The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-29
BUSINESS AND POLITICS.
MIR. wanamaker Buys Where He Can Buy
Chespest-Highsr Protection Wauted.

Mr.. Wanamaker Buys Where He Gao Buy
Cheapest-Highsr Protection Wauted.
Mr.. John wanamaksr makes the following
answer to the Philadelphia Record relating to
ufaeturing and buying goods in foreign coun-
tries:
Almost any clerk could have told you what
never was any secret-that We had an Office "a
Berlin and one IN Paris as well as one 10 New
York. We gather the same out of ermany, in
stead of buying the garments ready made, as all
the larger houses do in the United States, in
cluding Mr.. Sineerly's cloak store, conducted
under another name at Chestnut, below Thir-
teenth. If l am not mistaken, we bave fire.
other papers that We were showing coats
and ciosks from our own house
abroad. As q merchant 90 all
over the world to gather the best goods and
where / can fnd them cheapest. | would have
to close up our store il /, intending TO compete
with other houses, limited nv purchases only to
America. / buy goods as Mr.. Singerly buys the
Hoistein cows, because he considers them the
best. 1t Is just as fair to confne him to buying
his cows In Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, as
it would Do to ask me to buy all the stockings
We sell IN Germantown to benefit Philadelphia,
all the kid gloves out of Johnstoun TO benefit
New York.
1.-THE only rule governing our buyers 10
that they must find the best at the lowest prices,
always giving preference to American manu-
fscturers, quality and price being EQUAL. The
TACT remains iamentaoly true that many arti-
cles cannot be made Ia this country at ell be-
cause the protection is insufficient.
"For proof of this see the millions of dollars
worth OF goods that we import annually and the
many millions more brought in by other i'm
porters, almost al of which could be made in
this country.
'These goods are not bonght abroad because
we prefer Germany, or France or England, but
because our workmen will not work as chesply
and do not choose to live on the bread aud water
living of the old countries. and, therefore, the
goods cannot be made TO compete with foreign
prices. IL American manufacturer were pro-
tected sufficiently that they could paw proper
wages. these foreign goods would soon stop com
ing In, and there wocld be just that much more
employment for our own people.
"The present protection is evidently not
enough, or there wouldn't be all this influx Of
merchandise. A low protection is often no bet
ter than none. If the goods can be brought in
cheaper than they can be made here there might
as well be no protection at all, for the manu-
facturer will not attempt TO make the goods, Is
he would be undersold.
Because / want to shut out foreign goods
and favor q sufficient tariff to create in ihis
country all we need. l am upon the electoral
ticket that stands for protection. AS a business
man, | buy everywhere throughout the world,
but as little as / can. As an American citizen,
l labor to build up our Owl industries. / have
done this for twenty-five years in Philadelphia,
az some vii. admit, and in the present crisis,
when the country seems TO be On the eve Of
calamity, / feel called upon to give time, money
and whatever Influence / can command to bring
about the best conditions Of prosperity"