The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-24
FROM PROJECTIONS SIDE.
Hon Stephen 3. Elkins Makes a
Strong Speech at Wheeling.

WHEELING. w. VA, Oct. 23.-Thc
Wheeling Opera House was packed last
night from nit TO dome with one of the
most enthusiastic audiences that over
gathered in the city, to hear Hon. S. b.
Elkins speak for the Republican cause.
Mr.. ElkinS' speech was :: plain bust
ness talk, and IL discussion OF the tariff
question from business mans stand
point. He spoke two hours, and nearly
every sentence was loudly applaudcd.
largo part of hisaaspecch was devoted
to the tariff bill, which he handled in a
manner that showed that he was fami-
liar with the subject. On the subject of
tin plate he Said
AT this session of Congress the Re-
publicans put tin on the free list and
advanced the duty on the plate. so that
this industry may be established and
built up in the United States. What
VIC call tin plate is made largely of iron
No wcllfoundcd argument can be made
against the encouragement of this in
duStry. We produce everything 10 make
tin plate that England does, except the
tin III quantities: then why should we
not admit tin free and manufact urc the
tin plate for our own people?
THE United States now paws SD. 600
COO year for tin plate. If we could
manufacture 250, 600 tons of tin plate. it
is estimated we could consume in doing
so about $4,000 tons of iron ore, 800. 600
tons Of limestone. 100000 tons of coal
and coke, 100000 tons of pig iron. ;. 00O.-
600 pounds of lead, %, 900, 600 pounds of
sulphuric acid, IL 900, 900 feet OF lumber.
and 25.000,000 pounds of tin. Every ar
ticle named, except tin and lead. can be
produced in West Virginia. The num-
Der of people necessarily employed in
all the operations of tin-plate making.
and those dependent upon them, would
amount to 100000. These 100000 pco-
pie, allowing they consume only % cents
day (Which is too low an estimator.
would make their consumption for food,
clothing, and shelter amount to SIS, OOO,-
600 per year.
cat tho last session of Congress the
Republican party brought two bills to
encourage shipping. 1t is admitted on
all sides that this interest needed en-
enlargement. Before the war tho
United States had about 20 per cent of
international trade, which was carried
in American ships; now they have only
IA per cont Our people have been
frightened by the word subsidy while
England has gone on substituting. 1t is
largely through her encouragement to
shipping that England is able to control
the commerce of Asia, the East Indies,
and South and Central America. which
we are now trying to win from her.
Our exports and imports for the yoar
1889 amounted to nearly 20, 0oO, 900 tons,
on which we paid freight to the amount
of about 100000, 900, of which the peo-
pie Of tho Uuited States received about
II per cent. and foreign ship-owners the
rest, or about Sl69, 900, 900. We have in
our trade about fifty steamers. repre-
senting capital of S15, ZOO, 900, while
England has merchant marine amount
ing to about 5000 vessels, ninety-siX of
which are steam. in all representing IA
capital of 81. 100, 900. 900.
The United States pays about $780,
600 a year for carrying foreign mails,
while England gives in tho way of
postal subsidies and bountics nearly
81 200, 900 Il year. The United States
pays vast sums to the railroads for car
rying the mails, but nothing compare
lively to ocean steamers. Five million
! dollars are paid annually to the stages
for carrying mails in this country; a
stage coach receives 6 cents per mile.
while an ocean steamer receives cents.
a steamer on Chesapeake Bay receives
$50, 600 for carrying tho mails, which is
moro than all tho Central and South
American lines receive.
There was paid last year more than
$4,000 to carry the mails on the rivers
of Florida, which was $50, 600 moro than
was paid for the entire service to Cen
trail America. One of the fastest and
surest ways in which to secure tho trade
of South America. and to dispute with
England for commercial supremacy in
India and the East, is to encourage the
establishment of lines of ocean steamers
70 A
world. The amount paid for carrying
the mails to Spanish America was. in
1850, $5l4,O0O: in 1860, S7O7 PA; in 1870,
500, 3SS; in 1850, S3S,77 in 1888, T4s, 066
''ln 1855 the total cost of our mail
service was $50, 795, 900. of which we
| paid Sis, 066 for carrying mails to Span
] ish America.
In 1855 the United States paid the
steamships for carrying mails SiSl 900,
of which ISL, 200 was paid to our own
vessels sailing under the American
F! flag and 100000 went to English and
other ships. Tho United States, with
it's trade and commerce, and it's enor-
nous coast, washed by two oceans,
ought to be the leading maritime power
of tho world and do most of the ship
ping and carry most of the commerce of
the world.
IL eiic OiliS tIiaI have pdSScu tllc ceH-
ate become laws. they would save to the
people of tho of the United States $780,
600, 900 annually paid to other countries
for carrying freight. Shipyards would
spring up on the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts which would employ from $4,000
to 100000 men, and furnish market for
steel, iron, wood, coal, coke, and other
products. England employs 100000
men in building ships, and $4,000 in
sailing them. Whenever the United
States shall spend from her Treasury