Morning journal and courier., 1885-12-05

always voted for him, and with pleasure. It would appear, however, that he had better accept the very generous treatment he has heretofore received: coneede the right of eiti- zens in public meeting to direct public af- fairs and fix the salaries of public officers without breathing out mutterings of political vengeance upon any who may express opin- ions in opposition to his.
 At least he knows the wishes of the tax payers present at the meeting and has un- doubtedly too much sagacity to compel them to enforce their votes in court.
 HOBART L. HoTcHKIss.
 Linen Thread and the TariT. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER.
 The agents of the Grafton, Massachusetts, Flax Thread mills have written to Secretary Manning at Washington objecting to a de- crease of the present tariff of 40 per cent. on fax thread. A combination of the man. ufacturers will always enable them, under a tariff of 40 per cent, to get fully 50 per cent. more for their goods than the foreign price, and it is quite natural that they should object to a reduction.
 These manufacturers want the fifty five millions of people in the United States to contribute 40 per cent on all the fax thread they use to the manufacturers. Every poor woman who mends her boy's or husbands clothes, or sews on button, must pay this extra tariff into the money chest of the man ufacturer. The whole extra price probably amounts to hundred times as much as all the wages paid in all the flax thread mills in the United States. The consumers of flax thread, if they could buy it at English free. trade prices, could we'll afford to board all the mill operatives at first-class hotels and pay them double wages to do nothing, rather than pay tariff prices.
 The mill owners give as reasons why they must have this high tariff protection, first, the higher wages paid in this country than in Scotland But statistics and facts show that, taking into the reckoning the amount of work produced and the quality of it, the mill operatives here get no more pay for work done than in England and Scotland. Manchester pays as high wages as Fall River
 Second that the mill in this country with it's equipment costs 50 per cent more than in Scotland. The proper remedy for that is free trade in lumber, hardware, glass, paints, oils, etc.
 Third, that their machinery is all imported and cost them fifty per cent. more than the price in Scotland. The remedy for that is free trade in iron and steel and the maehin- cry will be made here and it's freight across the ocean saved.
 Fourth, that no flax of proper quality is raised in the United States and they import the flax at 8 high tariff. The remedy for that is free trade in flax.
 Fifth that coal costs three times as much here as in Scotland The remedy for that is free trade in coal. Our American coal miners better paid than in Scotland, and free trade in coal would keep many a family warm, with American coal, that now sits around a cold stove.
 High tariffs to protect labor" is the great swindle of the century. They are two or three times as high as all the cost of the la- bor in the protected article, and labor sell dom gets penny of the tariff, but pays the tax when buying what it eats and wears.
 J. B. SARGENT.