Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-09-21
ARE THE FARMERS FOOLS2
From the Now York Press.

by no less than SIX readers to reply
to that fooi-ln-the-graye old chest
nut about the farmer belug taxed
90 per cent. on his flannel shirt, %
per cent. on his coat, etc. Incredible
as it may seem toIntclligent people,
the Democratic National Committee
is insulting the intelligence OF the
farmers of this State by circulating
this exploded relic OF free trade
argument:
"Under this taiill the farmer
rises in the morning, puts on his
common flannel shirt taxed % per
cent; his coat taxed - per cent;
shoes 80 per cent, and hat taxed
% per cent, takes the water from
bucket taxed 80 per cent, and
washes his face and hands in tin
bowl taxed 80 per cent; dries them
on a cheap cotton towel taxed 10
per cent.
ole sits down to his humble meal
and eats from a plate taxed - per
cent, with a knife and fork taxed
80 per cent; drinks his coffee with
sugar taxed 60 per cent; seasons
his food with salt taxed 60 per
cent; pepper taxed 81 per cent.
ale looks around on his wife and
children, all taxed in the same way {;
takes chew of tobacco taxed l99
per cent, or lights a cigar taxed
1lS per cent. And, sir, even the
sunlight from heaven that pOurs
into his humble dwelling must come
through window glass taxed % per
cent, and yet he thinks he lives IN
the freest government under
heaven.
"Then he starts to work puts a
bride taxed 80 per cent. on his
horse, takes his horse that has
been shod-. the nails used in shoeing
being taxed 81 per cent, driven by
a hammer taxed 20 per cent and
bitches him to a pillow taxed 10 per
cent, with chains taxed % per
cent, and after the days labor IS
closed and his family are all gath
cred around, he reads chapter
from his Bible taxed % per cent,
and kneels to God on an humble
carpet taxed 81 per cent;
and then he rests his weary limbs
on a sheet taxed 10 per cent, aud
covers himself with "A blanket that
has paid 10i per cent.
Gwen the broom ih which his
good wife swept the floor Is taxed
80 per cent, and the cooking vessels
used III preparing the husbands
frugal meals are taxed II per cent,
and the soda used to Tighten his
bread taxed 50 per cent. She sits
down to her sewing machine with Il
needle taxed % per cent. and a
spOolOf thread taxed II per cent.
TO make calico dress taxed ~ per
cent; or If she wishes to knit a
warm pair of socks to protect her
husband and children from the
biltercold she uses yarn taxed l2O
per cent"
The object ofthis shallow circular
is to make the farmer believe The
free trade theory onunolated by
Grover Cleveland that the price of
the domestic product is increased
by exactly the amount Of the duty.
Here is the practical outcome OF
the concentrated wisdom OF the
National Committee. y common
flannel SHIRT costs in England s.,
Cd, or st cents. The cost here
would therefore be nearly double,
or S1.5S. The actual price is 81.
A common suit of clothes costs ~
England 4Os., or $50. The cost
here, therefore, would be $3.50.
The actual cost is $3.50, same as in
England. An all wool $40 suit
such az that exhibited 10y Major
Mckinley cost just Il, or so, IN
London.
In England common boots cost
! Is. $3.50 and iair ones los. - so.
Instead of costing one third more
here the price is Sl.25 for well
made brogan, and 800 for fair
boots.
4 IS. Cd. Isl cents hat in England
can be got here for -, and il does
not cost nearly 81, as asserted.
\ tin bowl costing l0d., or 20
cents, in England can be got here
for about the same price, or at
most % cents. Ga the other hand,
kitchen utensils as whole are
cheaper in this country than IN
England, our ingenuity in making
such articles being being greater
than it is in England.
A cheap cotton towel in this tax
ridden land, quality for quality,
costs here hdR in EHgIqnd. The
Press can prove this to the salts
faction of all Democratic liars.
The lie about thread is stale
Improbable one. Here is what the
Grafton Linen Mills, who have
places on both sides of the Allan
tic, say on this subject 1--WE sell
large proportion OF the product
of our mills at Grafton, Mass, at
prices that are as low absolutely as
prices IN Britain for similar quail
ties made at our mills in Johnstone,
Scotland" Wages here are LOG
per cent. higher.
All knit goods are cheaper than
in England, especially jerseys such
as women wear. So are the com
moner grades of stockings aud
socks.
American farming implements OF
all kinds are exported and sold in
competition with English. They
are better, more ingeniOusly made,
more durable and cheaper than the
farming implements of any other
country in the world.
American cutlery is imported by
and sold IN England. Does not this
prove that the price is not higher
than English cutlery! Pottery and
window glass cost one third what
they did when we depended on
England to manufacture these an
tlcles for us. The difference III
price to-day is not the duty.
Sugar is a Democratic industry
and rice "taxedp l02 per cent. is
carefully ignored. The Republicans
repealed half the internal tax on
: tobacco in 1888, and would have
repealed the balance last session
IL, Gnaokar Carlisle rpfuSp1 10