Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-07-14
REPUBLICAN TICKET.
FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, INCLUDING THE SOLID
SOUTH,
BEN HARRISON,
OF INDIANA.
For VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SAME,
LEVI P. MORTON,
OF NEW YORK.
THE TARIFF ON CLOTHING.

ONE OF the 81 aple arguments USED Oy
the free traders to influence the votes
OF the farmer and the workingman is
that wooden goods used In this country
are dearer than in England. This is
not true, only In part. Some of the
wooden goods we use in this country
are dearer than in England, but only
some of them. This arises from the
tax imposed on wool. AS this tax is
notoriously for the benefit Of the farm
er he has no right to complain and he
does not complain.
But this tax imposed on wool ia also
for the benefit OF the workingman.
who is not farmer. 1t is easy to
prove this. Take the amount of wages
that any laboring man earns, and cal
culate out OF Il The amount he spends
for all articles of clothing he wears. 1t
will be found that the amount SO spent
by him will not average more than
one-sixth of his wages or about IL pei
cent. For example. let his wages be
$500 year. He does not spend for
clothes, of all kinds, more than 500
per annum. Now, take from this 500
the sum he pays for woolen clothes,
and, for the sake of argument, assume
that the duty on these woolen clothes
is added 10 the cost Of these Clothes,
then calculate how very small is the
amount of the duty. 1t would amount
almost TO nothing alongside Of the in
creased wages that protection gives
him; for he earns here double the
amount he would earn in Euro pc for
the same services.
But the duty on wooden goods as on
all other manufactured commodities
in our country, does not increase and
never has increased the price 10 the
extent OF the duty imposed. Domestic
competition, machinery, and the skill
of our people have always come in and
put down the price. Certain descrip-
tions Of woolen goods are now selling
here in the United States very nearly
as cheap. snd in some instances quite
as cheap, as they are selling IN Eng
land.
But We have absolute testimony on
this subject which knocks the fine
spun theories of the free traders higher
than kite. 1t comes, moreover, from
the present administration. Il is the
voice of one Of its friends and appoln.
ees, Mr.. Schoenhof, q free trader, sent
TO England by Cleveland's admins.
tration az United States consul at
Tunstall. In his recent report TO the
state department, on prices in England
he says:
$50 far as clothing and dry goods in
general are concerned find that cot
ton goods are fully as cheap in the
United States as here. Shirtings and
sheetings, If anything, are superior IN
quality for the same money with W,
so far as / can judge from the articles
exposed for sale In the retail stores
Articles of muslin for women, made
Of muslin, are far superior In work.
msnship and finish and cheaper in
price in the United States. . y
Nor can | find that mems shirts,
when chiefly Of cotton are any
cheaper here. OF boots and shoes, II
factory made, the same may be said"
Articles made to order, he says, are
cheaper In England owing TO the low
prices paid TO hand labor. But he
then says:
"The difference in the prices OF ready
made things is not so marked. .
In workmanship and finish j find cor
responding articles Of the wholesale
process Of manufacture superior In the
United States. This 10 true Of cloth.
ing ss we'll as OF collars, cuff, and like
articles.n
The argument, then, which we 40
often hear. that the laboring man and
the farmer are being injured, over.
taxed, and robbed because they pay
more for their wooden copts and other
clothing than they would have 10 pay
A. they could buy them In England
and bring them here free OF duty is un-
true, and IL made by the free traders
TO deceive and mislead our people,
Protection does the workingman no
injury; he is benefited and not In
jured by,it; aud II would be a sad day