The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-09-17
The protective

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system, honestly and judiciously applied,
Is the greatest boon 10 workingmen
found I'm the volumes of economic his
tory. The aim Of the Golden club free
trade democrats Is To make the opposite
appear. In the bitter discussion Of
various items I'm the Mckinley tariff bill,
for instance, the matter of duties on
linens has been taken up by democrats,
with the cool assertion that an increase
of such duty is merely for the benefit Of
monopolist manufacturers and Of the
rich who are "cloth.ss in purple and fine
linen. The brazen and designing falsity
of this position may be shown i'm hum
dred different ways, but In none better
than by review of communication TO
a recent number of the Dry Goods ClTon-
icle, signed "Flaxman," i'm which IL is
shown that the cost of labor in the linen
trade of Ireland is about one-third Os the
whole cost OF production. Hence, IL
needs from - To 35 per cent. above the
present protective duty on raw material
here To enable us 10 equalize the wages
between factory operatives in lrellnd
and I'm this country. "A duty of $50 per
ton on flax is equal To about 25 per cent.
duty on linens. but, as proposed In the
bill before congress, 60 per cent. and 90
per cent. is placed on manufactured lin
ems. i'm which case we would be abb, TO
compete successfully with imported tin
ens.' At present raw silk is admitted
free of duty, with 80 per cent. on manu-
featured silks, while flax pays dutr Of
$50 per ton, which makes the duty
.on manufactured linens less taan
on silks. The Mckinley bill pro-
poses to rectify this unjust dis
elimination in favor of one article of
textile manufacture against the other.
Under the proposed duty adjustment on
linens We have the assurance from piac-
teal Irish manufacturers that they will
no longer Dc able 10 supply our wants
unless they transplant their business to
this side OF the water, and il is no secret
that some of them have been here for
some time with the view of negotiating
for good sites on which to erect linen
mills the moment the Mckinley bill is
passed. 1t is important for them 10 Sc
cure sights convenient to where the max
grows, and no doubt Minneapolis, Mimi,
will be chosen as the favored spot for the
first linen mill that will be erected under
the new regime. But if we are to import
flax, To push business at once on large
scale. it is not unlikely that mills will be
erected within ten or fifteen miles of
New York on the Jersey coast or
wherever good soft water can be OBJ
tanned adapted 10 retting the flax. This
rctting process and cutting system have
been two great stumbling blocks hitherto
toward the establishment of the linen
industry here, and, if we are rightly in
! formed, modern science has discovered a
way of rctting FAX more eXpeditiOuSly
! without in any way injuring the fber),
and with greater economy than Is re-
required by the old process. and If ii is
! found 10 work well in practice then we
! shall have made a long stride forward.
! Objections have often been raised against
! our hot summers and cold winters as inn
! pedimcntS To the successful growth of
| flax and of gathering il at an OppOrtunc
season. but Russia is great flax grow
! ing country, and there in the same lati-
| tudc heat and cold prevail As intensely
as in the United States. Ii takes 10000
! looms 10 produce the linens that are at
] present consumed i'm the United States,
| and yet there are only 400, or at best 800.
! looms actually working or making goods
of this class i'm Ireland now. If this
! trade could be kept AT home it would
| employ between 80. 900 and 40. 900 people
| and bee a source of great wealth 10 our
! country. The efforts of the free
trade missionaries have lately been es.
| pecially directed among the farmers of
the northwest, and it is confidently
claimed that the people Of the west are
against tariff which they regard as
| almost wholly for the benefit of the east.
! But by this showing it may be seen that
! the west will be the great beneficiary OF
an increased duty on linens. This is the
| flax growing country. and it is here that
| the great linen mills of America will be
/ hpflt