South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-09-16

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price of it was $3.50 an ounce
three times it's weight in silver.
The medicine is universally used in
many diseases, and the people came
at last. to perceive that the duty on
1t was tax, and severe one, on
their health and demanded its re-
peal. When q bill to repeal it was
introduced in Congress, the five
firms engaged in making quinino
set up loud cry against it, declar-
ing that they could not manufac-
ture the medicine without protec-
ton; that il the duty were removed,
cheap quinine would be imported
from Europe to monopolize our
markets, and the result would be
that our quinine mills would be
closed up, their owners impoverish-
ed, their workmen thrown out of
employment, and q valuable aud
necessary industry be lost to us
forever. In spite Of this cutlery,
Congress repealed the duty, and
put quinine on the free list-whieh
was an invitation to the world to
bring all the quinine it had to dis
pose Of to the country and sell it
in free and open market. 1t is
now eleven years since this was
done, and what has been the result?
Have our quinine mills been closed
up, their owners bankrupted and
their workmen turned out to idle
nessP No. The very contrary has
taken place. Quinine has fallen to
45 cents per ounce; nevertheless,
we keep on making it, and at a
profit too; for the number of quiz
nine mills has more than doubled
since the duty was removed; and,
what is the most surprising thing
of all, we actually export the medi-
cine to Europe.
OUR MANUFACTURING AD-
VANTAGES.
Q. But. taking the bulk of our
protected manufactures, could we
expect to have similar success to
what We have had with the single
article Of quinine? Would not the
cheap capitol and cheap labor of
European competitors enable them
to crush out our manufacturers?
A. No. The abundance Of raw
materials and their proximity to
one another in the same localities;
our natural gas; our cheap railroad
rates; our greater cheapness Of good
food; and, more than all, perhaps,
the great superiority of our work
men in intelligence, manual skill
and management of machinery,
would more than counterbalance
the European advantage of cheap
capital and labor. Besides, while
wages are lower in Europe than
here, labor is moro productive here
than in Europe. Ten hands in a
Massachusetts, wooden mill will turn
out as much cloth in a year, as
fourteen hands in an English aud
fifteen in q German mill-so that
while the rate of wages is lower in
Europe, the product of labor in
many industries is cheaper in this
country.
WHAT PROTECTION HAS
DONE.
. Q. Has not protection very large
ly developed our manufactures?
A. Yes--certain ones.
@. What onesp
A. The protected ones-those
followed in the Northeastern Sec
ton of the Union.
Q. Is not this something to it's
credit?
A. It might be, If it were not
brought about at the cost OF other
interests. But the great develop
ment Of favored manufacturers in
the Northeast has been dearly pur-
chased, for it has been attended by
the humiliating decline Of our once
flourishiDg shipping on the Atlantic
coast, and the serious depression OF
our agriculture in the West.
@. Has not the aggregate Of our
farm products largely increased un-
der the protective policy, and is it
not still increasing?
A. Yes--but not on account of
projections; it is due to the settle
ment Of new land in the West. Our
farm products would show q still
larger increase, but for the burdens
which protection lays upon farm.
ers.
THE FARMERS HOME MAR
KET.
Q. Is not the protective policy a
benefit to farmers in furnishing
them q home market for their
crops?
A. What do you mean? How
does the protective policy furnish
farmers with o market which they
would not have without it7
O. Is not nine-tenths Of the
farm produce Of the country con-
sumed here?
A. Yes; but what of that?
q. Is 1t not something to the
credit Of the protective policy that
it furnishes our farmers with q
home market for 80 large q proper
ton Of their crops?
A. The protective policy does not
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