New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-02

n-nbroken line British consumption OF pig iron In all
branches Of the manufacture Broken line American con-
,unpon Of pig IRON passing the British in 1855 ex-
ceedng It 927 45 cent. in 1892 and fall
ing after Democratic victory. The marginal figures nd
cate consumed in millions and decimas 80 meaning
100000 tons)
From 1861 until March, 1898, this great indus
fry was steadily defended by protective duties,
though always confronted by merciless compe-
tjtion from British iron masters, who rejoiced
On enormous accumulated capital. cheap labor
and free trade Getting materials without du-
ties where they pleased paying about half the
wages paid for the same work in this country.
and able 10 send their more bulky products
hither nearly or quite free of freight charges az
ballast of vessels coming to this country for
grain. the English manufacturers were neverthe-
less driven out Of the American market with one
important product after another, until the
Mckinley tariff. encouraging American produc-
ton Of tin plates wire rods steel ingots and cot
ton ties threatened TO finish the defeat Then
Democratic friends Of the foreign manufacturers
succeeded in electing a Free Trade Congress and
President and there has come such a prOsratOn
Of the iron industry as this country had never
Witnessed.
When the reader remembers that every grain Of
a single horizontal line in the diagram. or 100000
IOilS III lNe quantity u IlB nun NOHoulHCN III
manufacture means an addition Of 1000 we'll
paid workers. able to support families in COM
fort and educate children for the duties or
American citizenship and that the gain in wages
of labor during all this period until the last year
has been as remarkable in the iron and steel in
dustry as any other he will find it not easy TO be
patient with the party which has set out to break
down the defenceS of American manufacture. and
by the mere declaration Of its purpose has in a
single year reduced the consumption Of pig iron
more than 30 per cent. Starting in 1861 with a
consumption of only 673.0l6 tons Of pig in all
branches Of the manufacture, against 3,2l6,3lS
tons consumed the same year in Great Britain.
the American consumption increased more than
100000 tons before the panic Of 1873 while
British consumption, in the same time, with all
the markets Of the world open to its products,
gained but little more in tons, and in proportion
less than so per cent. against 300 per cent in the
United States. A setback came for both coun.
tries the British manufacture losing most. ana
recovery began first in the United States Under
Protection the industry again increased its con-
sumption Of pig iron in five years 2.96S.OO0 tons
from 1876 TO 1881. more than 14S per cent. the
British consumption increased in the same time
only 20 per cent. A second setback reduced the
consumption in this country about 100000 tons.
and In Great Britain 900 tons. but again the
manufacture revived first in the United states
with the victory Of the protective policy In 1884.
From that point 1t gained 100000 tons In hVe
years before the Mckinley bill was enacted, ana
100000 more from 1889 TO 1892 In all 5lO0OOO tons
or 120 per cent in eight years. The BRUSH manu-
facture gained 1.373000 tons in the five years or
20 per cent, but then began TO decline especially
because Mckinley duties cut off part OF us most
profitable market, and in the last four years mas
lost l.776000 tons. or % per cent.
Industrial history has no record OF more
splendid triumph than this American industry
achieved prior to President Clevelands electoii.
1t had not only passed the manufacture in Great
Britain but in 1892 exceeded its consumption OF
pig iron by 1927 900 tons, or over 40 per cent
With a steady adherence to the wise American
policy which had been 50 grandly vlndicated'
this manufacture might have made TINS Naloh
as independent in three years in all minor
branches as il had become in the production OF
steel rails Under the Democratic tarin before
the war we used to import from third to more
than half OF all the iron required In the country.
In 1892 we imported only about twentieth CUT
Of 1855 pounds iron and steel used for each IN
habitant we imported Of raw iron Tor iurtner
manufacture IS pounds. Of tin plates go POUNDS,
and Of all other manufactures OF iron about 81
pounds Nearly all Of the few articles me
manufacture Of which in this country II was the
especial object of the Mckinley tariil 10 estap,
lish. But 1t has been for three years the espeGld
object Of the Democratic party to defeat thal
further development Of home Industry ana its
success during the last year has been renarkap'e'