National Republican., 1883-01-11

absolute accuracy, but have gone over the sub
icct with some care, ana basing my calculations
upon the impOrtOtiOns OF lSS2, nave reached the
following results:
Cottons ESTIMATED at so per cent) )...... S3GSlO0O
iron ana stcol.,.........,............ 02ONUO
Sllks,... JloLUuO
Wool ana WoOlens. dSlj,UOO
Inland transportation t2l per cent. com
missions and other charges. .""...... 100000
sugar lb50OWlD
MuiasseS.''. '''''''''''.'' DNWWW
Otuor items. O,2obUOO
-
Tolal. 45,Oig,OOO
Reductions on inland rovonue......... 87gO,S2l
Total. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 70,S80,32l
The estimated surplus by tho secretary Of the
Ira reduction Of tho letter postage should be
made TO cents, rs II may be, the loss of revenue
harbor bill has, believe, been estimated for and
yet some appropriation mny be made. An addt-
ton TO the general ap propriations for pensions
has been asked for, and beyond this, If the So
called forty dollar pension bill shall be passed,
how large demand would DO created upon the
treasury, am unable to estimate. A largo in-
crease of domestic sorghum sugar is likely to take
the place of an equal amount of imported sugars.
Again, IL the increase OF Hawaiian free sugar
should be as great next year as for tho past year,
the loss on dutablc sugar will be five millions of
dollars instcGd Of about three millions and q half
But without taking into the account any of these
contingencies Which certainly indicate their COM
ing by tho shadows visible in their front, there will
b. II positive deficit in the estimated amount of
revenue required 10 meet the, expenditures of the
government unless much larger mportations
shall be received, from which the revenue from
customs can be largely increased, II is true also
that the coinage of the silver dollar is likely TO
continue and this will absorb at least twenty four
million dollars, or render that amount practi-
cably unavailable.
tion of so large an amount OF the national rcve-
nues at single blow, rs proposed, is surely us far
ns prudence Will allow us TO go, ana possibly
farther
We must not conceal from ourselves thatso gem
eral n change TO lower duties, carrying n downfall
in values, will seriously affect those with stocks
on hand, and the doors VIC also open TO labor
abroad will TO some extent shut out labor at home
Some industries, 1t is to be feared, cannot be
maintained except by reduction of wages AL
ready some large iron establishments ure shut up,
and in Philadelphia alone l000Oooms are said to be
idle. There has been an over production in other
articles than whisky and nowhere more extrava-
CANT than in the II 600 miles of railways built in
1882 Storm signals of late have been frequently
visible in the financial horizon. Those who be-
lieve that monetary crises arc periodical now fear
the dccenninl return OF that OF 1873. Without
being myself n croaker, yet frankly say that If
there is any proposition in the present bill which
it shall be made to appear will crush any legiti.
mate enterprise or degrade labor, shall feel at
liberty to do what can to correct it,
The existing rates OF duty upon imports are no
doubt beyond the requirements ofthe government
and should be carefully reduced, but think very
exaggerated reports of these rates have sometimes
been made, which should be corrected by SIM
pie statement of fuct. The average rate upon the
imporatious Of dutube merchandise is a small
fraction over ~ per cent. ad valOrem, and upon
both dutiable ana free IL would amount to 80 per
cent and small fraction. This Is much less than
it has been frequently represented.
our foreign export trade in 1882 amounted to
S733 $50 732, less than one-seventh of our trade
in home manufactures alone. Which of these
great branches of national industry most deeply
concerns the welfare of our people? The econo-
mists of the day separate on this line. One part
believes that home trade deserves foremost con-
sideration. Another part Just MS honestly believes
that our export tTndc IS most deserving of atten-
ton. Would 1t be well, however, to increase our
foreign imports Of manulaetuTes by yan equal DIM
mutton of domestic products?
We cannot find Il market abroad for manufac-
lures any more than we can Tor corn and wheat
unless We offer them at n lower price than they
are offered in any other quarter Of the world Our
own markets must be supplied and overstocked
before We can have much to carry abroad. Nor
can we have large export of manufactures until
American wages are reduced TO the level of all
competitors. Tint day may come, but should
regard It as a great misfortune If any act of mine
should ever be construed TO have contributed to
| thut result.
Al the present time almost every article of man
uincturcs, including household goods, tools of
| trade and agricultural implements, are obtaina-
| Bile at an immense reduction from former prices,
| but the wages OF workingmen have been more
than doubled. With this increase of wages the
farmer gets twice as much for his corn and wheat
as they formerly brought, and twice us much for
| The memory of every senator here might fur
| nish examples 10 show how greatly tho cost of
! innumCrabiO articles of manufactures has been
diminished within the limits Of their own expert
| euCc, and American energy, with American ma
| chiuery, and great multitude of labor saving
Inventions has grandly contributed to this result
| The nail machine tho sewing machine the tOrg
| ing machine, reminds us Of some of the miracles
accomplished in the processes of cheapenng pro-
ductions. so much the cotton gin, the reaper, or
| the mower. Eliminate thcShare which belongs 10
! Americans in manufactures since the date of our
| independence, and who would ue ablo TO compute
| the loss to ourselves or to the world? The blanks
would be almost lncalculablc and more gIievous
to be borne than all of the lost arts from the time
| of Homer or the era of the Pharaohs.
The cost ofliving day, for the ordinary neces-
! sares OF life, upon the scale which contented our
fathers forty years ago, would show reduction Of
nearly one-hulE Anything now in excess of that
| would be due to greater Indulgence in comforts
aud conyeniences, or in luSuries ana more OK
! travagant habits. II is n long stop from the log
cabin and pewter plates to the brown stone front
! and china dinner ware but the substantial home
| comforts of all sorts and conditions OF men We're
! never moro abundant than mere now, never
| to be had at so small a cost Of labor or money.
As nation no other Is moro prosperous.
| The great question to be answered rs TO the pro-
! tective tariff policy i'm our country Is, whether
| under 1t we have prospered and made reasonable
| progress or not, If we have 1t Is success, rms
is TO be Judged by the Increase of manufactures in
| quantity and qualify and the reduction OF cost.
/ Let uS remember that rs colonies OF Great Brit
ain We were hardly permitted to manufacture
| anything, not even wool hats nor hob nails.
! Upon our separation from our mother-ln-lHw the
hearts Olall patriots beat loudly IN iaNor OF ch9ng-
ing our industrial condition, and favored absolute
independence Tor all OF the nccessnricS Of life.
| Beyond this our revenue necessities afforded up'
| portumty and justified affirmative discrinnuions
| in favor of American manufactures. south car.
| oluu, rs well rs Virginia and Masaachu otts,
were all soon united in this policy In spite
| of some dark clouds and lnterlutes OF neglect,
manufacturers have had seasons Of refreshing
| sunshine and OF positive favor II, therefore,
| under these circumstances, not always stable,
/ manufactures have yiably prOspered, have grown
i'm quantity aud quality, ana gained IN beauty rs
| we'll as in utiliy-and who denies the iUGs--
then our protective tariff has been q success for
/ which every American hus reason to be proud.
lfany fraction Of our people mt home reject these
conclusions lhCy viii bO effectively answered by
/ our competitors abroad, who depOrc our ndyanc-
ing skill initiate our goods ana persstently seek
| 10 suppluut rs IN ield, under our own vine aud
| liz tree, where they had iondly hoped to gain II
/ perpetual monopoly,
| am unwilling to weary the senate with statls-
tics, abundant ms they are, and which so OitOn cut
the largest figure IN small aryunents but arc we
people with much larger proportion Of their an.
/ uuul consumption Of manufactures, embracing
| the chief nece,sures Of lie than we weIe nble TO
/ do in l6lJ Then our population was -jl9lioib,
and our entire production Of manufactures was
only 10 the amount of 81 OlOlO6,6l6 In 1850, with
! population Of over tuy millions, the whole pro-
/ duCtlOn of manufactures was iiYo times greater,
or Sl,36Jd1D lgl, and Of all this we were able %
l consume over i've thousand millions nv home. In
this respect our rivals, 10 use the phrase Of the
| race course, are nowhere.
| This shows magnificent increase Of manufac
| lures by American artisans, and demonstrates not
only the extent of their industry, but their genius
! and capacity for large ana diversified Industry,
| home manufactures and our ability 10 use Them,
| we import very literally, because we are able tu
pay for them, manufactures OF all sorts from for.
! eigu countries. OF manufactured articles we Inn
| ported very largely In 1873 or 10 the amount Oi
siOI3sLOlJ but did not that contribute to the dis.
! usters Of the year? In 1875 such imports iel TO
| s9iIoll,4lS and that was the year when our pros
! perity again revived regret to- say that our I'M