The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-23


less than six readers to reply to that
foot in the-grave old chestnut about the
farmer being taxed 80 per cent. on his
flannel shirt, 81 per cent. on his coat,
etc, Incredible as it may seem to the
intelligent people, the Democratic
National Committee is insulting the in
telIigence Of the farmers of this State by
circulating this exploded relic OF Free
Trade argument;
"THE EXPLODED RELIC"
"Under this Tariff the farmer rises in
the morning, puts on his common fan.
mel shirt taxed % per cent. his coat
taxed 81 per cent. shoes So per cent,
and hat taxed 90 per cent; takes the
water from a bucket taxed 80 per cent,
and washes his face and hands in tin
bowl taxed 80 per cent. dries them on
a cheap cotton towel taxed As per cent,
He sits down to his humble meal
and eats from plate taxed 80 per cent,
with a knife and fork taxed 80 per
cent; drinks his coffee with sugar
taxed 69 per cent; seasons his food with
salt taxed 90 per cent; pepper taxed Vi
per cent.
He looks around on his wife and
children, all taxed the same way, takes
a chew of tobacco taxed 1879 per cent,
or lights a cigar taxed 11S per cent,
And, sir, even the sunlight from heaven
that pours into his humble dwelling
must come through window glass taxed
SO per cent, and yet he thinks he lives
in the freest government under heaven.
Then he starts to work; puts bride
taxed 35 per cent. on his horse, takes
his horse that has been shod-the nails
used in shoeing being taxed 81 per cent,
driven by hammer taxed 20 per cent.
and bitches him to a pillow taxed 40
per cent. with chains taxed 90 per
cent, and after the days labor is closed
and his family are all gathered around,
he reads chapter from his Bible taxed
25 per cent, and kneels to God on an
humble carpet taxed 81 per cent. and
the he rests his weary limbs on sheet
taxed As per cent, and covers himself
With blanket sthat has paid 1O4 per
cent.
Even the broom with which his
good wife sweeps the floor is taxed 35
per cent, and the cooking vessels used
In preparing the husbands frugal meals
are taxed AZ per cent, and the soda
used to tighten his bread taxed SO per
chine with needle taxed 25 per cent.
and a spool OF thread taxed "a per cent,
to make a calico dress taxed 5Sper cent.
or if she wishes to knit warm pair Of
socks to protect her husband and chill
dren from the bitter cold she uses yarn
taxed 100 per cent"
THE REPLY.
The object of this shallow circular is
to make the farmer believe the Free
Trade theory enunciated by Grover
Cleveland that the price of the domes-
tic product is increased by exactly the
amount Of duty.
Here is the practical outcome OF the
concentrated wisdom Of the National
Commute. A common flannel shirt
costs in England 80. 3d., or "a cents.
The cost here would therefore be almost
double, or $1.88. The actual price is
81.
A common suit of clothes costs in
England 3Os., or $3.50. The cost, there.
fore, would be $12 50. The octual cost
ia $3.50, same az in England. An all
wool $40 suit such as that exhibited by
Major Mckinley costs CO, or $40, in
London.
In England common boots cost 6s.
(S1, 50) and fair ones los, $3.50. In
stead Of costing one-third more here the
price is $1.25 for well made brogans and
$3.50 for fair boots,
A 80. Cd. ga cents) hat in England
can be got here for 81, and il does not
cost nearly 50, as asserted.
A tin bowl costing 10d., or 20 cents,
in England can be got here for about
the same price, or at most % cents. On
the other hand, kitchen utensils as a
whole are cheaper in this country than
in England, our ingenuity in making
such articles being greater than it is in
England,
A cheap cotton towel in this tax-rid-
den land, quality for quality, costs less
here than in England. The Press can
prove this 10 the satisfaction OF all.
The lie about thread is n stale and IN
profitable one. Here is what the
Grafton Linen Mills, who have places
on both sides Of the Atlantic, say on the
subject: 1--WE sell large proportion OF
the product of our mills al Grafton,
Mass, at prices that are as low abso-
luLely as prices obtained in Britain for
similar qualities made at our mills in
Johnstone, Scotland" Wages here are
100 per cent higher.