Executive Mansion, October 19, 1891.
My Dear Sir—I have your letter of October 15, and also a box of bright tin plate which you send as a specimen of the product being turned out by the United States Iron and Tin Plate Company. I have no skill in determining the character of this work; but, to the eye, it seems to be eminently satisfactory, and I thank you for this evidence that a new industry has been established in the United States.
I cannot quite understand how an American can doubt that we have the mechanical skill and business sagacity to establish successfully here the manufacture of tin plate. No other country, certainly, surpasses us in the inventive genius of its citizens or in the business sagacity of its capitalists. It is surprising to me that any patriotic American should approach this question with a desire to see this great and interesting experiment fail, or with an unwillingness to accept the evidences of its success. It will be a great step in the direction of commercial independence when we produce our own tin plate.
It seems to me that nothing, unless it be a lack of faith in the maintenance of the present law, can thwart this desirable achievement. I can understand how our success should be doubted and our failure accepted with satisfaction in Wales, but I cannot understand how any American can take that view of the question or why he should always approach every evidence of the successful establishment of this industry in this country with a disposition to discredit it and reject it. If the great experiment is to fail, our own people should not add to the mortification of failure the crime of rejoicing in it.
Very truly yours,
Benjamin Harrison.
[WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 14 AND DECEMBER 9, 1891.]
The Chilian Imbroglio.