The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1888-09-06

and ladies dress goods of equal finish
and quality to those OF the most cele-
brated mills of Europe. But he can't
obtain the free wool. Hence he can't
produce the class Of goods most in de-
mand Hence the merchant imports
goods made by foreign labor on for.
eign soil. HesGe the operative is
cheated out of his work and wages.
Hence the Anglo-American "clique"
is becoming richer and richer, while
the poor devil of woolen worker is
becoming poorer and poorer. Consul
Griffith, writing from New South
Wales puts the case in nutshell when
he says
In the event OF the reduction OF the
duties on Australian woods, or OF the
admission of that class of woods pecul-
lar to this country and not grown in
the United States, the American mill
owner would soon be in a position not
only to undersell in his own market all
woollen fabrics of a foreign make, but
to compete successfully with other
woollen manufacturing countries in
the various markets of the world.
Atthe same time the American flock
master would not experience any loss
by the change in the tariff, as the
woods imported would be of different
quality from those which he is able to
produce.
HANDICAPPED ON ALL SIDES.
1t would be surprising, indeed, if
with IA specific duty of ten cents
pound on wool in the grease, on the
low wool prices all over the world at
the command of foreign competitors
a duty higher than the total labor cost
our manufacturers could stop the
enormous importation Of foreign cloths
now going on. So the fine finished
goods are imported while the Ameri-
can produces shoddy. So frauds at
the Custom Houses, undervaluations
by false invoices, are perpetrated for
the benefit OF foreign and home traders
in combines" and few rich wool
brokers and carpet manufacturers. So
the workman, such factor in election
times, is left without work or means
OF subsistence the greater part OF each
year, and if he kicks cheap labor is
imported, there being no import duty
on British, German and italian Drawn
and muscle, and he is told to go to
Hades.
A glance at the digraceful scenes in
the Tariff Committees rooms in Wash
ington in 1888 tells how little the "pa'
triOtic employers" thought ofthe work
ingmen when they assembled in force
and in a pull Dick, pull Devil style
compelled Congress to build up and
pull down tariff walls, solely to benefit
the few to the detriment Of the mass
es. Merit was lost sight of in the Nor
ril measure. Senator Grimes, Of
Iowa, said Of it,
You may rely on it there were not
three men in the Senate whose honest
convictions were for the bill. They
voted for it by a sort OF coercion-ont
. because wool was in it; another be
! cause iron was in it; another because
|, lumber was in it; another because i
, contained drawback on ship mate
rials-but all condemning it as an en-
# tirety.
= No wonder that Pig Iron Kelley de
n clared its successor, the present meas
v ure, which is MorrilPs bill intensified
= ''the most infamous law ever put upol
, the statute books" 1t was "most in
;r famous" in its treatment Of the WOO
len schedules, for it has deprived fol
y ty thousand people OF their dali
- bread and handed one of our mos
=, profitable industries oyer to Englan
i, ard other "pauper labor" countries.
., 1t imposed a tax on weayers of WOO
10 len OF sixty-seven and half per cen
h In theory it was to offset wages twel
or ty,tive per cent higher than the 10
"a eign. In fact, the tax was four timt
70 greater than the total amount paid fC
q. wages.
or 1t gave an annual bounty of $4,000
W 600 to Carnegie e. Co., the Angl
~ American steel ring.
:, 1t has caused an increasing flood
foreign made goods, while still makir
the cost to the consumer about fort
two per cent higher than would othe
10 wise prevail.
,ol Instead of balancing the dlfferen
no between wages paid here and in En-
nt land on the "true protectionist theory
be this infamous law takes forty-two al
~ one.half times more than the emit
20 amount Of wages paid.
lar This "infamous law" of 1883 is VIII
o1 the workingman is asked to sustai
am The woollen worker ought especial