Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-12-13
Entered at the Post Office at Whining.
ton Dell, as second class mail matter.
MONDAY DEC EMBER IS. 1886.
The IRON 3raae and Free rIaae.


Tue Iron Age" in II last issue has
published the results OF Its investigs-
lions In regard to the sale OF domestic
steel rails for the past year. 1t finds
that 1, $50, 600 tons have been seld, and
1t has been enabled to trace the ssles OF
l, 228, 900 tons 30 rs to determine In
what States the rails have been laid.
OF the latter marketed by American
mills 1916 LOG tons went to Northern
and 403, 1855 to Southern States. Bat
the cage" says Of the sales to Northern
States no less than $50. S25 tons went
west Of the Mississippi River, and OF
the sales to Southern States, 286. 4S2
tons went west OF Louisians and the
Mississippi, 80 that ct least 750, 900 tons
were placed In regions whore foreign
rails taken as ballast or ut low freight
rates to New Orleans, Galveston and
San Francisco, can be delivered ut
low price. The New York Tribune"
mmenting upon these figures shows
that large part OF the Northern con-
sumption might also have been supplied
but for the duty either by imports at
Atlantic ports, or by way Of the ST..
Lawrence, and q large part OF the
Southern dem and could also have bten
supplied by imports ct Atlantic or Gulf
ports.
Here Is food for thought for free
traders. Had the duty on iron been
reduced this enormous production OF
steel rails could have rs easily been
supplied by British and European
manufacturers as by American mills.
Who can imagine what the State OF
trade would have been Ia our great iron
manufacturing States II there had been
no chance to sell this important product
of home industry except in level COM
petition with foreign rails which have
bsen offered duty paid at $50 per ton at
American ports. Are there any free
traders who would say that It would
have been good thing for trade and
industry generally, II the $40 900, 900,
more or less which foreign rails would
have cost had been paid to British and
Belgian rail- makers instead OF TO A mer.
lean firms2
Yet this would have been the result
had the free traders In Congress have
lad their way. They would have
stricken off the duty on iron and steel,
and then American railroads would get
their steel rails cheaper without doubt,
but at what price to American indus
tries? American mills might have then
dsmped their fires and shut their doors.
Only In one contingency aud under one
understanding could our home manu-
fact1rers have entered into a competi-
tion for this great trade had the import
duties have been removed, and that the
reduction Of wages paid to labor to q
level with the wages paid In Europe.
II the free traders have any other way
Of getting around this difficulty they
have MT shown Il. But in the face OF
this what do we see at Washington?
TIL free traders and so-called revenue
Ieformers com bininz and solidifying
their forces TO make another attack
upon the protective tariff. IL they sue
coed, British rails must take the place
OF American rails, or else British prices
for labor must take the place Of Ameri-
can prices. 1t Is remarkably strange
that there is not united front Of the
workingmen OF this country against
this insidious attack on the dignity OF
labor.