Richland beacon., 1888-09-01
Where the Tariff Touches the Poor
Man

Does the tariff tax take anything out
of the pockes of the wage Garner. Nc
taN-Sathcrer ever comes to his house
with bill fo7 tariff taxes and demands a
settlement. Nothing is heard about i,
the year round. There is nothing on the
surface to indicate thIt the day laJorer,
the clerk, the mechanic, the car driver,
the coachman, the cook, the nurse or the
ncwsboy ever contribute ANYTHING
toward the income of the government Oh
the extra profits of the manufacturing
capitalist. Bnt they do, ne ertheicss.
For every 81 that goes to the govern
ment = goes to the manufac;u urer as
bounty. The tax was collected when the
persons named bought what they have
In their houses or on their backs. bn one
mans working suit of clothes costing 81
the bounty to the manufacturer was
S2.2'; one good suit costing SEQ, bounty
S6.iS; Overcoat costing SIS, bounty
$40 two flannel shirts. S1.5O, bounty
GA cents; two flannel drawers, $1.5j,
bounty 81 cents; six wool sacks, 81,
bounty sc cents; one wool hat, So,
bounty Sl.29; one wool cap, 81, bounty
43 cents; one pair suspenders. 30 cents,
bounty II cents; one pair shoes, $3.50,
bounty 20 cents; one pair wool gloves,
30 cents, bounty y cents: rubber coat,
$3.5o, bounty 81 cents; umbrella,
81, bounty 81 cents; three linen
handkcrchiefs. s, bounty %
cents; one silk tIc. % cents, bounty
II cents; one pocket knife. $l.2J,
bounty ~ cents; razor, Sl.25, bounty
AZ cents: shaving brush - cents, bounty
T? cents; four cotton shirts, So, bounty
% cents: two pair cotton drawers. 81,
bounty 81 cents; one wool scarf. -
cents, bounty II cents. Any laboring
man or other person having small IN
come is able to Judge whether he is in
position to make a present to anybody
of the bounty he pays on each of the
articles here mentioned. l. he is sin.
gle man perhaps he can spare the sums
mentioned and is willing to do so. But
if he has use for the money, amounting
on the Sc articles alone to S2?. 30 year,
he has a right to vote at the polls to
keep 1t IN his pocket. Put in life insur-
an'c or in the savings bank, S21.29 a
year may provide very nicely for a rainy
day Rut if he is married man with a
family. he will find the tariff tax taking
the following sum also out of his pocket
to swell the surplus at Washington, or
to add to the brofits of the manufac.
turer: Three calico dresses for wife. cost
s2.2j, bounty 30 cents: three aprons 30
cents. bounty 10 cents; two woollen
d -esses, S1i. bounty ST. 90; two bal moral
skirts, 81, bounty Sl.1O: two cotton
skirts $50, bounty - cents; two suits
flannels, 81; bounty $1.29; two suits
cotton underwear -, bounty IS cents;
three pair cotton hose, 81, bounty %
cents; woolen cloak, Sl2, bounty s., 80;
shawl, So, bounty So.,9 hood, S1.25,
bounty II cents; straw bonnet, 81, boun
ty % cents; two pair shoes, -, bounty
- cents; rubbcrs, - cents, bounty 10
cents; parasol. 81, bounty 10 cents; veil,
40 cents, bounty , cents; five yards rib
bons, % cents bounty II cents; three
linen collars, 80 cents, bounty ~ cents;
three pairs liren cuffs, go cents. bounty
II cents; three handkerchicfs, - cents,
bounty 20 cents; back comb, 90 cents.
bounty cents; tooth brush, 35 cents,
bounty cents; pair woolen mits, 50
,ents, bounty 81 cents; p,ir gloves,
el.25, bounty - cents. On an expendi. |
ure of Sill. 30 in settlement Of the wIfe's
store bill the struggling citizen has thus
paid S21. Sin tariff taxes, about one.
fifth of which went in:o the government |
and the other four-ifths to soma
ar-Of manufacturing capitalist. Part |
" this tax the poor man will be relieved |
roma small part, it is true-if the |
Wills bill becomes a law; but much the |
arger part he will always have to bear,
IS it is the settled policy of our govern
nent to obtain the most of its revenue |
rom tariff taxes. Still he will not OBJ.
ect if the Mills bill gets him discount
# from to 10 per cent. off his wife's
nd his own store bill. If the wage
arncr has one daughter to clothe, he will
eel additional interest in the tariff, as It I
will make her store bill So. 90, or $50. Is
nore than il would be without the exist.
ng high tariff II there is boy in the
amily to buy for, his store bill will be
increased about sis. II on total expen-
iture of $500. With a family consist.
ng of wife and two children it is expe-
tent to keep house. This is the oppor-
unity of the tariff lord. To furnish the
itchen SS5. go cents will have to he paid
ut, of which sum $o9.,4 is tariff tax.
IN the cook stove alone. costing SIS. o.,
here is tariff tax of sic; on iron pans,
tax of 81. AZ; on dishes costing $40. a
TX Of $3.50. Passing to household
irniture, the mechanic. in furni hing
is dwelling, will find that in buying
ne heating stove at SIS he il paying a
TX of 81. on 80 yards of carpet cost
lg $40, tax of SO; on three sets Of
edroom furniture costing So. a tax of
1914. II lie spends So - 60 to furnish
is rooms. he will have raid tariff tax
Sj..6;. In the course of year he
ill spend some $50 at the grocer's, $50
which will be tariff tribute. But the
ousekeepr's wants are as numerous as
le holes in cornmeal sitter. lie will
ant hi.chet. costing 81, on which he
ill ray tariff tax of 81 cents: a file
,sting - cents, on which he paws ~
,nts tax; ha,ket, c osting 81, on which
Ie tax is so cents: grindstope, cost
Z 3, on viii h the tax amounts 10 20
nts; a spade. costing 30 cents. on
hich the tax is II cents. II he should
~ 90 pounds of nails his tax would be
cents. These are few of the things
e householder buys, and on all he is
xed. His rent even is higher by rea-
n of the tariff. as the tariff has en-
Inced the cost Of the materials of VIII ;ch
$ house was built. Anybody can see
at a reduction of tariff duties is de-
'abe. As the average rate now is
10 per cent it is plain that tine Mills
II is moderate in proposing, as it does,
eduction of but per cent. The en-
'e duty in Washing toms time was but
~. oa.A AL rhap tho nonnf-r rraa |