Montgomery County sentinel., 1890-08-22
PROTECTION RUN MAD"
Senator Wilson's Forcible Speech on
the Tin-Plate Increase.

Senator Wilson, of this State, made an
on the llth instant on the proposed increase
Of the duty on tin-plate. In opening his ar
gument Mr. Wilson said
81 think it may be truly said that it was
never before proposed in this or any other
country to impose virtually prohibtory
duty upon any article OF commerce toward
which the entire body of the people bore
such relation as that sustained by Ameri-
can citizens toward tin-pate. desire not 10
utter single word in the course of this de-
bate that may seem unnecessarily harsh but
| must be permitted 10 say that nothing in
my view could more fully illustrate what
has been pithily termed Protection run mad
IA simple and fair statement of the facts
OF The situation, ii seems 10 me, will prove
the strongest argument against the impo-
slion of this more than doubled duty, to
become a new and heavy burden upon the
whole mass of the people already crushed to
the earth by needless and therefore unjust tar
itf taxation
sin the first place, we start out with the
notorious concession, made by the advocn tes
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 embark in the
business till the already high duty of 341 per
cent. nd valorem is increased to rate of 76
per cent. ad valorem whereby it is virtually
conceded that the first effect will be to make
every consumer of tiuware in this country
pay freight, insurance and commissions in
cluded, not far from 81 per cent. more than
the article would cost in Europe |"
Referring to the reason given for the pro-
posed increase, that it would build up a great
,,,l a.. a.
country, Mr.. Wilson argued at length to show
that the number of men who would obtain
employment by the creation Of tin.plate
manufacturing industry would be much small.
er than had been claimed, probably not more
than 40, 900, and that of this number by far
the greater portion actually engaged in the
manufacture of tin-plate would be skilled op-
eratives from Wales, as there are probably
not one hundred men in this country capa-
BILE of making tin-plate. The argument there
fore, that the increase is in favor of Ameri-
can labor is absurd On the contrary the re-
suit would be the illegal importation of for
eign labor to compete with our own work
ingmen, and greatly increased tax on the
canning industry, which now supports nearly
if not quite million of men, women and
children, and upon the entire population of
the country, the consumers of articles of tim
plate.
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 comfort and con-
venience are not promoted by impressing them
into its service. To every farmer, particular
ly those engaged in dairying, and 10 every
miner and lumberman it furnishes nece ssary
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
thpy shOnIh hai 1ar hou
should be annually taxed TO the tune of Sl6,-
1877, l60, not for the, needs and purposes of
their government but as a tribute TO an ON
nibus load of men who infest the purlieus O
the Capitol in seemingly Incompatible char
acters ot beggars and masters, they would
doubtless make short work with those who
are thus trifing with their rights aud in
teresls."
Concerning the canning industries of Ma
rvland Mr.. Wilson said:
THE canning industries of my own Stale,
Mr.. President have reached very large pro-
portions, and have from their beginning, now
some twenty years ago, been stimulated 20
increased development by the policy of our
government, persstently and undeviatingly
followed, OF providing them with cheap tin
plate. ! he business is spreading through out
the State. There are many large packi ng-
houses in Baltimore, as well for fruits aud
vegetables as for oysters. The business is so
important in my State that we have in Balti-
more Canned Goods Exchange. There are
canneries also 10 he found in almost every
county, and in some the business has assumed
very large proportions. But few, If any,
more striking examples can be found in our
whole country of the potent influences of this
industry over agricultural development in he
Eastern States, where II seems to be the one
thing needful to redeem the farmers from
bankruptcy, than that of Hartford county, Ma
ryland. Some twenty years ago this business
was begun in that county. After the lapse of
about ten years, when the statistics of this
trade were taken by its farmers aud eanners,
there were in that county 300 factories, and
they had reached pack of 3s, 400, 900 cans OF
vegetables and fruits, $4,000, 900 being of to-
maioes and $4,000, 900 OF sugar corn. The
raw materials for these &c. 900, 900 Gems of to-
matoes and corn, leaving out fruits aud other
vegetables, required the yield of TO- 600 acres
of tomatoes aud 5 900 acres Of corn, inv DIV