Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-08-20
''Pr0tee eetiOn Run Mad"

Protection Run Mad.''
SENATOR WILSON'S FORCIBLE SPEECH on
| THE TIN.PLATE INCREASE.
| Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore sun.l
| WASHINGTON Aug. 11.-Senator Wilson,
| of Maryland made an elaborate and forci-
BILE argument in the Senate to-day on the
proposed increase of the duty on tin-plate.
Mr.. Wilson did not enter into the debate
as soon as the paragraph was reached, but
prudently waited until Senator Vest, on
one side, aud Senator Dawes, on the other,
had stirred up interest in the subject. He
then came forward with the benefit of his
research in this connection. Senator Will
son does not often participate IN the gen.
eral discussions in the Senate, but when
ever he rises to address that body his assO-
ciates know that they are going to be
treated to straightforward, comprehensive
argument, couched in chaste language and
foil of interesting and instructive matter
He displayed remarkable knowledge of
the tin-plate industry, and devoted his
entire speech to that subject.
In opening his argument MIR. Wilson
said: 81 think it may be truly said that it
| was uctoI DOlOlO pIOpO5CO III tui5 VI duy
other country to impose virtually pro-
hibitory duty upon any article of commerce
toward which the entire body of the people
bore such relation as that sustained by
American citizens toward tin-plate de-
sire not to utter single word in the course
of this debate that may seem unnecessarily
harsh, but must be permitted to say that
nothing in my view could more fully il
| lustrate what has been pithily termed
| Protection run mad
sA simple and fair statement of the facts
of the situation, it seems to me, will prove
the strongest argument against the imp0-
sition of this more than doubled duty, to
become new and heavy burden upon the
whole mass of the people already crushed
to the earth by needless and therefore un-
Just tariff taxation.
SIN the first place, we start out with the
notorious concession, made by the advO-
Gates of this heavy increase of duties upon
tin plate, that not single pound of this
article of commerce is now manufactured in
this country, and that it cannot be made
here with secure profit to those who en-
bark in the business till the already high
duty of S4* per cent. ad valorem is in
creased to rate of seventy.six per cent.
ad valorem; whereby, it is virtually con-
ceded, that the first effect will be to make
every consumer of tinware in this country
pay freight, insurance and commissions in
cluded, not far from so per cent more than
the article would cost in Europeg'
Referring to the reason given for the pro-
posed increase, that it would build up
great industry, the manufacture of tin
plate in this country, Mr.. Wilson argued
at length to show that the number of men
who would obtain employment by the
creation of a tin-plate manufacturing in
dustry would be much smaller than had
been claimed, probably not more than 49,
900, and that of this number by far the
greater portion actually engaged in the
manufacture of tin-plate would be skilled
operatives from Wales, as there are proba-
bly, not 100 men in this country capable of
making tin-plate. The argument, there
fore, that the increase is in favor of Ameri-
can labor is absurd. On the contrary the
result would be the illegal importation of
foreign labor to compete with our own
workipgmen, and a greatly increased tax
on the canning industry, which now sup
ports nearly if not quite a million of men,
women and children, aud upon the entire
population of the country, the consumers
Of articles of tin-plate.
On the latter point Mr.. Wilson said
"You see no hovel SO poor as not to have
articles of this ware in daily Or hourly use.
You see no mansion SO lordly that its COM
fort and convenience are not promoted by
impress:ng them into its service. To every
farmer, particularly those engaged 10 dairy
ing, and to every miner aud lumberman it
furnishes necessary implements of their
trade. If it could be left to the votes of
the people of this country to decide, as an
isolated proposition, whether they should
have free tin, or whether they should be
annually taxed to the tune of $16, 1877, 100, |
not for the needs and purposes Of their |
government, but as tribu te to au omnibus |
load of men who infest the purlieus of the |
Capitol in seemingly Incompatible charac-
ters of beggars and masters, they would |
doubtless make shoIt work with those who |
are thus trifling with their rights and |
interests"
Concerning the canning industries of
Maryland Mr. Wilson said:
"The canning industries of my own |
State Nr. President, have reached very
large proportions, and have from their be.
ginning, now some twenty years ago, been
stimulated to increased development by |
the policy of our government, persistently
and undeviatingly followed, Of providing
them with cheap tin-plate. The business
is spreading Throughout the State. There
are many large packing houses in Balti- |
more, as well for fruits and vegetables as |
for oysters. The business is so important |
in my State that We have in Baltimore a |
Canned Goods Exchange There are can
neries also to be found ip almost every
county, and in some the business has as
sumed very large proportions. But few,
il any, more striking examples can be found |
in our whole country of the potent infuen-
ces Of this industry over agricultural de-
velopment in the Eastern States, where it
seems to be the one thing needful to re- |
deem the farmers from bankruptcy, than
that of Hartford county, Maryland. Some |
in that county. After the lapse of about |
ten years, when the statistics of this trade |
were taken by its farmers aud Gamers,
there were in that county 300 factories, |
and they had reached pack of 3S, 400, 900 |
cans OF vegetables and fruits, 1000, 600 |
being of tomatoes and 100000 of sugar |
corn. The raw materials for these SO ,000.- |
900 cans of tomatoes and corn, leaving out |
fruits and other vegetables, required the |
yield of 10, 600 acres Of tomatoes and 5 600 |
acres of corn, involving an outlay of $780, |
900 for agricultural labor alone, of 1885,. |
900 for labor in can-makipg, and of $780, |
600 for the labor of preparing the vege- |
tables, filing the cans, processing, label
ling, boxing and shipping.
&c Such said the farmers and Gamers of |
Hartford county, Nd, in 1882. SIS state
ment of the canning industry of little |
corner of our State which does not touch |
upon that industry in other parts of the
State. Yet from these figures an idea may
be formed of the importance of this great
and fourishing industry not only in Mary.
land, but throughout the whole country, |
the very existence of which depends abso.
lutely upon the cheapness of tin plate
"Mr. President, l am informed aud be.
lieve that the State Of Maryland, in pro-
portion to her population, is the largest
producer Of canned goods in the world
You may we'll judge, then, that her people
have profound interest in this issue. Fer
output of canned fruits, vegetables ard
oysters amounted in 1883 to SO 600 600
cans, 5e.OOO.0 600 being of fruits and vege.
tables and "a 600 000 of Ovsters tho lattar