Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-08-23

he reads a chapter from his Bible
taxed rs 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 40 per
cent, and covers himself with a
blanket that has paid l04 per cent.
Gwen the broom with which his
good wife sweeps the floor is taxed
50 per cent, and the cooking vessels
used in preparing the husbands
frugal meals are taxed AZ per cent.
She sits down to her sewing ma
chine with needle taxed IS per cent.
and a spool of thread taxed "a per
cent. to make a calico dress taxed
So per cent; or if she wishes to
knit warm pairs of socks to pro-
tect her husband and children from
the bitter cold she uses yarn taxed
1870 per cent"
The object of this shallow circu-
lar is to make the farmer believe the
free-trade theory enuncisted 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. A common
flannel shirt costs in England 3s. 3D.,
or 81 cents. The cost here would,
therefore, be nearly double, or $l.68.
The actual price is 81.
A common suit of clothes costs in
England 3Os., or $3.50. The cost
here, therefore, would be $3.50.
The actual cost is $3.50, same as in
England. An all-wool $40 suit such
as that exhibited by Major McKin-
ley costs e., or $40, in London.
In England common boots cost
6s. (Sl.50) and fair ones los. ($2.50).
Instead of costing one-third more
here the price is 1925 for we'll
made brogans and $3.50 for fair
boots.
A IS. Cd. ia cents hat in Eng
land can be got here for 81, and it
does not cost nearly 50, as asserted.
A tin bowl costing l0d., or 20
cents, in England can be got here
for about the same price, or at most
25 cents On the other hand,
kitchen utensils as whole are
cheaper in this country than in Eng
land, our ingenuity in making such
articles being greater than it is In
England
A cheap cotton towel in this tax
ridden land, quality for quality,
cost less here than IN England. The
Press can prove this to the satisfac-
ton Of all.
The lie about thread is a stale and
Improbable one. Here is what the
Grafton Linen Mills, who have
places on both sides of the Atlantic,
say on the subject: "We sell a
large proportion of the product of
our mills at Grafton, Mass, at prices
that are as low absolutely as prices
obtained in Britain for similar
qualities made at our mills in John
stone, Scotland" Wages here are
100 per cent. higher.
All knit goods are cheaper here
than in England, especially Jerseys
such as women wear. So are the
commoner grades of stockings and
socks.
American farming implements Of
all kinds airs exported and sold il
competition with English. They
are better, more ingeniously made
more durable and cheaper than the
farming implements of any country
in the world.
American cutlery is imported by
and sold in England. Does no
this prove that the price is not hi ID
er than in English cutlery? Pottery
and window glass cost 0ne-tbirC
what they did when we depended
on England to manufacture these
articles for us. The difference in
the price to-day is not the duty.
Sugar is a Democratic industry
and rice "taxed" 1O2 per cent. i.
carefully ignored. The Republicans
repealed half the internal tax on
tobacco in 1888, and would have re
pealed the balance last session only
| Speaker Carlisle refused to reoog
nize Judge Kelley for this purpose
What folly, therefore, to talk about
1919 per cent on chewing tobacco
In Free-Trade England the work
man pays 1900 per cent. on hi:
tobacco.
Blankets vary in cost here from
81 to So q pair. The retail price in
England is practically the same
and the blankets compare favorably:
that is, a pair of So blankets here
would cost about Gl, its equivalent
in England. The Government, in g
recent purchase of blankets made
abroad, discovered the difference il
the price was only 30 cents a pair