The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-15
FaISeh0Od Punctured.

/
On the 18th of March, 1887, the
United States Government advertis-
ed for bids for the purchase of Blan-
kets for the use of the Medical De-
partment of the Army. This was in
1887, under the present administra-
ton. There were foreign bids and
there were American bids. Now, if
the President is right in saying that
the duty is added to the price then
the foreign cost, duty added, ought
to be just equal to the American
price. Now what are the facts of
this transaction? | have said, there
was a foreign bid and there was an
American bid. The foreign bid were
for four-pound blanket tor medical
purposes to be furnished for 80. 25 $40.
For the same fOur-pound blanket for
the same purposes the American bid
was 1886, there being difference of
80 $40 cents. Who do you suppose
got the contract? There wss for
eign bid and an American bid, and
the difference between the bids was
80 cents on each blanket. Now tell
me which manufacturer, the Ameri-
can or the English, got the contract?
Is there anybody here who would
not have given it to the American,
there being a difference of only 80
cents between the bids?
Is there any gentleman on this
floor who would send abroad 20 geta
pair of blankets merely to save 80
cents on them, thus taking away
from the American manufacturer and
the American farmer and the Amer
lean laborer that much business 2
However that may be, that contract
did go abroad. English labor, with
foreign wool. made those 1000 bIan-
kets for the use of our army. Amer
lean labor was boycOtted. and they
came in without paying any duty.
The Government took advantage of
a law that stands on the statute. book,
and admitted them free of duty.
There being so little revenue in the
Treasury, it was necessary, of course,
to save every penny so they took
advantage of that law which permits
the United States to bring in goods
free of duty.
Now let us look at the figures. The
duty on blankets of that quality in
IS cents a pound and 35 per cent. adj
yalorem. Eighteen cents pound
upon 1900 blankets, four pounds
each, is 81 40; 35 per cent. ad val
orem is S1,576.40, making a total
duty upon those 1000 blankets, which
were brought from foreign blanket
maker, of S3,0l6.40. The cost of
those blankets free Of duty amounts
TO S4.504; with the duty added the
total would be 81 ,520.40.
Now, if the President is right, and
if the Chairman of the Committee
on Ways and Means is right in say
ing that this duty is added to the
price to the American consumer, then
81 ,520.40 is exactly what the Ameri-
can price would be.
Now, then, gentlemen, what was
the American price? The American
price was S512O. That is, it was
S2,400 less than foreign costs duty
added. Without any duty, the diff
ference between the cost CT the
American and the cost of the foreign
blankets, the whole 1000, was about
5000. Now, you see the American
manufacturer does not get the duty,
and that, 1 submit, is sufficient
reason why he does not give it to his
wOrkmen. 1 am very sorry, Mr..
Chairman, that the president of the
United States did not know of this
transaction, which had occurred I'M
der his own Administration, 50 that
he might have avoided making the
blunder which he made in his mes
sage when he said that the duty was
: added to the cost. And l do not
know what those around me may
think about it, but am very sorry
that our Government went abroad
and bought those blanketsjust to save
80 cents on them. Laughter and
applause on the Republican side.
Mr.. Chairman, l wish that this
Government of ours, which is sup
ported by its own prople, and not
, by foreigners, would patronlze lis
own people. l think that is an ex-
ample of patriotism which should be
set by those charged with public ad'
ministration. 1 wish the men VINO
pay taxes to support this Govern
ment, to pay the Presidents salary
and other expenses of the Govern
ment, would be patrOnized when the
Government has anything to buys
don't you? And are you not little
ashamed of this transaction, all OF