The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-02-20

that the English apprehend much more
from the industrial development of this
country than from that of either Germany
or France. They comprehend the fact,
which does not appear to be sufficiently
realized by our own manufacturers as yet,
that we possess an immense advantage in
labor-saving machinery, in economy of
business methods, in energy and drive"
and, above all, in the superior ingenuity
and working power of our operatives and
mechanics. These advantages may not APP
ply to all lines of production, but they are
obvious in most of them, and with effective
fear no rival in the markets of the world.
When we reflect that but few years ago
Great Britain seemed to be the indisputa-
BILE mistress Of the world in manufacturing
for export and that her diplomatic and
consular reports on commercial subjects
were regarded as model of their kind,
serve to show, in a very striking way, the
recent progress of the United States. They
afford the strongest proof that could be had
of the possibilities which lie ahead of the
American manufacturer.
The recent collapse of the steel rail pool
has an important bearing on this subject Of
expectation Of American manufactures.
Since the breaking up of this combination
the price of steel rails has fallen from S2S
to SIS per ton. At this reduced price,
more orders have been placed by American
railroad companies since last week than
during the whole year of 1896. More than
this, if these rails can be manufactured in
this country for about S12 per ton and can
be put down in London or Birmingham for
about $40 per ton, which is an English
pound sterling, Sl.Sl less than they are
now selling for in England, the conclusion
is irresistible, that their manufacture is a
paying industry nOw in this country, with
out the imposition of higher rate Of duty
Nor in this connection is the important
fact to be overlooked, that wages in Amcri-
can mills are more than double the wages
paid in English mills for similar work.
The simple fact is, that the higher cost
of labor in the United States, has given
greater incentive to employers, to introduce
better labor-saving machinery, and that the
labor cost per ton in American mills has
become so low, compared with the cost in
England by reason of the greater daily out
put, that the cost of production of rails
per ton is actually below, what it is at the
most favored mills in England, and is al
most as low as it is in Germany.
Not only is this the case with the pro-
duction Of steel rails, hut also in the case
of long lines of American hardware, me-
chanics' implements and TOOLS and various
forms of machinery now being made in our
home mills.
The conclusion is, therefore irresistible,
that the ability OF American manufacturers
to compete with English manufacturers, on
English SOIL is due to the stimulus to
american invention under "A protective
system.
The fact is as stated by one of our con
temporaries, "that American manufactured
products are not merely the results of
American industry, but of American intel
ligence and invention as we'll They are
produced at a cost which enables them to
compete with British manufactures on their
own soil, not so much because they are
produced by cheap labor, but because they
are made principally by machinery which
was invented and is controlled by men
whose intellects were developed as we'll as
their muscles by the American system.
Our cheap labor is not pauper labor, be-
cause it is the labor of machinery. Hence,
without expressing our working men, we
are able to export goods cheap in price but
high in quality to the very headquarters Of
cheap and inferior goods The protective
system affords time and opportunity for
education as we'll as mere livelihood; the
result shows its superiority"