The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-10-12
ROBBED OF TEN THOUSAND
An Interesting Tale of the Tariff and
How il Works.
Especial Cor. STATE CHRoNIcLE.l

How ii Works.
Especial Cor. STATE CHRoNIcLE.l
Not long ago sitting among some friends
who, like myself, take great interest il tie
effect of law and law making on social
conditions, attempted to outline to them
sonnet hing of the vast influence eXerted
by the special legislation we call protec
tive tariff upon the lives and fortunes of a
great and worthy class among us. | allud-
ed especially TO clerks, officials, salesmen,
professional men, journalists, boohkeep
ers, and All that great body OF wage
earnerS outside of what monOpOiists spec
Tally call the protected interests. There
are millions of these pursuing every
sort of avocation except the merely
mechanical branches OF the arts and
sciences [ did not coufne myself 10
the very poor among these-tho God
knows their case is the hardest. their need
of relief the most crying shame 10 the pa
tiOn-b but noted as well the less exposed
less conspicuous effect upon the. Hell-to- do
and those who earn fairly good incomes.
In illustrating a condition which often
comes under my notice | told the follow
Ing story. OF course il is an allegory but
| know a hundred cases it is true Of. Typ
cally it is a verify. It, lesson j. pregnant
with meaning of vast import to aiority
of the best people OF this land, namely the
earned daily by the head Of each family.
Tom Monroe-so my story ran is the
gentleman who vas robbed Of the ten
thousand dollars H. is rs fine fellow
As ever stood up in leather. You might
| take him for a military man from bis APP
| pearance but he Is only a clerk III the cen
| trail office of great railway company To-
| Gated in the prettiest and most hOmelIke
of our seaboard cities He enjoys the un
! bounded confidence of his superior officers
| IL the corporation as well as that Of all his
| business associates and all who come III
I contact with him in business way. He
is respected for his sterling worth wher-
ever he goes and socially his kindly heart
and genial ways and pleasant face MAKE
| him an universal favorte.
| | suppose the great merchants who have
| founded colossal estates on nothing, the
millionaires who have risen from CUTTERS
to grandeur, the money kings whose capt
tai grew from pins picked up in the path
way, the bankers,
| ssWhose fortunes hare grown
From everyone's money
Excepting their own, )"
would hardly regard Tom Monroe as pru
dent or thrifty. But hei honest and truth
full, industrious, sober, attentive to duty.
devoted to his wife and children and a
model citizen.
Besides a salary of two thousand dollars
a year which he gets from the railway
company, Tom makes four hundred dollars
more working ID odd hours and at night.
Two hundred dollars of this comes from
keeping a set of books for a corporation
that pays eighteen per cent annual dlvl-
dend and can't afford a book keeper. The
other two hundred he gets from an indus
trial journal in his neighborhood Oilat
doesn't pay any dividend at alb for stats
tics and statistical articles on railway sub
jects So you see be must be faithful
and industrious worker conscientious '
5 performing that which his hand haiti
found to do.
Just after he war and just after the 81
Tariff of Abominatons came into full
swing, Tom Monroe married. His wife
has fulfilled the promise of her youth anC
) with her jewels about her, faithful, dis
? Greet, wise, she sits enthroned in the lOve
of her husband a model FOR the matron
hood Of her day and generation.
Not penny had either Of the pair wher
t they decided to wed except about $500
0 Tom had saved it inspired as he hoardee
y it by sweet visions of home and IA happ.
life with his golden haired sweetheart.
They were thought to be the handson
e est couple in all those parts when The.
5 came back from short happy honey
| moon ana IOOk DOdfu Will Illt il'iN lti
by the gate of her fathers home The
. are handsomer now for they have live Fl
the intervening years in loving content
G ment, a half a dozen children growing II
. around them aud the sweet cares and re
sponsibilities of domestic life only addin
dignity and gravity to his face and neS
Z sweetness to hers
y When they started their journey of lif
4 together his income as clerk in the railwa
Office was 81 900 a year. From then unit
now it has gradually increased to its pres
Is ent amount of 50, 400. So that it has aver
/ aged for the twenty years about $1,7G
$ each year or grand total of S34, 900.
Now it will be said that this is prett
good income and he ought to be well pre-
3 vided against rainy day But what ar
/ the facts in the case?
e When their second baby came along th
J. model couple set up housekeeping. b
,s that time they had saved up enough t
is furnish a home. By degrees they have az
j. cummulated many comforts. They hav
, piano and some silver and good furn
ture and knick-knacks. In all he hs