Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-07-20
THE TARIFF ON CLOTHING.

From the Washington Sunday Gazette.
One of the staple arguments used
by the free traders to influence the
votes of the farmer and the work
lngman is that wooden goods used
in this country are dearer than IN
England. This is not true, only in
part. Some OF the WOODEN goods
we use in this country are dearer
than in England, but only some of
them. THIS arises from the tax
imposed on wool. AS this tax is
VIGOROUSLY for the benefit of the
farmer he has no right to complain
and he does not complain.
But this tax imposed on wool is
also for the benefit of the working
man, who is not a farmer. 1t is
easy to prove this. Take the
amount of wages that any laboring
man earns, and calculate ont OF 1t
the amount he spends for all arti-
cles of clothing he wears. 1t will
be found that the amount so spent
by him will not average more than
one.sixth of his wages or about II
per cent. For example, let his
wages be 5000 year. He does
not spend for clothes, of all kinds,
more than 800 per annum. Now,
take from this 800 the sum he
pays for wooden clothes, and, for
the sake of the argument, assume
that the duty on these wooden
clothes is added to the cost of these
clothes, then calculate how very
small is the amount of the duty
1t would amount to almost nothing
alongside of the increased wages
that protection gives him; for he
earns here double the amount he
would earn in Europe for the same
services.
But the duty on WOODEN goods, as
on all other manufactured cOmmod-
tiles in our country, does not In
crease and never has increased the
price to the extent of the duty i'm
posed. Domestic competition, ma
chinerv, and the skill of our people
have always como in and put down
the price. Certain descriptions of
WOODEN goods are now selling here
in the United States very nearly as
cheap, and in some instances quite
as cheap, as they are selling in
England.
But we have absolute testimony
on this subject which knocks the
fine spun theories of the free ira
ders higher than kite. 1t comes,
moreover, from the present Ad'
minlstratlOn. It's the voice of one
of It's friends and appOintees, Mr..
Schoenhof, free trader, sent to
England by Cleveland's Admins
tration as United States consul at
Tunstall. In his recent report to
the State Department, on prices in
England, he says;
So far as clothing and dry goods
in general are concerned / find that
cotton goods are fully as cheap in
the United States as here. Shirt
ings and sheetings, if anything,
are superior in quality for the same
money with us, so far as | can Judge
from the articles exposed tor sale
in the retail stores. Articles Of I'M
derwear for women, made of mus
lin, are far superior in workman
ship and finish and cheaper in price
IN the United States.
Nor can | find that mems shirts,
when chiefly of cotton, are any
cheaper here. Of boots and shoes,
if factory made, the same may be
said.
Articles made to order, he says,
are cheaper in England owing to
the low prices paid to hand labor,
But then he says:
The difference in the prices of
ready.made things is not so marked.
In workmanship and fin
ish | find corresponding articles of
the Wholesale process of manufac-
ture superior in the United States.
This Is true of clothing as well as
of collars, cuffs, and like articles.
The argument, then, which we so
often hear, that the labOring man
and the farmer are being injured,
over. taxed, and robbed because
they pay more for their wooden
coats and other clothing than they
would have to pay if they could
buy them in England and bring
them here free of duty Is untrue,
and is made by the tree traders to
deceive and mislead our people,
Protection does the wOrkingman no
injury; he is benefited and not in
iured by it; and it would be a sad
day for him when our protective
system shall be broken down, our
industries transferred to England,
and our home market destroyed.
1t is to prevent this home market
from being destroyed our protective
system from being broken down
and our industries transferred to
England that the Republican party
IS now lighting this campaign.
The Independent Labor Party,
DETROIT, MICH, July 16.-Tho
grand council OF the Independent
labor party of the United States
met here this morning to decide
upon their policy for the coming
campaign. The members present