The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-05-21

A Refata;ion o. some or the Diseourasiug State.
menls AgainSf m.

EDITOR NATIONAL TGIBUSE: In writing
the sketch which appeared in the issue OF
April IN regard 10 the manufacturing Of
American tin plate, had no idea shat il would
lead 20 any discussion, or that my statements
would be questioned, although / was we'll
aware that there were two classes who would
have al ardent desire 20 SEQ any project Of that
nature tljl-tho one from ignorance and tho
other from merccuary motives.
since the article referred 20 appeared. II have
been ia receipt OF numerous letters from COM
rades from different sections asking for sam
pies information, etc. Among the most nOta-
bic was that Of VIM. Edmouds, Willamstown,
W. Va, and George Mcguire, Globe Village,
Mass. incosius the following clipping from
the Boston Herald, April s:
EDITOR Herald Regarding American Tin plates.
we are much gratided that you have undertaken.
without political bias 70 get the facts and give
them 70 the public This Is what every Gairminded
man wants. some Of the New York papers are
circulating reports that plenty of American tin
plates can be bought 40 prices low ns English
plates are now ruling. I'd this were true. would
not the manufacturers be seeking buyers among
the tia plate aud metal dealers. aud cannerse
They not Offering iher American plates be-
cause there mons to offer. Do not let the pub
lie be- hHmbugged. This morning are ia receipk
OF "a letter from leading firm % metal brokers in
New York, rated with capital Of half a million
dollars and over. who will bake any part Of 5000
boxes OF American tia plates for delivery iu Boston,
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore or Chicago.
cash delivery within 80 days after receiving the
order, the tiH plates 70 be Of American manufac-
ture, and price TO be as low English tin plates
are sold at Where are the sellers Can we be-
put Ia communication with mg-POTrER &c
WRIGHrfSGrON, Boston.
The letter also contains extracts Of an utter
ance Of Hon. John Z. Russell, Eleventh Dis
trict Of Massachusetts. in which he asserts that
tim plate cannot be made Ia this country and
that the business is so low aud degrading
that Americans would not work at IL.
In both the above cases it is evident that the
wish is father To the thought. From the tOHe
OF Messrs. Potter & Wrghtington's letter we
would judge that they ara either importers or
/ JObbers. Now it always has been the policy OF
such to remove the manufacturer as far from
the consumer as possible, to thereby enhance
/ the profits Of the middle men, aud they have
no desire 70 handle q domestic article so long
as 10 eau possibly be avoided. And every man
who is informed on the subject Of tin plate
knows that their assertion that there IS no
American plate on the market" is a false
hood, and can be proven AS such If they will
call at the Office Of III. X. Do1Ilt, 235 Waiter
street, New York, who is the authorized agent
IN the East for the sale OF Mr. Z. III. Laufman's
/ product-rOOhng tin; or, should they DO in
search of bright-plate,' we would refer them
/ to the U. S. Tin Plate Co.. Demler Pa, to Con-
| gresham Neidriughaus, St. Louis or a Chicago
company, all Of whom are putting large quanti-
I ties on the American market as cheap, If not
cheaper, than English plates Of the same grade.
I But suppose that their statement had been
facts, would they have OccasiOued any surprise
when we take into consideration that the tariff
on tin plate has not yet gone into effect? And
for how many years the mOnOpoists Of Eng
land had the industry by the throat while their
free trade allies crOuched, knife in hand, under
the shadows Of tariff for revenue only ready to
/ plunge il into the back Of the unfortunate vic
tim on the slightest evidence of his beinB able
TO eude the grasp Of the strangler?
/ When the Mckinley bill passed tho business
had TO be built from the ground up. mourning
/ the outlay of thousands Of dollars aud months
I Of labor. Yet our cultured and intellectual
/ Boston friends seem to expect them 10 spring
into existence like the traditional gourd, or
I probably they harbOr the idea that a tin plant
/ Is something similar TO a bean bakery.
But the strong point seems to be, that it must
/ be " as cheap as English tiu," thus causing the
/ Ignorant and unthiuking to believe that the
I tariff would have q tendency to raise the price.
\ Now, challenge MesSrS. y. and W., or Hon.
John E. Russell, to point to an Instance, lust
one isolated instance, where any one who was
/ interested IN or contemplated engaging in the
\ tin business ever asked that the tariff should
/ or believed that it would, enhance the price OF
\ tin. There was 10 man COnversant with the
business who did not know that tin plate could
/ be manufactured proftably for what English
plate was quoted at, or even less.
The only protection that they sought or ex-
pected was that which every good General
affords his tFoOps-from being Aanked or at
tackled in the rear. They simply asked to DO
/ protected from the guerrilla warfare that had
! driven Rogers and CrOnemyre out of the BUSH
ness Dir. Rogers had been raised to the tin
/ business in England. lie came to this country
aud engaged in the business in Leechburg Pa.
He made o better article than was being i'm
ported. His plant had all the modern i'm
prOvements, and everything in both theory
and practice combined to make it a success.
The profits were satisfactory, we might even
say large
But what was the result? His man on the
road was logged by spies aud agents of English
syndicates, with orders to underbid him ia
every market, and at any cost. And they ac-
tually would have paid bonus to place their
goods the market, rather than see Mr..
Rogers sell pound.
The result was that Mr. Rogers was driven
out of the business, while the free trade fana5-
les shouted God save the Queen" and re-
touched in letters of fire the ancient motto on
| their banners, Americans can't make tin
plate" There never was an industry estab-
lished which had to cope with the ignorance
and bigotry that this has.-C. w. Il. LYLE,
/ Apollo, Pa.