The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-11-01
Gke Gntelliqenter
q. @. DEWEY. Esq,

|
Formerly superintendent of the River
aide Iron WorLa-His Observations nj
Home aud Abroad ON the subject Of
Tariff.
One Of our reporters had conversation
on Saturday last with Mr.. o. 0. Dewey,
who some years ago was the supenntend'
emit OF the Riverside Iron Works in this
city. Since his retirement from that posi-
ton he has visited different European
countries, and being a man Of large ex'
perience and intelligence in the business,
be was able to form very satisfactory COM
parisons and conclusions as to the opera
tons OF the iron manufacture in all its
departments on the two sides OF the At
lantic. The following conversation there
fore will be found interesting and instruc'
tive:
"Are you engaged in the iron business
at present, Mr.. Dewey"
"No, sir"
"But you have been until within few
years?" ,,
"Yes; commencing in 1860"
"How will the iron manufacturing In
terests OF 1860 compare with those Of to-
dayY -,
I'm 1860 our mill had only FIVE boiling
furnaces, running single turn; to-day The
same mill has nearly forty furnaces, run
ming double turn, and also blast furnace
and nail factory, with the largest ca.
paCity Of any concern in the United
States"
"How do you account for go great an
incr ease In tho manufacturing capactty|
"By the simple law OF supply aud de-
mend In 1860 neither the manufacturer
or workman had much cash capital, but
by their skill, energy, making good nails
and honesty, they had good credit, but q
poor demand for nails. Wages were very
low and not over five out OF every hun
dred manufacturers and wOrkmen owned
the houses they lived in. There was not
free school absolutely free) In the city at
that time. In 1860 our country had pop.
ulation OF over 80, 900, 600, but as England
furnished nine.tenIhs OF all the iron we
needed under tariff ioI revenue olly")
the other tenth left for us to furnish did
not keep our mills running. Therefore
with a poor demand and poor prices Tor
goods, the workmen received poor
wages"
"What caused the demand Tor iron and
nails at that time"
1.-THE Solid South, then as now, demand
ed that the whole control OF the govern.
ment should be placed in their hands,
threatening that II their demands were
not complied with that they would secede.
Then, as now, they relied on New York,
New Jersey and Indiana 10 assist them ia
their schemes. Now, as then, Indiana,
New York and New Jersey will vote
right Then the Republican party, hav.
ilg gained control OF the Government,
gave us tariff mol 'ior revenue only, but
one that 'disCriminates in favor OF the
nottingham The same party gave US
currency and banking system that are
most admirable. They said to the work
ingmen and manufacturers, Hold on to
these notes and we will redeem them In
gold when we are able They fulfill.
ed this promise January LIST,
1870, by the resumption OF
specie payments, and to-day United States
nank notes are OF premium in England,
France, Germany, Russia, China and
japan. lulh lhIlu u UuCe GIubeu tLe
doors against England's cheap iron, and
our workmen had nine times as much TO
supply az ever before. ls 1t any wonder
then that this demand made us double our
five furnaces? The demand increasing,
we soon had twenty-four, and now there
are nearly forty furnaces. To-day, nearly
forty out OF every one hundred workmen
and manufacturers in this city own the
homes they live in, and nearly every good,
honest, energetic and intelligent workman
has an interest in the mill or works in
which he is employed, or Is striving very
hard to possess one. In 1850 not single
workman bad dollar invested in our firm;
to-day about twenty own stock in the
same iron works, in sums from $500 to
Sl5 200, and they owe it all to their own
energy, honesty and manliness and skill
as vol kmen under the protection Of Re.
publican protectire tariff, and not a Demo.
cratic tariff for rerne only"
~ see that you are strongly in favor OF
protective tariff. How long do you think
Yes, am decidedly in favor OF good
healthy tariff, and desire to see it contin-
ned until the day comes when we are able
TO manufacture everything In this country
that our $4,000, 900 OF people demand, and
then perchance we can make go gradual
reduction that no one industry shall be
harmed. We ought never to reduce our
tariff so low that the wages OF our work.
lnen shall be on par with the pauper
labor OF Europe. II a tariff is.a bad thing.
why does France have one that causes
England TO groan so much II o tariff is
so bad thing why has that renowned
man Bismarck given, within the last few
tariff to Germany? lie must
surely have seen some good in 1t.
"Do you think the election oil Hancock
will derange the material interests OF this
city and the country generallyW
II most certainly do. The House o! Rep
resentatives and the Senate are to-day
both under the control OF the Democratic
party, and the election OF General Han
cock giyes them complete control then
over every department OF the government.
They are bound to make some changes in
affairs. II not, they at once
confess that the Republican party has lett
everything perfect, aud there is nothing
for them 10 do. But they will begin 10
tinker the currency. They have pledged
themselves to tariff for rerenue only Ii
they mean anything BY that, they must be.
gin to tinker 1t and where will it end?
Every manufacturer must begin to set his
house in order, and he will begin TO hedge,
by taking the decline, in the tariff of the
wages OF his workmen. He cannot
lessen the price OF the ore aad cosl
in the ground: that is the same the
world over. 1t is only the cost OF
the labor that handles it that differs the
world over. II the English can mine the
ore with labor at IS cents per day, Ameri-
cans cannot continue to pay 81 90 day
for the same work. When 1t comes to the
blast furnaces and England pays 81 90 a
day, Americans cannot continue to pay