The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-10-24


that the bill can he profitable at
tackled only as to this final class of
higher tariffs, and as to that class
only, by representing that the peo-
pie will have to pay higher prices for
their supplies now than formerly.
: Here, then, is where the attack is
being made, and it has taken the ma.
ture of an urtful miXing-up of the
varieties of goods sold in our market,
making the higher tariffs apply to
them all Unfortunately, whereas
they only apply to those of which
the manufacture FOR our market has
hitherto been conceded to foreigners.
As to these, two things are to be
said: First, that in majority of
cases the foreigners are now charging
US .ex0rbitant prices; and the new
tariff will operate only to maintain
those prices until our own people can
get TO work manufacturing and Sec
Ond, That all other cases relate to
luxuries. to parlOr ornaments, the
highest classes of dress goods, ETC..
upon which wealthy people Can af-
ford to pay higher rates until domes.
tic competition has had its inevitable
result.
The tin schedules will illustrate
these points. We are now buying
all our tin.plate from England.
Last year she sold US 742 1865
pounds of tin. plate, and it costs us
S2l. 726.707. In the last twenty-five
years we have sent over to England
the tremendous sum of $500, 037 1862
for tin-plate, every penny of which
might, as well as not. have been
kept here in the employment of our
own people.
We can MAKE our own tin-plate
just as well as England, if this price
can he kept where it is to-day. The
English plate is made in Wales,
where cheap female labor, costing
from thirty to siXty-tive cents day F.,
is employed. On the basis of their
net cost, the English are charging US
800 per cent. profit on this plate. A
common tin cup, for instance, that
retails all over The United States for
FIVE cents, costs the Welsh manufac.
turer only about one and One-third
cents, The dinner-pail in which the
American laborer carries his roll and
his coffee, and for which he pays
twenty five sents, costs the greedy
Briton less than twelve.
Now then-despite the disparity
between the thirty-cent female labor
of Wales and the expensive labor OF
this cOuntry-our people can easily
make those same articles and sell
them at those prices, and earn good
living but the mischief of it is, that
every time they try The Briton low
ers his prices, as he can well afford to
do. and drives our people out of the
business. Tin.plate works haye been
established in America again and
again, but every time the foreigners
has seen the market slipping away
from him he has cut prices, and has
kept them down until his American
/ rivals were forced to suspend.
Thereupon however. and instantly.
he has put up his rates again. The
net result of this is. that although
American consumers are forced to
pay high prices for tin-Ware their
money all goes to employ British la
bor, to reward British capital and to
pay British taxes.
1t is now proposed to reverse this
business. Millions of capital ere at
this mOment-the new tariff bill hav-
ing passed-engaging IN the develop.
ment of the Black Hills tin mines
and in the construction of tin.plate
factories. The duty has been raised
from a merely revenue duty of one
cent a pound. which the American
consumer has been paying, to a pro-
tective duty of two cents pound,
which the British producer will have
to pay if he wants to sell his tin-piate
here. He will no longer be able 10
chase our people out of the tin bust
ness and without adding scintilla
to the price of tin.ware. we will
hereafter supply our own work.
Think what this new industry will
mean to American labor! 1t will
mean an additional annual consump-
ton of 100000 tons of iron ore.
300, 900 tons of limestone, 10000
tons of coal and coke. 400, 900 tons of
pig iron, 5,5OO,000 pounds of lead l..
13,OOO.00O pounds of tallow aud oil.
40. 900, 900 pounds of sulphuric acid,
10000, 900 feet of lumber, and will
give direct employment to $4,000
work people, to whom will be paid
in wages spa. 100000
,t,;., N oi voor1