The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-09-18
Iron Ores.

The present.duty on foreign iron ores is
rs cents per ton. This increase from 50
cents was obtained by the persistent de-
mands of Gen. Malone. His original prop
osition was fora tariff of 50 per ton, but
he had to accept seventy-five cents
as compromise. Recent informa-
ton, obtained from afgentleman engaged
in mining the ores of Cuba, assures us
that a ton of 6Sper cent. iron ore can be
placed on ship at Cuban ports for 60 cents.
One dollar will convey it to the Atlantic
sea coast and place it in New York or
Philadelphia. The cost per ton of 6S per
cent. ore would thus be $2.35. 1t would
take about one and half tons of this ore
to make ton of pig metal, and the cost
of the Cuban ore for a ton of pig metal
would be about 1892.
1t will cost about So or $3.50 to deliver
a ton Of the Virginia ores either at Phila-
delphia or New York. Such Virginia ores
as would bear shipment would yield about
As or AS per cent. of metallic iron, of which
about two and half tons would be neces-
sary for ton of pig metal. or about $3.50
| for the Virginia ores to make ton of pig
metal.
II these figures be nearly correct, and
we have the assurance that they are by a
gentleman who has examined snto the
matter. it will be seen that the Cuban ores
necessary for q ton of iron can be
placed at the sea coast furnaces, ut about
one-half the price that the Virginia ores
could be. Yet with this fact staring the
people of Virginia in the face, they pro-
pose to vote for party whose policy is to
admit raw materials free-including coal
and iron ore.
That was the original draft of the Nor.
rison bill it was the intention of the free
trade element of the Democratic party
which largely controlled in that party in
| the last Congress but in the hope of get.
ting sufficient support to pass the bill, iron
ore was omitted from the schedule of free
articles. The 20 per cent. horizontal
wholesale production provided for in that
| bill would reduce the duty on foreign ores
to GO cents, and to that extent operate
| With the record of the Democratic par.
| ty on the question of the tariff not only
for thirty years of its rule previous to
| 1861, but as given in the election of Mr.
Carlisle speaker of the present House OF
Representatives and the vote taken on the
Morrison tariff bill, as well as in the adop-
ton of the Chicago platform, a vote to
place it in power is substantially vote fol
a policy that looks to free trade, and es-
pecially to free raw material.
1t is boiled down to a simple question.
whether the people of Virginia, and es-
pecially of the 10th Congressional District
are going to vote to sustain their own in.
| terests or to ruin them. Mr. Tucker S
views and votes, too, are well known to
the voters of Augusta, and every other
county in the district. 1t is known
that his views of the constitution, as re-
peatedy expressed the theories he enter
tainS and the record he has made, are al
against the interests and convictions of a
majority of the people he seeks to repre-
sent. Instead of reduction of tariff rates
on foreign ores, we want an increase. In
stead of a policy that tends to eventual
free trade. we want apolicy that eventually
looks to protection. That is Virginia Is
policy. Her future prosperity is intimate
ly connected with it. 1t is Augusta coun-
/ ~, =, r, Sc
the policy of this district, and not to give
emphatic and unmistakeable expression to
it in the election both for President and
Congressman would be the blindest folly
and the most inScrlltable Stllpidity