The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-06-29


Free traders are never wise when they
call attention TO the workings of the
bill OF sale" now In force. Because
the rates are by no means so low as
they wished, and as TO many products
were so palpably dictated by combine
lions and trusts that the New York
Times denounced the bill as packed
with duties that are practically In
iquitous favors sold TO various mopopo-
lies In return for the votes Of senators
controlled by these monopolies." the
free traders only sing the praises of
monopoly duties when they claim that
the tariff works well In that respect,
or does not prostitute home industries
Their logic, II good for anything,
would demand similar protection for
all industries and similar favors for NIL
monopolies. But the Times now claims
credit for the new tariff on the ground
that the iron industry Is not pros
trated, and exports exceed imports OF
iron and steel and manufactures there
Of In the same breath II says that the
new duties on products OF iron and
steel will probably be found on the
whole as high as In the first year un-
der the Mckinley tariff. II the reason
ing is worth anything, why was SINH
lar protection denied to other indus
tries? Why should not all industries
enjoy as great favors?
But the facts are not correctly stated.
Figures for nine months Of the fiscal
year are given. but tho new duties
were in force only seven of those
months, and only since October on
tinplatcs, of which imports were near
y half all imports of iron products in
value. The true statement Is that Inn
ports of tinplates in the six months un-
der new duties have been 276. 600. 600
pounds, against 1875, 100000 pounds in
the Same months Of the previous year.
and the value S6,723, 204, against ST.
ll0,30o, and the duty at new rates
about $3.50. 900, against s4,2s7, 500 at
old rates, or less than so per cent,
against nearly so per cent. at the old
rates. AS the duty on tinplates In the
fiscal year 1893 was $685. 200, against
s4,675, 400 on all other products of iron.
ii Is evident that n great reduction In
rate will be found on iron products as
whole.
The manufacture of tinplates in this
country is child Of the republican tar
iif. No industry ever has been or can
be more indisputably brought into be-
ing by legislation than this same man
ufacture. which the Times persistent
| ly declared had no existence until it
had come to supply about u sixth of
the entire consumption of the country.
If foreign imports are now and here
after diminished because this industry,
when once established by high duties
long enough continued TO give 4. O
chance OF development. has become
able to stnnd with lower duties, that
blessing is due to the maligned repub-
lican tariff which called il into exist
ence.
Nor Is it fair statement to say that
exports Of iron and steel products ex-
coed imports. For the current fiscal
year the value of domestic exports Is
given as sea, 564, 79i. but this includes
machinery worth Si1. e0o. 42s, Of which
much the greater part was sent across
the Canadian and Mexican borders and
TO other American countries. and only
i,s5G, 075 TO all others. besides sewing
machines, printing presses, scales and
balances and firearms, which are In no
proper sense products of iron and steel,
when the question is as TO the progress
J CT that industry. Separating these
items from exports and imports also,
the products Of iron Imported were in
value Sl5,s75,ool in tho nine months
ending with March, while the prod
ucts Of iron exported were In value
$40. n4h, Cos.
This Is the record, moreover, for
time Of extraordinary prostration In
this country, when wages were SO low
that all manufacturers knew they could
net be held at that point; when coke
was sold NJ 90 cents, against Si.35 now;
when ore was sold at scarcely more
than the cost of shipment from Lake
Superior, whereas now the wages of
iron miners and lake frcights have
been advanced. In n word, the coun-
try was able to produce for short
time at less cost than 1t ever can while
present conditions OF labor and trans
portation exist. and not even the most
daring free trader will venture TO as
sert that he wishes 90 sec such wages
and such prices perpetuated as were
recorded during the first quarter of
this year. The condition of the In
dustry when it was fighting for bare
existence no American patriot will
wish to have so prolonged that 1t must
under those conditions survive or
perish. But even at the low prices
here exports OF iron and products Of
iron were nearly e6,00o,000 less than
imports. II the tariff Of "pcrfldy and
dishonor" has sufficiently protected
this industry TO enable IL TO pay fair
wages 10 American workers the fact
will be shown. But, II so, the ex-
perience viii go 70 prove that tariff
packed with ubiquitous favors sold 20
various monopolies" Is all that democ.
racy can offer in place of honest re.
publican protection.--N. Y. Tribune.
Facts for Campaign Liars.