San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-08-30

sale merchant he charges MN Slo
for that cloth which cost him origi-
nally but $40. Nay, more, he charges
him SIG and his mercantile profit on
the SO tax as we'll as on tho $40, the
original cost OF the goods. The
wholesale merchant soils it to the re-
tail merchant and the retail merchant
sells it to his customer. OF course
this price, with each merchants pro-
fit, continues and is in the goods
when they are sold to the consumer.
So that by the time one OF you buys
this cloth you find that you have to
pay for it from SIG to $40, perhaps
not less than $40 for that which orig
inally cost 80. So here has been O
tax imposed on tho consumer which
amounts in effect to nearly or quite
rs much as the original cost OF the
goods.
THE POOR MANS BOON.
Snow, my friends, this is 30 true
that there is scarcely thing that you
wear the price of whichis notincreas-
ed by this tariff tax. There are men
andacious enough to say-men who
are advocating high protective duties
or tariffs-there are men audacious
enough to say that q high protective
tariff is for the benefit of the laboring
man. Why, in the name of all that
10 common sense and reason, how can
q laboring man be aided by tax that
begins with the crown of his head and
extends to soles of his feet, and taxes
everything that is between them ap-
plause and laughter that taxes him
on his hat, taxes him on his shirt,
taxes him on his coat, taxes him on
his vest, taxes him on his pants, tax
es him on his under clothing, taxes
him on his stockings, and taxes him
on his shoes and even to the little
necktie that is around his neck-it
levies its tax upon it? How in the
name of heaven can it be that the la
boring man is benefited by such a
tax? No, my friends, Of oil the hum
bugs by which men were attempted
to be deceived this humbug OF the
laboring man being benefited by o
high protective tariff is the greatest 4
ever heard OF.
"Ah, but says some one, it enables
the manufacturers in this country to
pay higher wages to his laboring men
and, therefore, is u benefit to them.
My friends, did you ever know of any
manufactures that paid higher wages
to his hands because OF IN increase
of the tariff? If you did you have
met with something I have never
seen. There is q man named Barnum
in this country, great Snowman, a
man who has gathered together in
his show more curios than perhaps
can be found in any other single place
on the face of the earth, but among
all his curiosities he has never found
such O curiosity as the manufactures
who paid higher wages to his hands
because of q raise in the tariff. lAp-
plause and laughter Nay, that is
not so at oil. I do not want to speak
harshly of manufacturers, but they
are human beings like other human
beings [coughing]. See what cold
I have caught to day. Never mind.
If caught that cold making few
democratic speeches, will get rid OF
it before I make many more. Laugh
ter.
"But I must pass on. Another
one of the deceptions of these tariff
orators, or high protection orators, is
to say that the consumer does not
pay the tax. I have shown you how
he did pay it in the price that he
gives for his article, but l want to
ask any man who tells me or tells you
that the consumer don't pay tho tax,
if he don't pay it, in Gods name who
does? Who does pay it, How
comes it that the goods that cost but
$40 before there was any tax upon
them after that soils for tho price oi
$40 and the tax added and the mer-
chants profit upon that, if that is not
ultimately paid by the consumer!
"But, my friends, that is not all
A man who stands fair in your com,
munity and who has a face that
would license him rs a preacher oi
the gospel, such man will get uI
before his follow citizens and tells
them that q high tariff lessons in
stead of increases the price OF COM
modities. Why, my friends, if this
lis the case, if high tariff reduces
prices, please tell me why it is that
all the manufacturers are in favor OF
high tariff Do they want to reduce
the prico Of their own goods! Do they
want 10 make less money! Why dc
they work so hard to increase the tar
lift IL TO inceease it would reduce
the price of the goods That is an
other one Of tho absurdities OF those
men who are going around trying tc
persuade the people OF the country
that high tariff is for the benefit o.
the people.
/ TIE SURPLUS.
Now, my friends, tbereis is another
thing these people say. They como
before you aud they draw @ glowing
picture Of the wealth and prosperity
of our country. That is all very vel
Indeed. although it would be little
fairer IL they would give the Other
side Of the picture and show how the
agricultural interests and the valle
Of agricultural property has so won