Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-07-25
How the Tariff Affects the People.

now Gn6 present uISn lailA iooo tuo udu.
for the benefit of the few, and how th'
great body of the people would be bene
fitted by reduction as proposed in The
Mills bill. This article occupies three anG
a half columns of the Herald in small type
and we have room only fof the following
extracts -
sTt is perfectly true that the Mills bill
does not make any great reduction in
duties. So far from being "free trade
bill,'' as the republicans foolishly cry out,
it does not go nearly as far in reducing
duties as the Republican Tariff Commits
tremely conservative bill it goes very
plus taxes, and it does that with as little
tariff reduction as possible How will it
affect the people of Iowas That is the
question which every Iowa voter has a
right to ask himself. Here are some figures
census fgures-which will help him to
decide, and which every Iowa farmer,
mechanic and laboring man will do well to
"paste in his hat" and make study of -
FARM LABoRERs.
Iowa had in the census year 1924, 615 inl
hahitants. OF these 529, 302 pursued gain
it, which means that they either worked
Of these 528, 302 very large proportion
-3O3, 557-were ''engaged in agriculture"
Of these 303,55 agriculturists SO, 432
were farm laborers, stock drovers and herd
ers, florists and farm overseers. These SO,
432 are totally unprotected by the tariff. =
They cannot be ''protected' by any tariff,
except one that should lay heavy duty on
laboring men coming here from abroad.
and the republicans have never proposed to
do that. On the contrary, the republican
protectionist bosses in Pennsylvania and
other States have for years imported Italian
and other cheap laborers by the thousand
whenever their own workmen dared to
strike for higher wages or shorter hours, or
resisted reduction in wages.
The nearly ninety thousand totally un-
protected farm laborers of Iowa are forced
by the high tariff duties to pay at least q
third more for their clothing, blankets,
tools and houses, or house rent, than they
ought to. And these farm laborers, as we'll
as the farmers and mechanics and other
workingmen of Iowa, ought to know that
this republican high tariff is specially and
very ingeniously arranged to cut their
throats and let up easy ON their rich neigh
bors.
For instance, under the republican high
tariff the poor mans blanket, ''valued at
not exceeding thirty cents per pound, :"
says the tariff, must pay within fraction
of eighty per cent duty, while the rich
mans blanket, ''valued at from sixty cents
pound upward" pays only seventy per
cent duty. So, again, the poor mans wool
hat, ''valued at from forty to sixty cents
per pound" pays seventy-three per cent
duty, while the rich mans hat, ''valued at
above eighty cents per pound" pays only
fifty-two per cent duty. These are only
samples of the general way in which this
republican high tariff-the Harrison and
Morton tariff-favors the rich at the ex-
pense of the poor, forces the farmer, me-
uhanic and laboring man to pay much
higher duty On the necessaries of life than
it exacts of his rich neighbors, most of
whom vote the republican ticket every
time.
1t is clearly to the interest of the SO, ,432
farm laborers, stock herders and drovers
and florists of Iowa that clothes, blankets
houses and tools shall be cheap, and not
that these shall be dear and whiskey tax
free. They cannot put money into their
pockets by any protectionist laws, they
must pay out every time. The high tariff
robs them, and is made to rob them.
HOW THE FARMERS LOSE.
Take them out of the total Of 3O3, 557 en-
gagged in agriculture in Iowa, and 214, 1875
actual farmers remain. How are they
protected" by the republican high tariff !?
The Harrison and Morton speakers will cry
out to them, "Wool, wool The democrats
are going to take the duty off WOOL"
Well, they are. The Mills bill makes
wool duty free. Let US look at that. The
214, 1875 Iowa farmers have, according to
the census, 455, 1853 sheep-that is to say,
they have little over two sheep apiece
Some have more; great many, therefore,
keep none at all. But on the average clear
through they have little over two sheep
each, and great many of these are mutton
sheep, not kept for their wool. Now what
do the Iowa farmers gain by their two and
q quarter sheep apiece from the high wool
duties
Let US say that the wool duty gives them
So extra for the wool of their two and a
quarter sheep. They do not get so much,
but the high tariff on lumber, on blankets,
on tools and implements, on clothing, On
nails and all iron work costs each one of
them who has a wife and family not less
than $40 year mora than he would pay
with tariff lowered to the requirements OF
the government for revenue.
The Iowa farmer, with his two and a
quarter sheep, therefore, does not gain,
but loses heavily every year by the high
duties; for he is not protected in anything
else but his wool, and that, as he can easily
see, is sham protection--an empty and
worthless gift, which the high protection
lists flung to him in the belief that he would
be stupid enough TO be contented, and tc
believe that he had got his share of the
plunder.
Any Iowa farmer can see for himself tha,
this pitiful bribe of wool duty has cheated
him, and that the Harrison and Morton
tariff robs him and does not protect him al
all. Every one of them is interested in the
passage of the Mills bill, and would have
more comforts and luxuries, and more
money 10 pocket at the end of the year, il
that bill were law. Let every lows
farmer look at this question for himself anc
see if his own and his family's interests dc
not lead him to vote for Cleveland rather
than Harrison.
PROFESSIONAL MEN UNPROTECTED.
Next in the census list of ''persons pur
suing gainful cupations''-working them
selves or making others work, that is tc
say-there are 103, 454 Iowa people engaged
in "personal and professional services. y
| Not one of these is or can be s'protected'
by the present or any possible protective
tariff. Let each of them consider the cues
ton for himself, and he will see that, who
ever may make money out of the republi
can high tariff, he does not; he loses every
time. He pays more for everything be
wears. for his blankets, his shoes, his
clothes, his tools of his trade, in order that
some one else-sOmebody in Pennsylvania
or New England or New York-may live
| in a big house and keep fine horses and
spend his summers in Europe or at some
watering place.
And that recalls the fact that Mr.. Car
negie, the rich Pittsburg steel maker, who
believes in high duties on steel of all kinds
and means to vote and contribute for Har-
rison and Mortor-Mr. Carnegie, who
pocketed million and half in one veal
as his own share Of the high tariff plundel
naturally believes that the democratic
Mills bill would ruin the country, because
| it lowers the duty on steel rails. This Mr.
Carnegie cheerfully said to the reporter o.
an English paper-the Pail Mall Gazette
the other day -