Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-10-29
ago before the tariff created the pres.
ent wage living?

when the scarcity Of work comes from
shrunken tariff?
| VIII America ever be obliged to
, enact a poor rate tax, a. In foreign
countries, to take care Of the uhem-
ployed? It would seem II we were
heading In that direction.
I respectfully submit to my fellow
citizens who will take time to read fur.
Their tariff information:
Until the year 1867 we produced no
steel rails in the United States, but
during that year one or two enterpris-
ling American manufacturers expert
mented in the manufacture OF steel
rails and produced as follows:
Years ..E Tons
1905 ...........''''''
During that time these American
manufacturers said to an American
congress: "Give US q protective tarih
on steel rails and we will not only
make all the steel rails required for
use in the United States. but we Will
soon be making them for export to
other countries" and in accordance
therewith a duty of $28 a ton was
placed on steel rails during the year
| 1870. Under the protective tarih We
produced 3O,357 tons Of steel rails dur
Ii ing the year 1870. On March 3, 1885,
the duty on steel rails was reduced to
SIT ton, and the duty now 1892 ton,
and during the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1911. we produced 1888, 799
tons OF steel bars for rails and during
that wear we exported 1911, 428 tons of
american steel bars for the manufac-
ture of steel rails abroad.
During the year 1867 the price for
steel rails was s166 ton, and the
quantity imported during that year ap.
pears to have been In excess OF l9l,0oo
tons.
since the year 1867 we have manu-.
featured more than fifty million tons
of American steel rails, and nave ex.
ported over four million tons OF that
production.
While do not know how much was
paid in wages to American working
men to get ore from the earth 10 the
furnace, from furnace into bars ana
bars into those fifty million tons OF
steel rails; yet I do know that 1t was
Infinitely better for all American IN
terests that we produced those ffty
million tons of steel rails mere IN the
United States than to have imported
them from Europe under constltu'
tional tariff for revenue only. and none
will question it excepting those VINO
stand for tariff for revenue only.
The Tin Plate Industry.
What is true of steel rails applies
with equal force to the tin-plate IN
dustry. Previous to the year 1890 the
duty on tin plate was one cent
pound-a tariff for revenue only un-
der the provisions Of the constitution
and previous to the year 1891 no tin
mates were made in the United States.
About the time congress was assured
that II protective tariff of 22-1O cents
a. pound were placed on tln-plates II
could he manufactured in the United
States, and congress imposed such
dutv during the year 1890. During the
wear 1891-under protection-we made
2,236,743 pounds of tin plates. and I'm.
ported for that year 1885, S9,074
pounds of tin plate.
Under a protective tariff the manu-
facture of American tin grew by leaps
and hounds. During the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1911. we produced
1919 ,oO5 900 pounds Of American tin,
and exported for that year 70,199,29S
mounds. reducing the duty in the mean |
time. from 22-1O cents to 1910 cents
pound.
presidency in 1888, General Harrison
said:
oThe more work there is to do in
this country, the higher the wages that
will he paid for doing 1t. That policy
which secured the largest amount OF
work TO be done at home Is the policy
which will secure to our laboring men
steady employment at the best wages.
A policy which will transfer work from
our mines and factories to foreign
mines and foreign factories, inevitably |
leads to the depression Of wages In this
country"
As the first act Of the first congress |
approved by Washington when the
American republic was yet only two
months old-was enacted for the pro-
lection and encouragement of Ameri- |
can industry, so with the grandest of
all American tariffs-the Morrill, bill
which, beginning the day Mr.. Lincoln |
was inaugurated president Of the
United States, began the astounding |
prosperity Of the nation under which |
for the first time, liberal wages was Sc
cured to American workingmen, re-
munerative prices to American farm
ers, an adequate reward for skill and |
enterprise and labor Of American me-
chanics and manufacturers, and COM
mercial prosperity and independence
to our country, and it has continued
ever since with ever-increasing volume,
and only when We departed from the
Lincoln republican standard Of pro-
lection for the incomprehensible and |
un-American policy Of tariff for
revenue only" have these blessings of
prosperity given place to the distress
full conditions Of poverty-the last one
so recent and appalling that millions
of American people must still remem.
Der it as a hideous nightmare that con-
tinued until it's deplorable horrors were
removed by the election Of Mr.. Nc
Kinley-grand protectionist as he was
to the presidency. ..... .....
The next great struggle in this coun-