The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-10-14
The Tariff Question.

JOUu SQer1Hdu W dilSWeT Oh Iiic
tariff, from which we extract the
following:
But it is now to be hoped that be-
fore Mr.. Sherman lays down the re-
port of the Bureau of Statistics he
will give his careful and candid at.
tention to the table of importation
of manufactures of wool on page
S19. He will find that we import
ed more than $35, 100000 of wool
en- goods, and paid an average duty
of 67.51 per cent. The duty on
silks vas only so per cent, and on
champagne and other sparkling
Wines" was only $685. per cent.
The duty on fannels was 2O.S1
per cent. higher, and the duty on
women and children's wooden dress
goods was 21.21 per cent. higher
than on the costliest silks worn by
the wife of a millionaire.
But lest the distinguished Sena-
tor may unthoughtedly answer that
the average duty on wooden goods
may be made sc high by reason of
the fact that some kinds of wool
en- goods are most luxurious ma
terials, and the high average rate
is caused by the exceedingly heavy
duty on such goods, his attention
is respectfully requested to an ex-
animation of a table in the report
of the Commissioner of Labor
which has just been published.
The table will be found on page
251 of the report. 1t gives the
price at the factory in the city of
Leeds, England, of many kinds of
wooden and mixed goods. 1t gives,
also, the rate of duty on each kind
of goods named, and the cost in
New York, mot including packing,
carriage to port, ocean freight and
insurance."
The table says that the duty on
West of England broadcloth, price
at the factory SO. 60pe yards 50.a
per cent. The duty on West Of
England beaver, price at the fac
tory 1886, is 56.3 per cent. On
fine worsted~ trousering, price S 1.42
the duty is 5S.5 per cent. On West
of England all wool Moscow, price
$3.50, the duty is 57.6 per cent. II
is such goods as these the rich
wear. The Senator will see at a
glance that the rate of duty on
these fine and costly goods is fan
less than the average rate on ali
wooden goods. Perhaps some 9th.
er facts contained in the table will
explain how that is.
Mr.. Wright, the Commissioner Of
Labor gives, among others, the fol
lowing figures: Wool fancy suit
ing, price at the factory in Leeds
80 cents per yard duty, 1O1.7 pei
cent. This is mere than twice as
great a rate as the duty on the fin.
est broadcloath.) Cotton and WOO.
cloth, price at the factory, GA cents
duty 1908 per cent. Fancy over
coating cotton warp, price 7t
cents; duty, 1857 per cent Cot
ton warp coating, price 46 cents
the duty is 144.3. Cotton WARP
Milton, price "a cents; the duty is
1888 per cent. Cotton warp serge
Milton, price 26 cents; the duty is
1864 per cent. Reversible diagon.
al COTTON warp), price 48 cents
duty 1911 per cent. Reversible
nap cotton warp, price A cents
duty 1871 per cent. Cotton warp
reversible, price at factory, AZ
cents; duty, 1907 per cent. These
latter are the sort of goods usually
worn by farmers and other labor
ing people and their families.
Will Senator Sherman please
give us his attention briefly
Tor lengthily as he chooses) tc
these official figures? They are
made up and published by one o.
our ablest statisticians, who be.
longs to the same political party
as the Senator. Their truthfulness
can not be questioned. Will Mr.
Sherman be so kind as to show us
how such facts as these land the
Tariff law is crowded with them
can be reconciled with his often re
peated declaration that our tariff
is especially a high tariff on luxu
ries?
But perhaps a few sentences may
aid the Senator in readily graspins
the significance of some of thu
figures herein contained. If
gentleman were to buy in the city
Of Leeds enough fine broadcloth
to make himself a suit of clothes
Including an overcoat-say seven
yards-the cost would be $25 40
the duty he would have to pay
would be $12 67. If a poor MAJ
were to buy $25 40 worth of scot
ton wrap reversible" for the clothe.
for himself and family, the dut,
he would ihave to pay would b.
$45 So. Or, if the wife of MI. Asto.
were to buy in Lyons enough sill
to cost $25 40; her duty would
only amount to $12 20. Such ar
a few effects of the Tariff law,
change O. (which Senator Sherman
political friends in Congress at The
last session absolutely refused t.
consider.
The senator says that the wage
paid in this country are from 81
to 100 per cent. higher than il
European countries. He does no
say SO, but from the connection
he seems to infer that the disparit,
is caused by the tariff. Does MI
Sherman see no reason in GU
boundless natural resources VIII,
labor is more productive, and
tharnfora hiohnr nc If rlwavS ho