Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-12-26

inP iu sightto speculate on. Everything
indicates TO nv mind that the present
s.if prioss abroad will continue to give
American manut scturers their present
advantages, and in that way they might
now be in position to compete for the
markets of tine world il they were freed
from the disadvantages laid upon them
by the tar q On raw materialB.n
why do you think the present high
prices are likely to continuefp
III you ask a manufacturer for his
product for future delivery, while he will
mime price quite within the limit, he
will likely add that he has none to sell.
The person who ia now in most demand
Is the one who has something to sell, and
this is at the very beginning of the up
wsrd movement. The surplus resources
which were hanging heavily on our hands
three months ago ara already nearly cGn-
sumed. The unlimited supply OF raw
materials, of which we never tire boast
ing, is in the hills and mountains. Tho
furnaces that are to put it into merchsnt-
abs shape are unbuilt. The transporta.
tion lines of the country are completely
overwhelmed with business. There il
scarcely sufficient motive power and
transportation facilities to take care of
the present business. Ihere are thou.
sands of tons Of fuel for manufacturers
lying at the mines and ovens for the want
of CARS TO take them to idle fur
naoes. True it is that some small
and badly located establishments
have gone out but they have
gone out forever because Of changed con-
uitions and because of the reversible
tendency toward the consolidation OF
manufacturing industries in large es.ah.
lishments. The advance CT today has
not been so marked or rapid and ths
prices have NOT gone SO high as in 1879;
but in that year the rise of prices began
in the United States and was followed
somewhat lEter By M advance abroad,
based entirely on tie American markets.
Our market held prices up, and when il
broke the whole came down with o crash;
but now che conditions are reversed. This
country canno. be flooded with foreign
manufactures. ImportatiopB have been
growing rapidly less; Europe has deserted
the markets of South America and the
tropics, as we'll 81 the provinces, so that
not only are we freed from the rivalry of
importations, but new markets have been
opened which ara looking, and will con-
supplies. With this prospect for large
business opening to our furnaces and
mines, with advancing pricss reaching
far into the future, it is the manifest
duty OF Congress to really protect
American industries by relieving its raw
material Of the burdens now laid upon it,"
IT IS CONDITION, NOT THEORY.
How would yoa apply this to yous
own businOns n
II do not want to be understood as
| speaking from purely selfish stand
| point. Whether or not a protective
tariff has built up such industries as ours
is NOS so muoh of practical question as
| what is the proper policy to be pursued
1 in the present and FOR the future. 1t Is
| literally "a condition, not theory, that
conftonts u.s. Whsn the great words q.
Sparrow Point shall be in full operation
tie Pennsylvania Steel Company must
import 1000, 900 tons OF Bessemer ore pei
annum. To restrict us to the home sup.
| ply is utterly imprscticabie; there are nc
ores 10 be had at home such as are needed
| for our purposes. We would have to "a
thousands Of miles into the interior fol
them. To raise the duties on this ore tt
such point as to protect the American
mines and mixers from Cuba and Medi
terFaneap BeSsdmer ores would simply b,
to close all our works, pat out our 1ur
naceB, throw tens Of thousands OF work
ingmen out o. employment and rende
upproductive tens OF millions of capital
Ever AZ he present rate Of duty ne nav
to pay Sff1,UdO per year tar.d tax Thi
must either coma of tAe w.gss OF Amer
lean w0rkinEmen or on tag profits O
American m 4nufaosurers. This mean
81 0U inPo5t on every ton OK our prod
uct and o handicap OF that amount upol
us IL orr composition with foreign manu-
iacturers for whatever Distance that dol
lar an5 haif would carry cur product
into tie worlds markets further tina
they nov 60 Two thiris of our produc
is shlIped 20 seshoard points 20 be dill
tributed rlther to foreign Countries q
along the coaBt from Boston to Ne
, Orleans. Al the lea ling railroads hag
seahoard terminals. With view to Tin
consideration va planted our neW work
} on the water. and We believe the best WI
to restore American commerce is
] build up sucA establishments by the SUI
/ board, Tie whViA tendency III tae pa
i is to drive the Su7ilsss 81 iron and stei
manufacture tfoM tue EslbGard towgr
E tbs west making the ckarges of tran
!. pDrtation, even Waan tEgUFtation b,
/. comes practicable, 80 heavy as 10 81
d the American manufacturer at a Ess,
e disadvantage. Evau Iho ships tbag u
I but.a have to be b-o1Sa. te thU E1aDoar
o that is, the materials for them : sr0
! far inland. MY theory IS tnzt il il
I government ahouii remove the presat
0 duty on ere it would 90 vastly oUaducil
Q to the building up CT Industrial estai
5 lishments on the teaboata. The iri
d manufacturers OF the west can tiud The
/ market ia the we7t. iaey wit have,
a they ought 10 nave, tue advantage
]! home oras ct their own door; and the
It Will always have the advantage OF raj
y road transportation over foreign on
9 admitted free Of duty
= ooRa8H E4TIyE orINIoN.
! In striking confirmation Of the views {
pressed by Major Bent d tins language
a circular ietter-saEt ont sincs the ebe
: interview was had--trpm the Americ
I, representatives OF an English iron o.
Z cesn, in which they aaJ;
There IS, however, another feRture
! tie oase, interesting at least, and viii
possibly nay SOON beooma inpotta,
!, The present Pa'ns OF MiGdlssboro p
Z iron ls about VIE psr ton there 3ir
4 thea &l7 p whereas very much pat
iron--battes fGr most any pErpose--c
: be had FOR BIB ia Caettat aoga Or S15
asebosyd. tf these relative yainea arc
discontinued large msrx5t in the Arg,
!. tire Republic, nov the ogntsa OF p
aomen4i commercial aotiTity, AID OF
South American markets, is CERTAIN, O
shipments 30 italy st5 by no mans /
i pas3tGls. Ias eli SGT OF Eueh q trade -,
y. luton on lion aud its sI'isd interests