Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-04-27

in the great message which the
Constitution requires him to send
to Congress on the state of the
country, explicitly tells us 30; but
where, and what, and of what kind,
these great industries are is state
secret which, for some reason not
easily understood, he locks safely in
his own bosom.
If they were small, weakly,
croupy industries there might be
some excuse for hiding their
identity and whereabouts, now
that Mr.. Springer is around with
his gun, but being great, strong,
growing industries destined in a
few years to give employment to
several hundred thousand American
men and women, it is surely mex
cusable tantalizing of the American
peoply to tell us no more about
them.
In the most favorable light it is
an exhibition Of frolicsome humor
on the part Of the President that
can only be explained in 80 serious
a man as a rebound from the terri
BILE strain of the Chilian trouble.
Such civilizations are not with
out precedent, for the widow of
"Stonewall" Jackson tells us that
while he was always a model of dig
nifty before his students he would
sometimes, when safely within the
doors of his own home, fling down
his books and caper over the floor
in Mexican polka.
And now the American Econo-
mist makes an audacious effort to
have the people believe that it is in
the Presidents confdents and in the
exclusive possession of his secrets.
In its issue of February 8 it gives
list of the American tin-p!ate
works, corrected to January o,
1892" which includes twenty-seven
firms and corporations with a week.
ly capacity of about 10000 boxes of
l. G. 14x20 tin-plate.
This seems definite enough, and
might justify the belief that the
Economist had, in the phrase of
newspaper men really made a scoop"
of the Presidents securely guarded
information.
But as many voting list looks
fair enough on its face until some
sceptical Investigator tries to find
out who the st. Peter, ]. Caesar and
c. Columbus are whose votes have
been used to stuff the ballot-box, so
the list of the Economist, however
imposing at first glance, seems to be
made up not of dead worthless of the
distant past, but of the anticipated
progeny of an indefinite future.
For here comes the National Pro-
visioner, organ Of the Provision and
Meat Industries, the very next day
after the Economists issue, and de-
clares that it has made diligent
search for these great tin-plate works
and is obliged to return them mot
found" To Justify this return it
quotes from the recent circular of
the Tin-Plate Consumers Associa-
ton, in which more than 300 lead
ing consumers OF tin-plate in this
country state "that it is a matter of
business and not of politics that up
to the present moment not one sheet
of coke tins, which constitute over
one-half our entire requirements,
has yet been put on the market by
the American manufacturers; and
that the present output Of all kinds
does not constitute l per cent. of
the entire consumption of tin-plate
in America" and itself adds: mo
contradiction of this plain statement,
made by responsible business men,
has come under our eyes, and unless
we see proofs to the contrary,
brought forth by equally responsible
parties, We have to abide by the re-
suit of our former examinations,
viz: That no tin-plate, in COM
mercial quantities, and for business
purposes, is made as yet in this
country"
Did ever seller 80 adroitly and
successfully elude the hot pursuit or
buyer before?
Of course there are great mills
''moonshining" somewhere, and
turning out immense stores of tin
plate, with large numbers of happy,
well-paid workmen, but they hide
themselves from public view and
public knowledge, and communicate
with the world, and
that only through the President.