW persons are aware of the great
to the public of the money