New-York tribune., 1880-09-25
NEW-JERSEY AND THE TARIFF.
TUE SIIK Mills OF PATERSON.

,xG CITY DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY DEfkNDhN
rp0y 1HE PtoTECrivE SYSTEM FOR r"hi"
sUpPoRT-A Place WHERE pEMoCKAii0 hh"
sIrs SHOULD DE STAMPED on.
iyroM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBoNhI
. P.rrRsox. n. j., Sept. 2i.-The history OF the
growth of Paterson Is romance OF American en''i
rr;se and American industry. In 1850 the place
had 81 coo inhabitants; in 1870. 33,Ooo; III io'o'
$4,000: and now the census of 1850 shows IL 10
. have 80 600 This wonderful growth during pc
rod of twenty years has been mainly due to the
,emark = hle DEVELOPMENT of a single industry-that
of silk wcaving-an industry wholly dependent ior
Its existence upon the protective tarlh system
change in the duty on silks calculated 10 encourage
tho on of French and Italian fabrics would
close every silk mill in Paterson, empty hall It's
dwellings aud throw the place back to lis ola con-
dition of Il quiet little country town.
Look for a moment at the statistics OF tins great
;uau.trv which has grown from nothing into colos-
sal PROPORTIONS as if summoned into life by an
enchanted wand. There is nothing like it in the
history of American manufactures ihere are
now seventy-seven silk mills In Paterson. some
rrnn,,- only half dozen looms, others riyalling
IN az, the great cotton factories of Lowell and Man
chester They give work to IL ,465 operators But
this is noi all. There are many dependent lhouS-
tries supplying these mills with various articles
or diving warn for their USE Altogether
tendencies include 1O2 firms, employing 1888
hands who receive wages amounting to over
g 600 900 a year. The capital employed is
S9955 600 aud the value of the annual product is
over So 600. 900. Almost every sort OF sllken
fibre is made from plain black dress goods 10 I'D
hons o be richest classes and most varied patterns
All the novelties in color and pattern, which most
buyers suppose to be imported from Paris or Lyons
ere produced here. Indeed, there is nothing the
French can do with the delicate, glossy thread OF the
slkworm which our Paterson weavers and dyers
with their skilful hands and their Jacquard looms,
cannot initiate Nor do they stop at imitation
MANY of the best and most ingenious labOr-savlng
machines used in the trade American Inventions
md many of the most tasteful patterns are OF
American design. The only advantage the french
have is in their cheap labor, and this is offset partly
by our tariff and partly by our improved machinery
The most skilful French wOrkmen are attracted
here by wages almost double what they can earn at
home and they have impaired their dextenty and
knowledge to many native-born operatives.
Instead of keeping up prices the protective duty
on silks has operated of late years TO bring them
down. fhe competition of 50 many rival firms has
resulted in the adoption of improved methods In
manufacturing so that the cost of production has
been steadily diminished Assured of protection
against being undersod by foreign manufacturers,
the Paterson silk firms have enlarged their
works and consequently increased the va
rety of fabrics they make. Beginning with
the simple process of twisting ana
dyeug sewing silk. theinduStry has W wldened until
il now embraces the richest flowerei and damask
dress goods. Some of the heaviest manuiac turers
OF to.dag began with loom or two in their own
houscs Even now when the city is rnged around
with great three and four factories. il is not
impossible for a skilfu, industrious workman TO
commence business with a single loom and In lew
wears become the head of a large concern. Inc
PRODUCTION of some articles which meet with
marked favor in the market viii often bring an
offer of capital sufficient TO start mill
Think of the army of working people this single
Industry the outgrowh OF Republican tariff legs
laton, feeds and clothes and houses Over 12oO0
men, women and children receive wages from the
silk business and its dependencies Probably there
are as many more who live upon their wages or
upon the profits of occupations which supply them
with the necessanes of life. Ii may, therefore. be
said without exaggeraton that fully 81, 900 people
nre supported by the silk trade OF Paterson. No
where can better class Of operatives be found.
The nicely of the wO-a seems TO attract a superior
class of people. They neatly dressed and do not
have the iaded look of cotton factory operatives.
Perhaps this is because the machines do not make
such nerve-irrtating racket as do the cotton
looms The dainty slken fibre requires delicate ad-
justment in the machines which reel and twist and
weave It,
BY DAY the streets of the city almost deserted
save a the hours when the operatives are going to
md IRON the mills but in the evening they are
thronged with promenadeIs and customers for the
brightly lighted little shops. The people look
Yrosp, rous and contented. They are wcll-dressed.
and evidently have enough to eat The silk mills
afford work 10 both sexes and TO young and old.
Thus it Is no misfortune for poor man to have
large family, for the boys and girls earn wages at
an early age. In many cases the joint earnings
amount to $40 or $50 week The operatives are
Of many nationalities. large number are of ma
tive BIRTH but there are many French, Swiss, Eng
lish and Scotch
Ribbons and handkerchiefs are the two most i'm
portant branches of the Paterson silk manufacture.
The ribbons made here have almost driven foreign
ribbons out of our markets. The handkerchief trade
Is immense. Improved machinery has cheapened
The cost of silk handkerchefs and popularized them
to such an extent that the demand has
grown of late TO enormous proportions len
days ago a single New-York jobbng house sold on
account of the Phoenix Mills $4,000 dozen of silk
handk ercheis Several concerns engaged In making
these articles employ each over 900 operatives.
Very naturally large majority of the men en-
gagged III the silk industry are Republicans. The
business is based wholly on the tariff adopted by
the Republican party. II the Solid South gets pos
session of the Government 1t Will be IN a
Their Cincinnati platform have, in effect,
gwen notice that they mean to break
II up "The tariff for revenue only" which they pro-
nose 10 adopt would seek to increase the revenue |
from foreign silks by duties which would stimulate |
fheir importation. American silk-makers would |
have no chance. Under the last Democratic tariff |
that # $40. there was not -k-oom IN operation |
in the United States. If the South is permitted to
arrange a tariff III accordance with its frec-trade |
tbeorics and its supposed interests. there Will not
be one IN motion two years hence: The import |
ance this question is city well understood by the
Eprp
thirty Garfield and Arthur clubs in the city, and |
that at the parade take place IN few days 1000