The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-09-30
The Tariff on Steel.

The Tariff on Steel.
The following extract from the speech
by Hon. James G. Blaine, at
Pennington, Maine, on Sept. Sth., pre-
sents the advantages of the protective
policy and the competition it creates
among manufacturers in strong light.
Indeed, the facts stated and the results |
effected are the same. in substance,
throughout the whole range of protected
Protection stimulates pro-
duction and production brings about com
petition, assuring to the consumer the
lowest possible price tor the article man
ufactured We ask the careful reading of
the statements below by all who are de-
slrous of getting at the truth and forming
their opinion intelligently. No one who
wishes to see American labor employed and
American manufactures encouraged, and
the Industrial independence of the country
attained, can fail to recognize the force OF
what Mr.. Blaine says, and cast his ballot
for the candidate who will support the
policy involved
of railroad in the whole of the United States.
Not long before that time there had come across
the waters the intelligence that England was
very much more durableIsand better in every
way than iron rails. Some of our people, anx-
on t get pao a. per
they added the duties and translated 1t into
greenbacks. The first steel rails were laid in
this country at an average cost of about $3.50 to
$40 per ton. This went on until 1870. The
manufacturers of the country controlling the
interests-said If you will give us protec-
tive duty, can make steel rails in this coun-
try Against the united protest OF the free
timidity of many of the protective element of
the country, Congress imposed duty of SIS In
gold per ton on steel rails.
.sThe free-traders complained bitterly that
this would make the price so enormous that
steel rail- could not be used in this country.
Nevertheless we imposed the duty. had the
honor of sharing In the legislation. Up to that
70 M tons Of steel rails in this country. There
never had been made of ingot or other forms OF
steel over 10000 tons. For the Bessemer steel
we depended entirely upon Europe. That was
only 1870 What was the results? In fifteen
years from that date the manufacturers OF the
mad me Of
That 80 rapidly reduced The price that in this
very last year steel rails sold down to within
fifty cents of the duty alone of 1870 SO that rails
they had Originally cost O $50 to SIC ton and
steel product of other kinds-every form Of
steel that was needed-until within the same
period we produced in this country 100000
tons of ingot and other steel, as shown by the
official statistics. Ten million tons OF steel
rails, 100000 tons of ingot and other steel
II the cost of that ever be averaged, 1t will be
found to be about $50 ton. We started at
very high price and kept decreasing, SO that
duct sold in this country for $685. 10000 and
the 100000 tons of ingot and other steel at the
product from July, 1870, to July, 1880. amounted
at the sellers price in this country 81 25O 000
II want to say word to the laboring men a, as
hands to It, it was nothing except iron ore in
The mine. Labor met it there. where 1t was
worth just 10 cents ton royalty. With the
exception OF that 10 cents ton every dollar of
that Sl,250, 100000 was the product of labor.
What did labor get out of that? They ray
these steel manufacturers made great sum |;
no doubt they did. They went into an expert
ment which took enormous capital, and they
outside and they made for themselves $3.50.
100000. Putting 1t at its extreme. don't think
amoun nes But Tor sake. It is admit
ted. They left, therefore. 81, O0O,00O.OO0 to be
distributed to the strong arms and the braWny
steel. Tremendous applause.l Was it not
better to have that steel made here and keep
and applause.l And the other s250,OoO. 900 too :?
We never would have wrought that 25.0O0,00O
the monopoly Of this market, as she had when
that high duty was put on. SO not only was
900 paid out to the labor OF the eoun-
steels vastly cheaper than they ever could
have got them if they had been left dependent
itself then 1t is impossible that any industrial
policy can vindicate itself, Not only would we
have failed to get that steel at that price, but !
can say with absolute confidence. as every
business man will join in saying, except Tor
the protective policy which kept that s., $780,
100000 at home we should not have had the vast
extent OF railroad"
sit was not within the financial ability OF
this country to stand the drafts which the war
made on us, outgo to foreign lands Of 81 $780,
100000 in coin. 1t woold have stood in the way
of the development of the country. Now, that
is the worst case they bring against u.s. Laugh.
ter and appiausel 1t has enabled the United
States to have a larger mileage of railway to-
day than all the rest of the world put together
1t has bound the extreme northeast to the ex-
treme southwest, SO that you can take a. car
here from under the shadow OF Mount Blue
and go to the utmost bounds of the republic
II could not have been done except for pro-
tectiye tariff The ultimate cause lay in that
S2S of duty. That brought the money from the
pockets of capitalists; that started the energy
and enterprise of the inventor quickened the
arm of labor, and led to results that have
been the surprise and admiration of the world.
[Cheers.