Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-05-30
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Effects of Tariff Manipulated by Chea
.I0hn Politicians

| Effects OF q Tariff Manipulated by Cheap.
| John Politicians.
The protectionist propagandists are
seeking to WOO the States of the South
into the ranks of the Republican party
by canningly pressing the idea that
protection will make them great and
prosperous manufacturing centers.
The number of manufactures is in
creasing fast in the Southern States,
and evidence is not wanting that some
OF the manufacturers there have been
impressed by the appeals made to
these alleged interests. A more care
iul consideration of the subject will
| convince the Southern manufacturers
that there is nothing to be gained by
| giving their adherence to the short
sighted tariff policy of the Republican
party.
The iron interests of Alabama have
never had any thing to fear from for
eign competition. The problem with
them at the beginning was to be able
to compete with the older establish
ments of Pennsylvania They have
demonstrated their ability to do this,
and demonstrated it so effectually that
the iron operators of Eastern Pennsyl-
vania are threatened with serious dis
aster
Meantime New England has come
to feel the pressure of domestic COM
petition, and the demand there for free
raw material is constantly growing
louder. An iron furnace in Massachu-
sets, denied the privilege Of import
ing coal duty free, which would give
it a chance of life, is making last
struggle for existence by trying the
experiment of using an inferior quail
ity of coal from mine in Rhode Island.
If this do not prove successful the bust
ness will have to be abandoned.
Other branches of industry are ex-
periencing trouble of the same kind.
Here, for example, is Wade's Fiber
and Fabric inquiring for the good
times which were promised as the sure
and necessary result of the election of
Harrison. The tiber and Fabric is
for protection, but it desires a species
of protection which will protect. 1--WE
are a firm believer" it says, ''in pro-
tecting American industries, if it could
be done under the guidance of honest
statesmen, but in the hands of quack
politicians terrible work is made of
protection. A specimen of this species
of work is cited in the continuance of
the tariff on wool, "when any one can
see, if he will, that free wool would
be a great move toward honest pro-
tection.'
BY ''honest protection we are. of
course, to understand such regulations
as best protect the particular individ-
ual who happens to be speaking or
writing. 1t seems difficult for many
protectionists to understand that it is
impossible to frame a system of pro-
lection that will protect every body.
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, long ago
apprehended this point, and answered |
demands for protection to outside in
terests by pointing out that to protect
every body was to protect nobody. To
respond to the demands of wool man.
ufacturers is to leave wool unprotected;
to answer the wishes of iron men in !;
Massachusetts is to take the duty off |
coal, and so in hundreds of other in |
stances.
The iron manufacturers, whose bust
ness. despite the fact that they have
an abundance of protection, is now
greatly depressed, are tearfully noting
the fact that there is a boom" in iron
abroad, particularly in England and
Belgium. In countries where no iron
is produced the demand for iron is
iron, but can not sell it abroad, be-
cause protection has so increased the
cost of making it as to shut us out of
the foreign market.-Louisville Cour-
ier-J Journal.