Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-30
KELLEY ON PROTECTION.

gresham helley SAID:
An article in a recent number of
the st. James Gazette, entitled "The
Progress of Great Britain Under
Queen Victoria, presents some CON-
trasts between her production in
1910 and 1880 which in themselves
are startling, but which when COM
pared with our progress since 1860
seem petty and commonplace. =
It is fact that one State, and
that not one of the original thirteen,
though one of the earliest born
children of the Ohio-pro-
duces more carriages each year than
England and France combined.
Our writer tells us that England's
production of coal in 1910 was 3d.
100000 tons, and that forty years
later it was 147,000,0OO tons. In
1860 we mined 14,O63,99O tons of
anthracite and bituminous coal, and
twenty years later our product was
&c, 375, 526 tons. England increase
from 1910 to 1880, period of forty
years, was bnt 420 per cent, while
IN twenty years, or between 1860 and
1880, our increase was 472 per cent.
In 1S4O the British production of
pig iron was 100000 tons. In 1860
we produced 81, 223 tons, and in
1881 AL ,254 tons. England's in
crease IN fyrty years was 500 per
cent. Our increase in one half the
time was 504 per cent In the mats
ter OF steel, as in that of carriage
building, statistics fol comparison
are wanting. | cannot give the Brit
lsh figures in connection with this
industry, which is Of very recent
origin IN this country. can, how~
ever, show in general way the
march of our steel makers have
stolen upon England. In 1910 we
depended on Britain for our sup>
ply of steel we manufactured
none. In 1860, after many
Intellectual efforts to establish
steel works under revenue tariffs, we
produced II, 355 tons, but it was not
until 1867 that we succeeded in pro,
duclng Bessemer rails as a commer>
clal product. In that year we made
2,276 tons of rails. In 1881 we pro-
duced of crucible and Bessemer steel
LOSS, 314 tons, and made 1,187,77O
tons of Beasemer rails. Our cruci>
BILE steel is equal in quality to the
best British steel, and our product
of Bessemer rails exceeds that of
Great Britain. The growth of rail-
roads III the British Islands and the
United States cOmpels rather a con-
trast than comparison. The whole
length of the British system is less
than $4,000 miles, while we passed
the 100000 mile mark last year, and
are this year builing 10000 miles, or
more than the length OF Britain's en-
tire system. For comparison in
this department we must accept the
world as our competitor, inasmuch
as we have more miles of railroad
than all the nations of the world, and
our carrying trade, which is regard
ed as one of our weak points, exs
ceeds that of Britain, whose CONNER
clal supremacy on the seas
we all admit. Our internal
commerce, as expressed in
our domestic carrying trade, is great
er than England S foreign and do
mestic commerce combined. Gentle
men, you must not think 1 am ap-
peal1ng to imagination for my facts,
or presenting an unduly cheerful
view of the condition OF our coun-
try. The change in the Industrial
and commercial relations of England
and the United States, wrought by
forty years of free trade on her part
and twenty years Of protection on
ours, is everywhere recognized and
admitted by Intelligent Englishmen.
Thus in his celebrated letter on the
needs of protection" addressed to
the Earl of Beaconsfeld, December
l, 1879, Mr.. Alexander McEwen
said The United States have
grown from 100000 of population
in 1916 to 50,O00,O00 at the present
day; their exports from f20,0O0,000
to 9155, 100000 per annum. Their
home trade, carefully protected, es-
tlmated now at more than 81, 000,>
100000, exceeds our home and
foreign trade put together. As far
as their relations to us are cons
cerned, they are sending us this
year over 9100,000,000 of commodi.
ties, and taking from us about 920,-
100000 And while we take
from America mainly food
and cotton, the commodities
she takes from US are such as she can
produce herself or do without in case
of need. In war she would be abso-
lutely independent of us, but in our
requirements we are absolutely de-
pendent upon her" Mr., Chairman,
what has wrought these marvellous
results? You say, "The energy and
genius of the American people" That
is true. But the American people
were not without energy and genius
prior to 1860, when we were without
manufacturing, because the govern
ment gave neither defense, nor
promise of defense, to labor or CAPT.
tai against unfair foreign assaults
The protective tariff of 1861 gave
confidence to American energy and
genius. 1t was the assurance of the
government that industry, while con-
trbuting to the support of the army
and navy for the general defense of
the country, should itself be defend
ed against foreign assault. Upon the
Prosperity of our manufactures de-
pen0s the prosperity, power and
glory OF our country. Let us, there