The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-04-14
The Mill that Grinds the Poor

The Mill that Grinds the Poor
Under our present tariff tho duty
upon cloth, such as is used by the
poor, is one hundred aud thirty-fivo
per cent, while upon fine cloth, used
by tho rich, it is forty-6vc; upon
cheap cotton dress goods ono hun
dred aud tw enty fvo per cont, upon
silks and satins sixty. A wooden un-
dershirt, such as is uaed by work
ingman, pays nlnety seven per cent.
and q common blanket ono hundred
and forty; o fine camel Ealr shawl
but thirty-fvc, common rug one
hundred and twenty-seven per cent,
Brussels carpet sixty ninc; salt ono
hundred and seventy; champaign
sixty.
Thcre you have sample of the
dcvillsh scheme Of rotten and cor.
rupt Radical Congressman to grind
one class for the benefit Of another
to make the rich richer and the poor
poorer. Study it, ye poor mon, try
ing to earn an honest living, but
robbed by an infamous Radical tariff
that enormously increases-o -often
more than doubling-the price Of
every manufactured article you have
to buy.
And this extra price does not aid
tho Government, but goes to enrich q
set Of cold blooded money grabbing
manufacturers, who would grind the
poor man to the dust for their own
profit. VIII any poor man uphold
By his vote party that is trying to
bring him to utter ruin by robbing
him ofall he earns ?-EGngham DEM
ocrdt.
The pcrvcrsion of facts in the
foregoing article would do credit to
the editor of tho Free Trader or Mr..
Wells the Special Commissioner Of
Revenue. 1t is true that tho ad va
loren duties on coarse woolens are
higher than upon fine ones, and it is
to the interest of tho farmers of Iowa
that it should be SO. Indeed it is
doubly their interest first that thoy
may buy honest woolen cloth with
thoir whoat or money, and secondly,
that they may have q market for
their wool, and not sell it at q price
that is little better than giving it
away, and buy cloth made out Of old
rags gathered "where plague, fever,
smallpox and loathsome skin diseases
extensively prevail In 1867 the
English Parliament appointed a Com
mission to inquire into the best means
of preventing pollution of rivers. In
their report presented III 1867, the
Commissioner said: stUndor the name
Of shoddy an enormous weight of
material is used which until recently
was waste. Woolen rags are packed
IN bales and imported from Russia,
Egvpt. Turkey. tho cnuire area VI
Europe, India, China, and in fact
from all parts Of tho world where
wooden garments are worn, and rags
produced and can be collected. They
come from Yorkshire from districts
where plague, fever, smallpox, and
loathsome skin diseases extensively
prevail, and are placed in machines
which break up, tear, separate and
cleanse the fibre for manufacturing
purposes. By recent returns (1866)
the total weight of wool and goats
hair Of home and foreign growth
used, in the West Riding was about
$40, 600, 900 Of pounds; the total
weight Of shoddy and extracts for the
same period was about TAI millions
Of pounds or some 333 thousand tons;
SO that shoddy now forms near ono
fifth, by weight, of the woolen and
worsted manufacture Of the district.
Tho woolen trade Of Great Britain
could not bo carried on to its present
extent without shoddy.
Shoddy is mixed with wool in pro-
portions from one-third to two-thirds
shoddy Or munge, and is used in the
manufacture Of cheap broadcloths
fine cloth for ladies' capes and mantles
pilots, witncys, fushings, friezes,
petershams, dutfels, hanlcys, pad.
dings, Innings, cloth used for rough
and loose great-coats, Office coats, and
trousers, pea,jackets and blankets.
We believe Gen'l Schencks bill
does not propose to change any Of
the duties on wool aud woolens, and,
we hope Congress will approve the
action Of the Committee. Iowa far
mers cannot raise wool in competi-
tion with old rags gathered from the
hospitals and poor houses OF the
world, any better than can the labor
ers in the woolen mills at Ottumwa
Oskaloosa, Bonaparto and other
points in the State, work for such
wages as are paid to the paupers of
England.