New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-09
MR.. BLAINE AT PENNINGTON.
WHAT THE DUTY ON STEEL BROUGHT.

PROFITS OF AMERICAN woRKINdMES-MoNEY
SAVED THE coUNrEY-RAnRoAD EXPANSION
rBr TELEGRAPH TO THE rRiBuSE.l
PENNINGTON, Sept. S-Mr. Blaine and Gen.
eral Gibson addressed 900 people here to-day the
campaign issues. Senator Blair. OF NewHampshire,
was on the platform and he spoke In adjoining town
tonight. The audience enthusiastic Mr.. Blaine
made telling representation OF the tariff issue az re-
lates to steet rails as follows;
The palpable Issue is whether shall to sustain
the protective tariff in force or vote TO reduce 1t aud
putt 10 the direction oumste free trade In the country
Teere are few things less interesting than TO through
an entire tariff and discuss item by item Ihsrsfers
there about So 900 miles OF railroad in the United
States Not long before there had tho Intelligence
our people xious to get them paid OF the factory in
ENGLAND a22 gold coin. or $40 per ton When they
this country on sversge cost about $3.50 TO $40 per
ton. This went ON Until 1870; The manufacturers
IF you viii give protective duty make
free trade element Congress imposed duty of s2s per
ton In gold on steel rails had the honor Of sharing In
from that dat. tn. manufacturers Of the United
States had turned out 100000 tons OF sseel rails
fspdy IN. price that in ihi. very last year
steel rail, sod down to within so cents OF the duty alone
s2s so ton vhsr. they had originally cos. sl6o e
$40 SS doing a form "S Of :ss
that was needed, until within the same period
cn. p pr ssos in and other SSS0
By the Official statistics 10 900 900 Of steel rails
and 600 Of and other steel II tue cost
OF that be averaged will be found to he about $50
ton. We started at very high prcs and kept decrease
ing that the about $50 Therefore that
product sold In this country for S5OOOO0OOO. and
the 100000 tons OF inEot and other steel,
at the price, sold for $75O0OOOO0 so
that the steel product from July, 1870 to
to 81, 250, 100000.
What did labor get out Of that They say that these
steel manufacturers made o great No doubt they
did. They went into experiment which took enor-
nous capital. and they had 30 mako great plant Put
II at the very Inside aud they made for themselves
S25O0O0 000 They left therefore 81 900 600 900 TO
be distributed to the strong arms aud tho
brawny hands of the skilled labor which made
have that steel made here and keep that
81. 900 OOO 900 at homef Voices, " Yes, yes. and
applause And the other S250,00O.000 tool We
never would have bought that 25,00O0O0 tons OF
OpOy OF this market as she had when that high duty
put She never would have reduced tue price
II was competition In this country tn 6no o dd
IT. SO that not only was slOO0Oooooo
railroads OF the country got their steel rails vastly
per they could have them II they had
been loft dependent England. II that policy does
vndicste itself then 10 impossible that indus
United - to have larger mileage OF railway today
than all the rest OF the world put together.
1t could not have been done except Tor a protective
tsrn. The ultimate cause lay In that SIS Of duty.
that energy and enterprise OF the inventor,
quickened the OF labor and led TO results that have
been the surprise and admiration OF the world.
lCheers.
Senator Blair expressed himself highly pleased with
the outlook that notwithstanding talk Of
Prohbtonists he satisfied that their vote In the
State would be small.