Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-10-23
Increasing Prices.

1t cannot be said that Republican
Congresses have ever been deaf TO the
complaints and grievances real or I'M
afiininary. of the favored manufacture
ers of the Northeast. Whenever they
grumbie, Congress listens. When they
complain that they are making pr, fits
of onlv 10 to 10 per cent. in their hnsi-
ness, Congress asks how it can help
them make % to- 40. When they say
the tariff is tno low, Congress is ready
to make 1t higher. When they say
the tariff is too high on certaih things
which they need to buy, Congress
makes it lower, or removes it entirely.
If they say that they cannot make
money fast enough by selling one dol
lars worth OF goods for 81 50, Congress
promptly revises the tariff and increases
the duties so as to compel the people to
pay 81. 10 for the dollars worth; and
when, after time, this exorbitant
price fails to satisfy their ln"rdlnate
greed, Congress revlses the tariff gain
and increases the duties SO as 10 ena-
BILE them to sell dollars worth OF
good for S1.So.
The wooden manufacturers have been
complaining for some time past that
the tariff which protects them did not
protect them sufficiently; it was not
high enough. The Mckinley bill
therefore makes it higher. 1t increas-
es the duty on wooden and worsted
yarn from 20 per cent. To 49, per cent.
1t increases the duty OH one grade oi
worsted knit goods for underware and
women and childTen's dress goods
from 73 per cent. to 40 per cent on
another grade from IS per cent TO HI
per cent; and on third grade from 6I
per cent. TO 129 per cent. Under the
new law, therefore, the same quantity
of knit goods that has heretofore been
sold for S1.73 will cost $40; the same
quantity of another grade that has
been sold tor S1.76 will cost S2.16; the
the same quantity of another grade
tuat could be bought for 81 6S will cost
S2.47; and the same quantity of anoth-
er grade That could be bought for Sl.67
will cost So
Then there are the manufacturers OF
cotton ties; they complained that the
duly was too low for them TO IN aae As
much money in the business as they
thought they ought tC-and so the bill
increases it from 30 per cent. to l04 per
cent.-nearly trebliDg it. OF course II
is pretty severe on cotton planter to
make him pay - "a tor one dollars
worth of the iron bands he must have
to bind his bales Without the manu-
lecturer must be Accommodated, even #
the Southern planters who use cotton
tise, and Western farmers who use
binding Irvine have TO suffer for 1t.
Next in order are the cotton manu-
fatcurers. They asked for more pro-
lection and they get it in an increase
of duties from 40 per cent. to go per
cent on some kinds of goods and from
40 per cent. to 100 per cent. on other
kinds.
The manufacturers of rubber goods
were net overlooked. They all live in
the favored NortheaSt-mOst of them
in the IA ored State of Massachus cts
and when a body of wealthy Massa-
chnsetts manufacturers make artquest
of a Republican Congress it is received
with special attehtion. The rubber
goods people asked for n stiffier duty,
and, of course, they get it. for the new
law gives them power to exact 81 80
for every dollars worth of rubber gar
ments they sell.
But, while Republican Congresses
take such good care of Northeastern
manufacturers, and spend 10 months
of long session in devising n law to
increase the prices Of their goods, who
ever heard of Republican Congresses
paying heed TO the grievances or farm
ers and enacting laws to increase the
prices of their crops? When did Re
publican Congress pass bill to raise
the price of wheat from 20 cents to ST.
40 a bushel, corn from 20 cents to 40
cents, hay from s. to SO ton, and
cattle from 8 cents to 6 cents pound?
1t Is replied that it is not the bust
ness of Congress to double the price of
wheat, corn, hay and cattle; that these
things must take their chances in the
market, and the Government has no
right to interfere and make consum-
efs pay more for them than they are
worth; and this is true; the Govern
ment has not the right to double the
market price of wheat, corn, hay and
cattle. But has it any better right to
double price of tin buckets, calico, cot
ton goods, undershirts, blankets and
cotton ties-.St. joseph Ballot.