National Republican., 1883-01-11

in order to command success or TO maintain their
existence.
Foty years ago English manufacturers had a
good deal of character lor their solldity ana dg-
liability, and, It should be added tOrthcir ciumsi-
ness and lack Of artistic iuish. IhGir broad
cloths and carpets were stout ana the co.oIs
were generally fast, but they were Interior III
style aud finish to the goods nom truce belElumi
or even from Germany, ana thelr pougi! @ @Wnu
hardware appeared to be made for markets sup
Piled with nothing else, and too ugly ever 10 DC
copied.
Since their adoptionof the theory Of free trade
many of their productions have changed s0ne-
what in character, but apparently not NlWuyS
for the better, except where pushed by shatp COM
petition. English ambition mas bGen luIgeI!
satisfied with aiming 0tabuuunnce nnuCheaphess
and shows little improvement in positive mSrls
or in the style md good Ns'o OF prouuSuoli'
Their Conservation cings TO big wigs and well
lington boots, after the world has ceased 10 saTo
at them.
In the United states, on the contrary, where
protection now prevails, the effort has been to aa-
vance rs much In the beauty OF our munuiaclhnes
as IN their abundance as mueh IN utillS uS,nnii u.s.
cheapugSs, and each has Kept almost an cqnai
pace. We have had to mako, in all respects, more
attractive goods IN order to- supplant oreigi COM
petition and to satisfy home consumers. ihclc ls
always some prejudice In favor of articles brought
irom Giur, and, therefore, American manuactuIe3
had to be cheaper, rs wei hs more usulul m m Inv T,"
found no sales. In quality ana beauty ol work.
mGnship We may mOiCsly claim lhoJ IN many
branches of hardware, glassware, ANerWnre'
furniture, locomotives and I'm clocks, watches,
jcwelry and many other articles We hoiu II
creditUblc rank with any Of the workshops OF tne
world. OF some Of these articles tlc proauctun
begins to exceed the home demand, aud for my
excess market has to be found abroad. INC
work turned out from original American designs
Is slowly winning its way to favor.
When MIR. Gladstone recently wanted 10 make
present TO forester Of an axe he did not seek Tor
one OF English make but found ana presfnte,u IN
American axe. This is not solitary instance
where American Workmanship is marching 10 tho
front. Who wears here anything better lhun az
American watch? Where is the railway whlcn
prefers any other than an American ocomotivoY
or course, rs u new world, we a'c Dare oi INC
great examples in the fine arts which nave ,, oeeh
handed down through all past ages. one mum
dred years ago the American continent was repre-
sentcd by very lew people, ana by very htIlG
wealth. our ancestors onlno net3 10 ihGGw iGwr,s Out
with their own hands homes in the Wllueihess.
IL would hardly be expected th9l we toulu now
present examples iu poetry, music, slatuary, ana
painting, or even IN the mechNnle ar's, ,Ii q.
those of nations whose culture reaches pack
TO the age of the Cpsurs. The advantage
hundred years must be conceded. AS MI Burke
said, we were "iu the gristle' while they were
hardened In the bone OF manhood, we were aSs-
titute Of capital, while they had hereditary
wealth, and with II had many of the best exam
pies of the masterpieces in all the aris ol an
tiauty and yet were their achievements to be
limited to productions within the period of our
growth the differences would mnrvelously cur
tailed. When we call for great names IN any ul-
recton of the fine arts, instantly the great masters
of the past rise up and rush to the front-lcHping
over all modern heads in Europe as wen as III
America-and we see that later times are Iut spur
ingly decorated by the few to whom public opin-
ion awards the rank of undi,puted eminence.
Among these we may claim some snare oI repre-.
sontativcs Until recently We cannotbe snid to nave
had nny surplus with which 10 support or patron
iZe fine arts, for the reason that II mas al been
wanted for human natures dairy use, ior WotEs
of immediate and practical utility. Ana yet
Americans will be found to have m0dO respGca.
bic contributions to the list of modern names not
born to die. But in the great field OF usGiul arts,
OF human labor.saving inventions, which tender
"thc greatest happiness to tho greatest NUMBER,
We have shown n lack Of genius That should Keep
us dependent upon i9rGign sEl ior an tnat Is eN
Recently IL has been found necessary to establish
schools of technology and OF ntt IN Great
to equip Industrial establishments with an indc-
pendent staff competent to furnish designs ana
drawings for various manufactures, WIN az tho
attractive conditions of fresh and artistic patterns
which annual changes of trade and fashions de-
mand. In this race England Is now making
heroic struggle-such as no other phase OF educA,
ton has prompted-but we have tho advantage OF
IL brCH or system of common schools, nom WHlCh
recruits to these training schools more naturally
ascend. 1t Is vastly important thut we should
take care not 10 be distanccd by inatleniion to
these special fields ofinStruction
l have made these observations becauScLpS IL
appears TO me, we are now aL That stnge OF PRO.
gtess where we must reach up for the highest aud
most diilcult tasks. Articles OF ordinary work
manship are abundant everywhere, ana IheleEn
demand for something better, something Of rare
merit, for which better prices are always offered.
Our own home competition Is becoming so great
factures that some parties must give way or thGy
must advance to finer and higher classes OF goods.
To find ready market the best products possible
must invariably be brought forth. Success Is now
mainly to be achieved in any branch OF manu-
facturcs by superior technical skill and by cstb-
fishing name that Will carry with IL guaranty
of unsurpassed excellence.
do not wish TO set the example of making n
long speech, Notwithstanding the remarEnhlo VA
tcnce with which all senators daily feel bound 10
listen, and will conclude by saying that II Sem
ators are in earnest about havlugany reduction of
taxes and of the tGriil, their hearty cooperation
rs absolutely necessary 10 bring about that result
If the work Is done NJ this session of congress IL
must be done promptly. As we proceed WIN the
bill, If easy questions are asked IN cNplanutiou,
sha,l answer with great pleasure; II harder ques-
uons IRE asked shall other step aside for my col
lCpEues on the committee TO come TO the front, or
shall retreat behind me words Of old sam. John-
son. When asked bya lazy now ne came to make
the blunder in his dictionary as 70 The description
of the pastCrn joint Of the horse, ne responded,
"Sheer Ignorance, madam" Laughter.
Mr. Beck attacked the report of the tariff
commission, saying that while plausibly pro-
Tossing to reduce duties, II really increased
them upon many important articles
The commission had simply let tho men
who were to make money out Of the business
fix up the schedule for themselves, aud had
handed that in rs their own work whom in
fact, in his Judgment, they had dono no in
tclligent work at all. 1t would therefore he
the duty of senators who really desired q re-
duction of existing dudes to examine this
bill very carefully to sec that IL did not really
increase them by means of cunning changes
of schedule transpOsituns and provisions,
devised by men who would profit by the in
crease, and who, perhaps, in many instances,
deceive even the members of the commits
sion themselves. Mr. Beck illustrated
this Wow by reading the provisions in rela-
tiOn TO BCsscmcr steel, steel ingOts, blooms,
Sc. Articles of this kind weighing over 800
pounds, are to come in ON payment OF IA duty
of siX-tenths of l per cent, whilo by certain
other provisions taken together tile same ar
ticlcs, when they weigh over 800 pounds, arc
required TO pay two cents pouud-@jG n ton.
The senator from Vermont lAlU NOrrill) had
congratulated the country upon the fact that
the average duty upon dutiaDlc imported ar
tiClcs was only about ~ per cent" aud Jhi5 was
claimed TO be barelyan adequate protection for
American labor, but figures furnished by tho
tariff commissioners themselves showed
that in n largo number of American indus
tries the wages paid amounted TO only IL G-iO
per cent of the value Of the goods produced,
and that the profit Of manufacturers upon The
capital invested, Ol,Cl paying the cost of ma
tCrial and wages was 3sl per cent. IL would
therefore seem that il these gentlemen wore
given an average protection Of II 6-lO per
cent, instead OF ~. they would get back in
that way all tho wsgcs they pay, and 80 fur
rs the cost Of labor was concerned, would be
yalccd on as good footing as the European
manufacturer, even IL the "pauper labor of
Europen worked for nothing and iuund" "
itself. But now, even according to the scna-
tor from Vermont, thcy wcro receiving an
average protection of over ~ per cent, and,
on some staple articles, much larger rate
on wool 90, and ON iron more than 100 pcr