The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-07-19

The figures given in the above extract
represent the loss to the two Virginias
which the inadequate tariff on iron has oc-
casioned. There is not pound of Medit-
terranean ore that cannot be duplicated in
Virginia. The cost of mining would be
but little more here, were it not for the
difference i'll the price of labor. Had Ma
homes proposition for a duty of 50 per ton
on foreign ore been enacted into law this
wholesale importation would have ceased,
and Virginia been the field from which
the Pennsylvania furnaces would have
drawn their supplies. Had Virginia s
representatives in Congress since the war,
paid attention to the wants and interests
of the State, millions of dollars would
have been circulated among our people,
which, as it is, have gone to enrich foreign
corporations and communities. Our dele
CATION in the House of Representatives
and Senate. SO far as material ben
eft to the State is concerned. might as
well have remained at home. They have
employed their time in wild political rant
ing, OF the furtherance of miserable little
petty schemes, whilst the interests they
were sent to promote have received no at
tention whatever. They were either inca
pahle of comprehending the needs of IT,
ginia, and suggesting tire means to meet
them, or else so occupied with personal
matters and the laying of plans to secure
their reelection, that they had no time to
bestow upon concerns of great public i'm
portance.
Whilst the sharp, shrewd representatives
of the North and East were moulding leg
islation to the advantage of their sections,
MI. Tucker, and like representatives from
Virginia, were discussing States Rights
and other impractical questions that would
not amount to a row of pins either one
way Oh the other, except to furnish oppor
tunity for the enemies of the South to
point to their declarations as evidence that
the principles settled by the war were only
in temporary retirement. We sent alb
stract theorists to represent us, who would
wrangle during whole session over the
dOtting Of an ''in OF crossing of q 1T, y and
while they were torturing the Constitu-
ton, the sharp business men of the North
and East were securing measures, the re-
suit of. which would put money intoJ the
pockets of their constituents, and develop
to the fullest extent the resources of their
States. The fact that vast mineral deposs
its exist i'll Virginia has been known for
years, and yet no steps were taken by our
members Of Congress to so shape legisla-
ton as to render this dormant wealth
available, until Malone took the initiative
by seeking to have the duty on foreign ore
increased. Even then it would not have
been too late, if the Virginia delegation
had marched up with solid front and de-
manded that the tariff be so adjusted as to
prevent the importation of the foreign AZ
ticle so that the money which is now seek
ing it's market in Africa and Spain would
have been poured into the lap Of Virginia
to give new life to all of her industries,
and new hope to her people. This they
did not do, and the result has been that
even with the increase of duty which
Gen. Malone was enabled to obtain the
foreign ores are coming in by the thousand
tons, whilst Virginia's mountains of iron
remain undeveloped, and all because the
labor here costs from 81 to $3.50 per ton
to mine, whilst the Africa ore, under the
convict system. can be gotten out at from
10 to Is cents per ton, land ships are willing
to transport it for ballast. If theduty were
placed at 50, the valu e of mineral lands in
Virginia would be quadrupled.