The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-19
British and American Cotton Manu-
features.

British and American Cottoh m dnu-
| features.
| Till other manufacturing nations shall
| be on an equal footing with Great Britain
| in marine, In manufacturer, In capital, and
many other peculiar advantages which
| she Possesses. 10 will be idle to endeavor to
| persuade them to adopt the principles of
free trade. Under this system, which is
admirable for her, Great Britain seeks to
get a monopoly OF all the markets of tho
world for her manufactures, and to pre-
vent other peoples from becoming great
manufacturing nations. The policy of
France and the United States, pursued
alike under all parties and different ad-
ministrations, has been to encourage ma
tive manufactures.
This policy of ours has been founded on
the belief that IL we here in America should
freely admit British goods, We would speed
lily be reduced TO the rank Of merely
agricultural nation, and therefore q poor
nation, az all must be that depend exclu-
sively upon agriculture. In bad times,
English manufacturers often voluntarily
incur immense losses TO destroy for
eign competition, and to gain and Keep
POSSESSION of foreign markets. The large
| capitals of Great Britain are powerful
weapons against the competing capitals OF
foreign countries. They form the most
| essential instruments now remaining by
which England's manufacturing suprem-
acy can be maintained: the other ele-
| ments-cheap labor, abundance of raw
materials, means of communication, and
skilled labor-being rapidly in process Of
general equalization.
No other people possesses in 80 cmi-
neut degree as these United States
all the elements necessary TO oonsti-
| tute. establish, and maintain n great
manufacturing nation: and our doctrine
has been that II Is IA positive duty on the
| part of those who make our laws that they
should so &C: as to favor the taking Dos
session of all the branches of indusfry,
whose acquisition is authorized by the ma
| ture OF things. This policy has been 50 far
successful that the time Is evidently not
far distant when American manufactures
Of cotton goods will successfully compete
with British fabrics in the markets Of the
world. We furnish Great Britain with
sixty per cent. in weight and more than
sixty per cent. in value OF all the cotton
she imports. During the year 1875 the con-
sumption Of cotton was as follows:
ognds;
ureat britnn .''''''''..'''...'''....' ig.tsnopoo
SonInehtai europe stcOrVvy
The United b1o,tVOVOO
We leave out other unimportant con-
sumers. The total consumption by the
factories of the world as roughly estimat-
ed amounts to 1881, 900, 600 pounds. 1t will
thus be seen that the United States ranks
next so Great Britain ms n cotton manufac-
turing nation, consuming nearly one-half
the amount Of cotton consumed In British
factories, and considerably more than one
half of the quantity consumed by Couti-
mental Europe, while the United Kingdom,
with present population OF 5000. 900. re-
tains OF late years about sixteen per cent.
OF her total production of cotton goods
and yarns for home consumption. The
49, 900, 900 OF people who dwell In these
United States consume almost our whole
| production of cotton cloth, representing
576 900 pounds OF raw material. So
much for bringing producers and consum-
ers together. As market for cotton
goods the United States is virtually gone
from England The total exports Of Brit
ish cotton goods and yarns in 1875 amount
cd to s35S 676, 345, gold, OF which only &C.
,1G0 gold were sent to this country.
Other countries received as follows: