The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-04-22
TARIFF COMMISSION.

bill authorizing the raising OF q tar II
commission. The ostensible purpose
of the bill is TO create n commission
outside of Congress to revise the tar
iff and to eliminate many of the anon
allies that are so fragrant as to find
few apologists even in the ranks Of
the protectionists. But when YOU
listen to the arguments Of the advo.
Gates of the commission you discover
that the real purpose of the bill is to
escape the issue of free trade during
the coming campaign. The speeches
of the past week on the part of the
Republicans have been purely protec-
tive speeches, the arguments old and
stale, to men who have given the
question any thought, but arguments
that have for long time had great
weight with the operatives in protec
ted industries. Mechanics are the
most jealous class as to their interest,
and it has too often proved true, that
merely to suggest this or that legisla-
ton would affect the rate of their was
ges, has united them against such
measure without waiting for proof. In
the debates of this question, the Re-
pubicans are all the time claiming
that it is the interest of the working
man" they are opposing the admission
of foreign manufact Tres, as it places
the American artisan in competition
with the "pauper" labor of Europe.
And, this too, in the face of the fact
that New England artisans are, to-
day, receiving wages that procure no
more of the comforts of life than do
the wages of the English and French
operatives, and the still more glaring
inconsistency of their position is shown
in the satisfaction that is evinced by
Republicans from the east at the veto
Of the Chinese bill, which, if it had
one object greater than all others, was
to protect the interest of American
labor, by checking the tide of Chinese
cheap labor. Mr.. Simonton, of Ten
nessee, delivered speech against the
bill on Thursday, and brought out
with striking clearness the fact that
the luxuries of the wealthy are taxed
with small duty compared with
those imported articles which the
working and middle classes could use.
The following short extract from his
remarks is interesting on that point:
"For instance, plain bleached cot
ton worth less than 20 cents per yard,
pays an ad valorem duty, tax of 40
per cent, while the same article,
worth more than 20 cents, pays a tax
of 80 per cent.-a discrimination Of
10 per cent. in favor of the most cost
ly goods suited to the rank and condi-
ton of the rich, and against the cheap
er and coarser goods with which the
poor must content themselves. The
cheapest shirts and drawers (woolen)
pay IS per cent, the dearest 80 per
cent-a discrimination of 26 per cent.
against the poor. The cheapest wool
hats pays 80 per cent. while the dear
est pays SO per cent.-a discrimina>
ton of 20 cent. Carpets valued at
81 AZ per yard, suitable for the rich
mans drawing-room pay 30 per cent;
Brussels, worth $1.31 per yard, to
which an humble citizen might some,
times aspire for the nice room, pay
66 per cent, discrimination of IL
per cent; cheaper still, and certain
ly within the reach of many humble
citizens, worth IS cents per yard,
pays rs 92-l00 per cent, discrinli
nation of 25 92.100 per cent; while
druggets, bookings, etc., valued at sc
cents per yard, pay So 30>100 pei
cent, or discrimination of 46 30-10C
per cent in favor of the rich. The
cheapest blanket, the poor mans
blanket, pays the enormous tariff OF
104 per cent, more than half the
price is tax; while the soft and downy
ones-suits BILE, las some one has said, fol
the bridal couch. or the chambers o.
wealth-that rests gently as the snow
fakes fall upon the tender forms o.
the children of fortune-pay rs pei
cent, a discrimination of 20 per cent
in favor of the rich and againt the
poor.
"The farmer, upon his trace chains
pays tax of 5Sf per cent, while the
sport can have his diamonds anC
canoes at ten per cent. The seam
stress, on the needles in her sewing
machine, pays a tariff of 40 per cent,
the carpenter, on his saws, from 4:
to 63 per cent, while the elegan
gentleman of leisure gets his rubies
pearls and precious stones at 10 pc