The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-09-07
The Reau,Ics CT osss,r0fecf,Ous.

The Boston Reform League has begun
the publication of q "Broadside," which
isa very lively and interesting sheet, full
of facts, showing up the monopolists
who, under the cry of "protection to ma
tive industry" oppress. the people
Here, for instance, is an article showing
that while the poor man pays an exorbi-
tlnt high tax, the rich man is ''protect-
cd by much lower duty. The Broad
side says:
"By sort of common consent, both
the high tariff party and the free traders
agree that silk goods are luxury, and it
is therefore supposed that they stand
| highest on the list of textile fabrics upon
which taxes are imposed under our tariff
the rate being sixty per cent. al calO-
rem; but this is very far from being the
case.
"The duties upon carpets are much
higher. Upon a cheap tapestry carpet,
costing in England 81 cent per yard the
duty is Al cents, or y per cent, upon
Brussels it is SO per cent, and upon
bookings, druggets, lettings, and other
low-priced goods, the duties are so high
as to amount to prohibition. Upon
coarse, heavy broadcloth the duty is
stated by MIR. Edward Harris, a most
skilful manufacturer, to amount to 1876
per cent
Upon cheap poplin, fabric made of
cotton and worsted, costing pence ster
ling, or about IA cents per yard in Eng
land, the duty is 125 per cent.
(Which is the luxury? the low priced
poplin dress, the coarse broadcloth, the
common carpet; or the silks and sutins at
60 per cent duty?
"Why this difference? Because an
attempt has been made to deprive con-
sumers of their supply of the cheap
clothing and combing woods of other
countries by duty which is almost pro-
hibitory, while the carpet woods are still
admitted at very low -ate; next we
have attempted to force our own manu-
facturers to use wool raised here at far
higher cost, and unfit for many purposes
fol which foreign woods are absolutely
needed, and have thus crippled and al
most DESTROYED several branches of man
featuring which were successfully estab-
lished under low tariff; and lastly, to
compensate the wool manufacturer for
all the disadvantage thus imposed by
forcing his customers to pay double or
treble price for the goods they need.
What has been the result ? An over
supply of one kind of wool chiefly raised
by us scarcity and dearness of other
kinds, and check to the diversity ofem-
ployment in the manufacture of wooden
and worsted goods in this country, with
a good measure Of protection to the spin
ners of Europe, to whom be have sent a
full supply of cheap South American
and other wool. The furniture and wood
ware which we used to sell to South
America for wool are now made in Bohe-
mia and Germany; the boots and shoes
in France, and the cotton goods in Eng
land and as our direct trade has been
almost destroyed, we have ceased to send
the butter, cheese and -four, which need
to form considerable portion of every
South American and South African car
CO. but we pay for what we still import
from these and other countries either in
gold or cheap bonds. For the latter we
have taken out a patent, and no other
country cares to compete with us, as they
all admit that we have succeeded IN es-
tablishing our own discredit in the most
complete manner possible"