Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-08-30
BOURBONS TO THE FRONT

DoO hDONO IL LIE L Nun L.
New York Tribune.
The "old Roman" has entered the
arena. For some reason the event caus-
es no excitement; his friends are not
thrilled nor his foes made pallid with
fear. The sold Roman" skins over the
surface of things in garrulous, per
functuary way befitting a worthy gen.
tleman whom President Cleveland con-
sidered too old for Cabinet duties four
years ago, but he is careful not to go
below the surface. His talk of tariff is
about on a level with Mr. Cleveland's,
and that is quite the worst thing that
can have been truthfully said of ex-Sen-
ator Thurman's speeches for a good
many yeras. Ignorantly assuming, as
Mr. Cleveland does, that the tariff is a
tax, the old gentleman proceeds to OBJ
iect to unnecessary taxation as if he
were actually discussing a question be-
fore the people, and had not carefully
lodged it entirely in his first assump-
tion. 1t would be exceedingly funny if
this reSurrected relic of Bourbon Democ-
racy could be brought to open debate
with any live man of this generation,
who knows a little of the present state
of the question. The question might be
epitOmiZed thus:
Old Roman-The tariff is a tax.
Reply-Not unless it enhances the
cost of products.
Old Roman-But it must; they are
imported and the duties are paid.
Reply-Yes; the foreigners pay the
duty for the privilege of selling in the
worlds best market.
Old ROman-That cannot be; Robert
J. Walker said it was not so forty years
ago, and you have no proof of that.
Reply-Get your spectacles, read your
daily paper, and see how every foreign
product is hoisted in price the instant
an American duty is lowered or removed.
Examples by the hundred could be Civ
en-. Even when reduction or re-
peal of duties is merely hoped for, the
foreign price goes up; witness wool and
wOOllenS after President Cleveland's
message, and tin after the Mills bill
passed the House.
Old Roman-This is amazing; certain
ly it was not so fifty years ago. Be
sides, the duty makes home products
more costly.
Reply-But it does not; they have
been falling in price ever since protec-
tive duties were imposed in 1861.
Old Roman-Don't tell me, young
man; it must be. What do they want
a duty for, if not to make things higher?
Reply-Just for this: to guard their
industry against raids which might
break it down. If they can sell to a big
market they can sell cheaply; any corner
grocery can tell you that if you have
to be content with small sales you must
get big profits on what you do sell.
Old Roman-But things are dearer
here than in other countries. Look at
woollens; my friend, President Cleve-
land, says woollens cost twice as much
here as elsewhere.
Reply-ParSee Moore stuffed him, and
he had not sense enough to look at any
price-list or inquire in any store. His
own free trade agent, Schoenhof, has re-
ported that there is little, if any, differ
ence in the cost of woollens on the
whole between this country and Germa-
ny, but Cleveland is a Bourbon, like
you, and repeats as true now story
which was true twenty years ago when
our currency was inflated.
Old Roman-Anyh0w, the tariff must
be a tax, and it makes things more
costly here, and we cannot produce as
cheaply.
Reply-On the contrary, four years
ago Mr.. Cleveland's present Chief of the
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that
the cost of living in Massachusetts was
only per cent. higher than In Great
Britain, exclusive of rents, and prices
here are lower now.
Old Roman-See here, young man,
you are disturbing the harmony of this
and | want to talk about the
duties of iron-bound, brass mounted
Democracy.