New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-10
SAMPLE DEMOCRATICFIGUR
MEASUREMENTS ABOUT sILvER.LEAD ORES.
HOW FAR THEIR ASSERTIONS KEEP FROM IH.
FACTs-GRADUAL INCREASE OF IN

1BY TELEGRAPH TO TuE ThrBUNE-l
Washington Aug 0.-One OF the pop gun DIS
passed by the House AZ the recent session was 'o
bill TO repeal the duty on silver-lcad ores. 1t Is
hardly probable that the Democratic National com
mttce Will cause the report OF the ways ana Means
Committee in favor OF this bill to be widely circulated
in the silver states but that il may BE- used elsewhere
TO show howl anxious the Democratic party /"
relieve the toilng masses was shown In the hi'ech
minutes which the Democratic majority generously
gave TO the opponents OF the Dill 10 discuss It,
The measure. II It should become law, would I'm
medatey throw out Of employment 10000 American
miners, each OF whom receives So day, ana pvf
employment 10 Mexican miners who receive from
90 TO 80 cents a day, and would close hundreds OF
in the silver states and Territories upon tue
operations of which thousands OF American farmers
ranchmer merchants and Others depend for market
The report of the majority Of the ways ana Means
Committee ia favor Of this bill contains many garing
Misrepresentation and missatements. For example
the majority asserted that as soon as Tile du'y OH
lead contained in silver bearing ores imported from
Mexico went INTO effect. importatlos OF Such ores
bv the way OF Laredo and Eagle Pass ceased almost
immediately, and there came Instead the conceh
trated substance, the result OF smelling J. C., leaa
bullion, The impression which the majority thus
sought 10 create that the bulk OF Mexican ores
came into the United States BY of Eagle Pass and
Laredo and that the tar had thus cut oil the supply
Now, let us look at the Facts
The total value of the slveread ores imported INTO
the United States through Laredo and Eagle fasS
during a series of years was as fOuo"s' 1881
slI4l.l37 1890, $23o2,422; 1891, Slo3@,3lo. In
the same years the total values OF all the sveread
ores imported from Mexico were as follows: 1852
Sc O27 OO9 1890 S6,7l3,S24; 1901, Ss,10o,'O3
1t appears from these figures that less than onenth
Of the mp0ratons OF 1889 came by the way OF Laredo
and Eagle Pass; that the proportion in $500 was
about one-third and that in 1891 1t was again less
than one-nfth In other words from SO TO 80 per
cent of the imporatlons Of Mexican ores IN those
wears came by the way OF other places than Laredo
and Eagle Pass Moreover, the figures show That
there has been steady increase in mportatons. free
OF DUTY of sverlead from Mexico both before ana
since the enactment Of the new tariff Tie totals
for three years have already been given. The total
for the year ended June 80, 1897, amounted 10
$0,657 900.
!, Is true. however that the struggling OF lead ores
under the Of silver ores has been stopped ana
prevented by the new tariff. and that the ores now
admitted free Of duty silver are what the name
imports. Evidence Of this Is found In the fact that
OF the So G53373 Of lead and manufactures thereof
imported subject 10 duty during the year ended June
30 1892, 81 1924 500 consisted OF lead contained III
silver bearing from Mexico, which under the od
law and the free-trade ruling OF Secretary fsirchid
would have been admitted free OF duty b. compete
with domestic producers. The quantity OF Ore upon
which duly thus Imposed and collected exceeded
$4,000 900 pounds or 10000 tons.
Within the last two years large quantities OF silver
bearing orc have been brought Into Arizona from
Mexico In q recent communicated 10 the state De
partment Vice Consul Stone. OF Nogales, says:
"An Arizona newspaper contained broad statements
TO the effect that import duty all containing
a certain percentage OF lead has operated against the
lead ores coming from Mexico and TO a killing e1-
tent and that IL eHecually bars much OF the most
valuable silver Ore which contains q little More than
the prescribed amount Of lead; also that all the
American miners that located in Mexico have con-
cluded never ship snother pound OF ore into TIE
t'ui,ed States long tie tariff on ore exists
These statements do not 10 be in n- with facts
as shown by the records OF this Consulate
The majority OF the Ways and Means Committee
may have Obtained Of the Information for It's
report from the ,amC Arizona newspaper which Is
quoted by Mr.. stone. NOgaes Is the outlet for one
Of the large producing districts OF Mexico, and
Mr. stone shows that he quantity OF ORES shipped
- the United States during the first five months OF
1891, after the duty was imposed was one third
greater than during the corresponding period OF 1891,
before the duty Imposed, and that TIE proportion
Of copper in the ORES shipped In 1901 was One-haf
greater than III that shipped in 1880, the PROPORTION
OF silver one third greater, and the gold hve umes as
much, while the shipments contained an equal quantity
Of lead. The total shipments u ore TO the United
states during the year $50 amounted TO lOGl5.OOO
pounds, and in 1891 10 14,147OO0 pounds.