Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-10-26
FACTS AGAINST MR.. ClEVE-
LAND.


After three months or more o
education, prosecuted in all part'
OF the country by documents anC
newspapers, by speeches and daily
conversation, to an extent never
before known in this or probably
IN any other country, there arr
still some dull scholars who accep'
and believe the Presidents state
ment that the prices Of domestic
products are always enhanced by
duties to the full extent of those
duties. Facts enough to sink
ship have been placed before them
and yet they cling to their error.
1t is not so strange as it seems
The error is vital, and these men
know it. If compelled to give il
up, they would have to admit thai
the party and the President have
been telling untruths; that theiT
whole national policy, indeed, has
been based upon an untruth. Elk
actly the same spirit which leads
citizens of decent reputation to
shield criminals IN the crimes com.
mltted for the sake of Democracy,
and to rejoice in fraud or bloody
slaughter which increases Demo
cratic chances Of success, prompts
these men to refuse submission
to their own reason, when their
reason tells them that the party is
wrong.
Every merchant who observes
the state of foreign prices Is aware
that this Democratic theory is false.
Every immigrant who retains any
knowledge of the cost of things
abroad, and who learns what du-
ties are here on imported goods,
knows that the duty is almost in
variably greater than the difference
in price, and that of vast number
of products the cost is much lower
here than abroad, Notwithstanding
the duty levied. Statesmen and
students have thoroughly investi.
gated the cost OF living in this and
other countries, and in every case
have found that the American cost,
if higher at all, was not higher In
proportion to the duties levied,
while the Superintendent Of the
Bureau of Labor under the present
Administration, Mr.. Carroll d.
Wright, demonstrated in his Mas
sachusetts reports that the differ.
ence in cost of living bet this
country and England, exclusive of
rents and the better qualities Of
things consumed here, was only
about 3 per cent, while the aver
age of duties on imported products
was over 30 per cent.
The Democrats who refuses to
credit all this body Of evidence usu-
ally assumes that each fact placed
before him represents an excep.
tional case; that while products
generally are enhanced by duties
on imports, there may be a good
many exceptions. AS to the cost
of living, he answers that the
greater cheapness of food here is
the explanation forgetting til a I
breadstuffs, meats, and other ar.
ticles of food are dutisble, and if
they are not enhanced in price by
duties on imports, 1t follows not
only that the Presidents statement
was untrue, bot also that there is
no greater reason for believing that
other articles which are largely
produced in this country are thus
affected 10 prices by duties.
Men capable OF reasoning will
find in the official record OF eI-
ports a most convincing proof
The holders do not give away their
goods, nor seel without profit, as a
rule. They sell because they make
money by selling to foreigners
rather than to home purchasers
The price received is therefore, as
a rule, as high or higher than the
price paid by purchasers who snD.
ply home consumption. But the
exported goods represent all the
branches of manufacture whose
products are supposed to be lifted
by duties above the level OF prices
in foreign countries. Cotton man.
uiactures valued at nearly S15, OOO,-
600, iron and steel manufactures
valued at nearly S16,0O0,000, were
sold to foreigners last year. How
was that possible If the products OF
these manufactures are enhanced
by duties which averaged 40 per
cent. on cottOns and 40 per cent. on
all products of iron and steel 7 Man
ufactures of leather valued at &c.,
10000 go abroad, though duties
on imported products Of leather
average 80 lres
r mn""'""NHnP
- cnseaIs, copper, fax, hemp,
sg,eol, glass, rubber, and al
Pe" ely other material, are ex
DO" .d in considerable quantities
olTT e it is true that numerous pro-
:, Of these and other manutac
heinz not largely produced