The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1888-10-04
The Cleveland Administration
Buys Foreign Blankets for
the American Army.

Buys Foreign Blankets for
the American Army.
From the Speech Of Hon. William Nc
Kinley, Jr., Of Ohio, in the House Of Rep
resentatiyes, May II, 1888.
On the 25th 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 cost, then
the foreign cost, duty added,
ought to be just equal to
the American price. Now, what are
the facts Of this transaction AS I
have said, there was foreign bid
and there was an American bid.
The foreign bid was for four pound
blanket for medical purposes furnish
ed for $2.25 a-1o. For the same four
pound blanket, for the same purposes
the American bid was $3.50 there
being a difference Of 80 $40 cents.
Now. who do you suppose got the
contract !? There was a foreign bid
and an American bid, the difference
between the bids was 20 cents on
each blanket. Now tell me which
manufacturer, which country, 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 to get
a pair of blankets merely to save &c
cents on them, thus taking away
from the American manufacturer and
the American farmer and the Ameri-
can laborer that much business
However that may be, that contract
did go abroad. English labor made
those 1900 blankets. for the use of
our army. American labor was boy
cotted, and they came in without
paying any duty. The Government
took advantage of law that stands
on the statute-book and admitted
them in free of duty. There being
so little revenue in the Treasury it
was necessary. Of course, to save
every penny So they took advan-
tage 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 qualify
is IS cents pound and IS per cent.
ad 0'alorem. Eighteen cents a pound
upon 1900 blankets, 4 pounds each,
is $I,44o; IS per cent. al valoyem is
$1,s76.4o, making total duty upon
those 1900 blankets, which were
bought from foreign blanket max
er, of $3,o16.4o. The cost of those
blankets, therefore, with the duty
added, would be $75ao.4o.
Now, if the President is right, and
if the Chairman of the Committee on
Ways and Means is right, in saying
that this duty is added to the price tc
the American consumer, then $12s
90 is exactly what the American
price would be.
Now, then, gentlemen, what was
the American price? The American
price was $5,I2o. That is, it was
$4,000 less than the foreign cost, du-
ty added. Without any duty, the
difference between the cost of the
American and the cost of the foreign
blankets, the whole 1900, was about
5000. Now you see the American
manufacturer does not get the duty,
and that, / submit, is sufficient rea-
son why he does not give it to his
lworkmen. 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, SO 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 I do not
know what those about me may think
about it, but | am very sorry that
our Government went abroad and
bought those blankets just to save 80
cents apiece on them.
Mr.. Chairman, | wish that this
Government Of ours, which is sup
ported by its own people, would pat
ronize its own people. | think that
is an example of patriotism which it
should set for its people. | wish the
men who pay the taxes to support
this Government, to pay the Presi-
penis salary and other expenses of
the Government, would be patron
Lied when the Government has any
thing to buy, don't you? And are
you not little ashamed of this trans
action, all of you? | do not know
whether the like was ever done un-
der any former Administration OF
-. L.