Daily Republican., 1883-10-24
Ratlroads s,ad Free Trade.

will be the same uotL Anu loT bue FIouuS |
tious Of skilled labor as there has been
when business was most prosperous.
With even moderate tariff on import
ed articles there should be margin
enough left for such demand as would
keep all our manufactures in opera
ton.
If our great natural resources were
anything like developed there would
then be room for dire apprehensions for
the future state of trade, but with
country that is only as it were in the
very commencement of development
business stagnstions cannot last long.
Notwithstanding the rapid march of
improvement in the United States and
territories, the part settled presents but
q meagre population to the sduare mile
when compared with the population OF
England, Germany and other European
powers, and the part that may be called
unsettled, except by a struggling popu.
lation, is larger than the settled parts.
No nation on the face Of the globe is
increasing and strengthening like the
United States. Hundreds of thousands
of immigrants land annually on our
shores and the great mass is absorbed
in the new settlements and some in the
old so quickly that we hardly know
they have come amongst US. As the
country fills up, markets are created
for the consumption of manufactured
articles. Notwithstanding the great
number of miles of railroad that have
been constructed, yet the demand is for
more. Some that have been built are
paying large dividends of profits to the
owners. Others not SO old are under
going the probationary period of rever-
ses, but none are obliterated. A rail-
road when once constructed is there to
stay, and it is only a question of time
when ii will become profitable. When
we look at the vast area of territory in
the United States that is yet compara-
lively witnout railroads. we are forced
to the conclusion that railroad building
is yet but in its infancy. AS the popu-
laton increases and fills up the unset
tied territories, railroads are needed
and in demand. In fact every town is
ambitious to have a railroad. 1t has
been computed that when the whole
country is settled and all the resources
of the nation brought out in full play
parallel railroads running ten miles
apart could be supported.
Some idea may be had Of the great in
crease of prosperity, wealth and trade
that keeps railroads in motion BY TAX
ing glance at our own Philadelphia,
Wilmington AMI Baltimore Railroad.
For many years after its construction il
was a heavy weight upon the hands o.
its owners. Now II is almost imposS
BILE to purchase q share Of stock excep
by paying a heavy bonus. There il
hardly quarter of an hour in the day
or ight when train OF some descrip
ton can not be seen going in one direc
ton or the other over 1t. Few roads
have been more successful, aud yet fo
years after its construction the expense
far overreached the profits. Now wAat
40 We see? A branch road one hun
died miles in length down the peninsu
la forming the main artery from whicI
other railroads extend to all parts o
that section between the twO bays. Blu
This is not all. Winding around tn
bluffs and hills Of the Brandywine
the Wilmington and Northern Railroa
ruunlng nOrthward to the iron mine
ami coal fields Of Pennsylvania.
Even this road, Of comparativel
modern date, has its branche, reachin
out and taking in all the principal maj
ufactories and business places on i
route But this is not all From OF
city across the country to lied Ga
Greek and up that stream extends wh'
was the Delaware Western, but no
known by another name. But this
not ali by any means. The solid III
sonry at he crossings Of the streets
the western and northern part Of o.
city, the high and stately piers at I!
crossing Of the Brandywine and Il
cut az the Scheutzen park are bat pan
Of the construction 0f another gre
trunk line railroad, a rival to the Phil
de phia, Wilmington and BaitimOr
and yet scarcely rival, because the
can be no reasonable doubt that DO
will be supported al least as well as |
first was but a few years ago. We
Ter TO these only TO show the rapid I
ve!oplnent Of railroad building aud t
increased demand for more railroads
the country. This demand for railrOG
establishes the iron manufacturers a
iron markets in the country. But Ii
demand for railroad materials used
the construction and pnitirS Of RAJ rOf
is only beneficial to our home manu-
tories in proportion aS the materia
manufactured at home. If by a
duction of the tariff on materials (
enter into the construction Of railro
or any other great Improvement III
materials are brought into ;he Coun
from Europe, there must neces 'aril )
partial stagna'lOh III business.
IL does nor look reasonable that "
our great iron and coal mines, but
the infancy of development, and
thousands of skilled workmen, nat
should be importing manufactured
,laIcS Of any description from Enl
Chat cin be manufactured in this &C
try
Eut we we told that we mu.t c
lr'' wl i r'I"y' foreign m 'uuiacto
N.N / L--N ! III DrnANnts ont Ni the n