Speech #450057220

This may be true perhaps with regard to some few articles. but the books of our customhouses show that we import annually two hundred and thirtysix million dollars worth of products. some of them agricultural. which we ought to make and raise ourselves and which we certainly shall if we succeed in defeating this bill and allow our tariff to remain as it now is. Again. sir. the history of this country shows that FROThOTION HAS A STRONO TEN"CENNY TO STIMULATE IniGRATION. Fully believing that population is one of the "main elements of national strength" and that "its rapid. persistent increase implies national growth and prosperity." it has been the wellsettled policy of this country. from the organization of the Government down to the present time. to encourage foreign emigration to our shores. and the result has been unprecedented and wonderful. From 1776 to 1816. during which time we had no protective tariff. the number of emigrants arriving upon our shores was three hundred thousand. and from 1816 to 1869. during a portion of which time we enjoyed the benefits of the protective policy. the number was nearly seven millions. IT order more clearly to demonstrate the point I am discussing. I will give the total number of foreignborn passengers arriving in this country in the several years from 1820 to 1877. inclusive. a part of which I take from a speech made by Judge KELLEY: Year. Number f Year. Number of Ye.orn t. immigrants. 180 ...................... 15 L ...................... 18 ...................... 1 f ...................... 18 4..................... 18 ...................... 1 2 ...................... 1827 ..................... 1628 ...................... 18 9 ...................... 1830 ...................... 14 t ...................... 1 3 ...................... 1833 ...................... 34 ...................... 18 ...................... 1830 ...................... 1M ...................... 1818 ...................... 18:9 ...................... 840 ...................... 184 ...................... 84 ...................... 1843 ...................... 1844 ................. 1845 ...................... 1846 ...................... 1047 ...................... 1848 ..................... 9.127 6.91t 6.354 7.912 10.199 10.837 18.875 27. 382 22. 520 23.322 22.633 60.482 58.640 65.365 45.374 76. 242 79.340 38. 914 6. 069 84. 066 80.289 104.065 52.496 78.615 114.371 154.416 234.968 226.527 1249 ..................... 1850 ..................... 185 ..................... V852 ..................... 1053 ..................... 1854 ..................... 1855 ..................... 1856 ................ .... 1857 ..................... 1H58 ..................... 1859 ..................... 1860 ..................... 186 ..................... 1862 ..................... 1863 ..................... 1864 ... ................ 18t5 ..................... 1866 ..................... 1867 ..................... 1868 .................... 1869-- ................... 1830 ..................... 1871 .................... 1872 ................ 1873 ..................... 1874 ..................... 1@5 ..................... 1876 .................... 1877. (six months only).. 297.024 sea. eta 379. 46 371. 603 368. 64 427.833 200. 877 200. 436 251.306 123.126 121.282 153. 640 9i. 987 176. 92 193. 4i 248.120 318. 55 298. :na 297. 215 378.795 449. 483 437. 004 277. 593 29. 03 182. 27 79.485 Now. sir. by comparing these figures. leaving entirely out of the calculation the extraordinary impulse given to immigration by the discovery of gold in California in 1848. we shall "find that whenever our duties have been low immigration has fallen off. and whenever our duties have been high the volume of immigration has sensibly increased." This increase is thedirect consequence of the establishment and growth of our domestic manufactures. created and stimulated by the healthful influence of the protective policy which has given this increased demand for labor. Judge KELLEY. in a masterly speech delivered in this House in March. 1870. when remarking upon this subject. said: Tt is thus historically demonstrated that precisely as we make our duties protective of high wages for labor do we bring skilled workmen from nrgland Gr. many. Irnce. anit Belgium to work in our mines. forges. furnaces. rollingmills. cotton and woolen factories. end create a home market for the grain of ow. Illi. nos. and other great States of the West. whose farmers now complain that they have no market for their crops. "IWe can hardly realize at this day the magnificent results of the establishment Of manufactures upon our soil. in bringing to our country the very highest order of industrial skill from all parts of the Old World. If we bad remained an agricultural people as we were previous to 1816. we could hardly have expected to draw to this country men of high capacity and mechanical skill. because we should have been unable to proffer them congenial and remunerative employments or to have developed the inventive and higher industrial powers of our native born population." But manufactures. the fruit of protection. working harmoniously with agriculture and commerce. have accomplished all this and while. aided by immigration. our own country has. grown rich and powerful. we have endowed mankind with our great inventions and filled the world with the fruits of our marvelous achievements. I therefore contend that if we disturb our present customs regulations at all WE sHOULD AREND OUR TARIFF BY REVIsNG AND REGULATING DUTIES ow iMPoaR IN THE INrRESr Oi " PROTECTION " INSTEAD OF REPEALING OIL CANGIO ANY