The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-01-30
MANUFACTURING SUPRE-
MACY.
Dublin Nation.)

M. H. Beach at the Belfast meetings dealt
with the aspirations of the Irish people for
minor partner in the firm called the United
Kingdom, and as such ia without power
either to enforce her rights or to protect
her interests. As compared with England
she is not only greatly behindhand in
wealth and population, but her proportion
of both has been declining. during the
whole of the present century. It 10 the
nature of mediocre men like Sir M. II.
Beach to suppose that state of things
now present will endure for ever, an to
invest with permanence whatever tenden-
cies they see in actual operation. The
Iri0h Secretary has no misgiviDgs az to
Englands future. She has of late years
rapidly accumulated wealth. This wealth
gives her power. 1t is a wealth derived
from her manufacturing and commercial
supre macy, and the supremacy rests on
her cheap coal, her mechanical skill, and
the good name her manufactured products
have acquired in the markets of the world.
These causes, which are the ultimate ones
of her prosperity, are powerfully assisted
by the erroneous commercial policy of her
rivals in business. She alone among the
first class nations of the earth has adopted
free trade policy. The United States,
Russia, Austria, Germany, even France,
are still hampering their own progress with
| restrictive lave, conceived in the interest
causes will be permanent, the effect
England's Industrial supremacy-wlll be
permanent likewise, and permanent there
fore too, her power of domineeripg over
Ireland, and of permitting her political
whipsters and Jacks-in- Office to f1out our
claims with pupy rhetoric and rihald sneers
But are the causes permanent Do they
not betray signs of diminished vigor Is
the tide not already beginning to turn
To these questions, of course, the true
Britain will answer a laundering negative
will answer thus, we mean, on every
political platform and in every political
newspaper. But the questions are not
political they are commercial and econo-
mic. They are matters of 6 g. d., of pro-
duction and distribution, of supply and de-
mand. If we seek for guidance on them
We shall find it not in what Mr.. Disraeli or
Lord Harrington tells q parliament of self
admiripg Eoglisbmen, or what the Times
may write in it's editorial columns, but in
the dry facts sedulously watched by mer.
and recorded for them by purely CONNER
cal organs.
The Warehouse1s0n and Diapers Trade
Journal of last Saturday leads on with an
with an article entitled american Compe-
tition," which is more pregnant with in
the noisy defamation with which Sir M.
Il. Beach tickled the cara of his Orange
supporters in Belfast. "The importation
Unto England) of American calicoes," says
our contemporary, "has been regarded in
some quarters as of little moment; in
others explanations more elaborate than
satisfactory have been put forward ;
to know that in many quarters the event
has been quietly noted and we'll under
stood, rs one of many, all pointing in the
same direction, and teaching lesson
which we here propose to restate." And
the lesson he restates as to the particular
trade under review is that the import OF
American goods into England is not a
transient phenomenon, but one that, in the
words of q Manchester merchant from
whose letter he quotes, "these goods will
be imported regularly for many years."
| To the same effect the Journal quotes a
statement made at the Bradford Chamber
of Commerce, that "though the mill corpo-
rations of America have not been paying
good dividends, they will average ten pei
cent. even now, and very small advance
| in the price of yarn would make great
difference in the dividend" The lesson
however, that it would not be- wise to IN
derestimate our competitors, even in oul
own markets." is followed by others o
graver import, and laying bare flaws in the
fabric of England's industrial supremacy
which are far more difficult to mend thai
mere conceit and over confidence. "Tht
more important question" says the Journal
sis, what do they (the American exporters
find here7 What are the articles for tn
supply of which they compete : VIVA
will they find in our, Eastern markets
We are writing to and for the trade, VIII
know what 'fIliDg,' dressing 'size,' AM
China clay mean, and can appreciate tn
real value of the manipulations to which
our home productions are submitted" ANT
then the writer cites from a correspondent
of the Manchester Guardian the following
bit of description 1.-THE best proof o
purity and impurity can easily be ascer
tanned by entering the making up rooms o
any of our establishments, and there seeing
pieces hooked up. Half days work viii
suffice to show that, with our 'prepara
tions,' such an amount of filth is throw
off as to frequently necessitate the uaint
of mouth muller or lung protector. f0'
may. work week among American cloth
and not suffer 1.-THE of such inconve
f nience." These goods, it appears, wer
, for the British and Irish consumer bu
! the foreigner is no better served. In tn
. Drovioua nuuher of the journal, figure