New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-07
RIOTING AND PROTECTION.
AN ABSURD ATTEMPT TO MANUFACTURED
POLITICAL CAPITAL.
CREATED TIE IRON AND STEEL IN
DUSTRY-OF COURSE If THERE HAD BEEN
No INDUSTRY THERE WOULD
HAVE BEEN no STRIKE

DUsTRy-oF COURSE II THERE HAD BEEN
no INDUSTRY THERE WOULD
HAVE BEEN no STRIKE.
TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
sir Hardly had the wires announced the riot at
Home stead when bunptiouS free'Tnde orators III
Congress and out Of Congress vehemently dcchr'u
that the trouti> would not have arisen II 1t had h"'
been for the Republican protective tariff. THIS AT
tempt to connect the policy Of Protection with the
Homestead riot to illustrate that fatality oi
democratic laundering, which almost Invariably
serves 10 promote the interests OF the Republican
porty lust at the right time. There is an element OF
tm,h In the hyserical uteranceS Of these gentlemen
regarding the Homestead riot which the Republican
Marty has never denied but has always proudly pro
claimed. The Homestead Iron and steel Works ana
the principal part of the enormous iron and steel IN
dusies OF the United States owe their existence 10
the protective tariff originally adopted for revenue as
+, means OF saving the life OF this Nation The same
f. true rs TO hundreds Of other Industries which nave
been greatly promoted. brought into being IN inns
country by protective tariff and when nave
thereby become great National Industries. IL there
had been no protective tariff there would have been
no Homestead Iron and Steel Works. ana consequently
no riot al Homestead The assertion that the pro
tectlye tariff is the cause Of the Homestead riot Is
.refore 81 the same character the historic state
nent that the late War Of the Rebellion would never
have occurred II Christopher Columbus had not ais
covered America. A.
since lsCl the agricultural production OF 'he
United states has Increased nearly three1"u' ""''
population has only doubled. and yet the home
market for products Of agriculture, created by man"
focure enables rs 10 consume nineteen-twenteths o
This product and TO render the American farmer ina"
pendent OF the huctuating and uncertain d'ma'uS VI
foreign markets. This Is an indisph'a"' Irn' VI
Protection The United states TO day eAceis every
country I'm Europe in the magnitude and value Dom
. ifu,fnf
culture and also In the value Of IT. total commerce
internal and foreign. This primacy among the grea,
commercial nations OF the globe has been achieV'"
during thirty years OF Protection. IL i no' NY
presen purpose to survey the vast Held "f produ'uN
enterprise which has given. and l. 10 day anoiu''S
r,munerative employ mcnt 10 millions "r lap"erN J"
this country but simply TO show the utter "p7"r"N
=, ,or,tson attcnptS TO charge the Republican party
with the responsibility for the Homestead a"h'I
shall therefore invite attention 10 IL" n"h'u nv
IN regard TO the American Iron ana S'Fl lu""S''
IN, The production OF pig iron, which Is the OASIS
ar first product OF the iron ana steer "u"S''' :"
creased from os7 800 tons during tn" census year
,sco to O. .Oa 7O3 tons during The calendar year
1890. .,., c,o,.s
,bl The steel industry Of the 'm''u
which practically called Into being ny INV f"D
,ao,,vo wor tariff" Increased It's products rom
II s3s tons during the census year l7o' ~ '-''
OF, ions during the calendar year l5'o.
The
steel industries OF tho United states h"N '"'' '
ten fold since the wear l-O.
ID, The production OF iron md steel IN AI'cEnFm
cuntv Penn Increased from 23."io ions III '''' "
$40. g21 tons in lool .., Ia,
-, ,rba WAGES paid 10 laborcrs at Homestead Ju''
ho,ore the strike we're on the average lhro' ""' "
A - 900 nor cent above the wage paid IN cor
ron.,diue establishments In England ID" pIl'' "' "'
and clothing being about the same IN we TWO 'o"'
.rh o,d,nnos ~ living are however. greatly snpcrar
In TIL, country. ,..o, 81,
,b- Homestead work. men II 'reen hlr'h,
10, The average plce ~ American -i"'' r''' ''' '
sic6 ton In I-G7. - go Ion in l-''
-, ..,i, rr.. Trad. orator- who have been Wing
=, ~. tbe Homestead outbreak IN argument agnH'S
p-o,ecr.n have declared that II was "ep'c'hlN '"c
d. ohominnbe mckinley act" which did inc p"''"''
beneath this assertion ! must pls'" Inc '" n"'''"
,ruth drawn from the statute laws OF IN" '"l''"
STATES that IN. Mckinley act made nm h'ef"s" ''"
,n NJ ,bont 30 per cent the average duties On pn
, nos ,s thos. a the Homestead work. Tbs
oduct,n, I'm the ianr VII, justified hy The c'''"lN
Aorco.tnr relative cost OF producing iron ana ''e'l 10
tbs country and IN Europe. an inVhrlab" l"N" 81
Protection. 80
The foregoing statistics were nl-h'd TO me p'
ar LANES NJ ,wank general manager ~ ihe American
iron and steel tsOciaUOh' Al" NV WIZ" ~ ~
his testimony T. true
s,,co inaep,nd,-c. wa achieved. Il has been the
boas, o, the American people that ~ j. o'"'',
In which the poorest and least faVorabN c"'"''Io"'"
hoy can achieve fame fortune By his "n"ueu rn''
that here the career is open 10 the talents "A"" 'I'
n,k. It--that this l. conIcuou'ly country IN "ni'h
onx man can begin the lowest round of the hou"f
"a ,oocb the ton I'm airy profession business III me-
a. +, social distinction. These are cufrent phrnS"''
which noat IN our American aimo lh're ana '"'S Nv
EXPRESSIVE Of tn. liberty " every man to aspire ana
Of the opportunity afforded - every ma" 10 "'"'"'
the architect OF hs own fortune. The history oi "n'
country since 1870 abundantly proves that IN ths
.,.., tho wisdom OF the fathcrs Is JUSTIFIED 81 nor
children Asld Se, the demagogu'~ VINO seek 10 a''''h
on, hcnencent protective tarf are jus now, Tor an
unworthy partisan purpose. eager l" u''""'' e''''
man who has achieved success In ne pr0teciel III
dustrr although such industries nave ihrHiSh''
nrco,al,e eu,ploymni 90 millions Of rk'r'. native
and foreign born and in the face of the TACT mat 'n'
como.titlon between American rival- IN such ndn'-
,.os Ia. been fierce that many Of the projectors ~
,ch enterprises have gone down In the struggle ana
finn, the price OF the product OF Such hnu'"iea NV
fallen aS;onshngly-as for example 'he I"'i !" Wv
p1ce OF American steel rails from Slo' ION ~ i0"'
IA $50 A toa IN 1871. Attacks OF TINS Soit nav
ocentlv been directed especially against Nh Carnegie
the principal proprietor Of the hOIneSldn "'h' III"
OF other noted iron and steel works near h'tNb"rs'
Andrew Cnrncde the son Of poor scotch carpet
weaver aided at castle Garden, New-fork ~ an I'm
migrant lad In The year lei1 lie came l" COUNTY,
within whose borders absolute freedom 81 trade ana
., ,,du.rv pr.yalls since his arrival no law has
he.n passe-l by the Government " The United SatH,
or nv nny state which has Disseminated one i0n IN
favor of Andrew Carnegie above the privilege ac-
corded TO every other American boy native or l"rrsn
And vel BIZ his nd0mltable ScOich Val, ana ms own
unnd.d genius faculty and endeaWr. b" has, III hod
competition with bis fellows achieved graf wealth
In his he has c0nspicuou-ly Illustrated the posi-
Hlities OF our social and political Institutions posi-
sliiiar which for all shat Is apparent 10 any human
being lie In the pathway OF every son Of Homestead
STRIKER -, ~, -.
des end 80 low IN demagf dsn as (" propose some plan
VI abjllshing the very means whereby 10, great Nn"il
can iron and steel industry has been developed, ana
which opens 80 wide the door - Industrial prosperity
The attempt 10 associate the Republican party Or u"
cause OF Protection with the employment Of Tinker