Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-10-02
HON. ]. Q. SMITH
Writes an Address to the Farmers Of
Ohios
The Cause of the Present Depression In
Agriculture Clearly stated.-whAt
the Mckinley. Bills is, and
How 1t Effects the
Farmers.

Hon. j. Q. Smith, Of Clinton County, a
we'll known farmer and advocate of tar
i'll reform. After some preliminary re-
marks, Mr.. Smith writes:
Now, what is the Mckinley billP
What are its most marked provisions?
What are its results to be, IL passed?
What will it fail to dc?
The Senate Finance Committee Ia
Republican committee) reports to the
Senate that the Mckinley bill, as it
passed the House, will increase the
money to be collected on importations
as large as last year as follows: On
chemicals, oils and paints; on earths,
earthenware and glassware; on metals
and manufactures of metals; on wood and
manufactures of wood; on tobacco and
manufactures of tobacco; on agricultural
products and provisions; on spirits,
wines and other beverages; on cotton
manufactures; on flax, hemp and jute,
and manufactures Of the same; on wool
and manufactures of wool; on silk and
silk goods; on pulp paper and books; on
sugar and on sundries from $161, 40s, s46
to 5000, S44, OFT. This increase of duties
would amount, on 1894, 4S7, III worth of
goods, (the amount imported last year,
to $44,936, 131. This would be an in
crease in the average of tariff taxes on
all these goods Of from 41.34 per cent. to
$3.50 per cent. This is an increase on
the average rate of duty Of H. 46 per cent.
over our present enormously high tariff.
The increase in metals and metallic
goods is from 1924 per cent to 5261 per
cent, or an average increase of all
metallic goods over tie present rate of
14.37 per cent. If the Mckinley bill
should pass by the report of the Repub-
lican Finance Committee of the Senate,
the people of this country would have to
pay an increase of tariff taxes on metal
goods alone the sum of $7,2S1, 234. On
woolen and woolen goods alone the in
crease would amount to $14, AT, ,237. The
average rate on wool and woolens would
be increased from 5S 9S per cent. to rs so
per cent, or 1880 per cent. of increase.
On these two classes of goods our in
creased taxes would amount to $21, 75S,-
All.
1t is true that the bill, as it passed the
House, made heavy reductions in the
duties on sugar. But if that feature Of
the bill should be retained in the bill,
Judge Edmunds declares that by the
close OF the present fiscal year there
would be deficiency of revenue to sup
port the Government of $105, 900, 900. So
great has been the extravagant appro-
priations of this Congressl The sugar
duty must, of necessity, be retained in
the bill. Such are the general features
OF this most monstrous bill that the Re-
publican candidate in this district must
"take special pride" in approving. Every
figure l have given is of the highest au-
thority and furnished by the finance
committee Of Republican Senate.
The limits of this address will not
permit me to point out in detail the
changes that will be made in advancing
the tax on, and, consequently, the price
OF thousands of articles. A few must
suffice. The duty on tin plate-that is,
on the tin we use to make roofs, buckets,
cans and all the ten thousands of things
made of this increased from 1c a
pound to 2.2c pound. There is not
pound Of tin plate made in this country.
But the finance committee tell us that
the increased cost Of tin plate under the
bill would be So, 7S5, 352; and this is to be
done because few men in Pittsburgh
promise to go into the business of max.
ing tin plate If Congress will take from
the people this great sum of money and
give it to them. The real object Of the
increase of duties on tin plate is to en-
able the wealthy manufacturers of gal
vanized iron largely to advance their
prices on that article. We take special
PRIDE" say the Republicans of the Tenth
Congressional District in the Mckinley |
bill!
The duties on cotton ties are increas-
cd from 35 per cent. to 1O3. II per cent.
This n1onstrous increased tax is to be |
paid almost entirely by the freed men
of the South, who after being robbed
of the proceeds of their labor for two
hundred years by the slavery they en-
dured, for the benefit of their masters,
are now to be robbed by national law
for the benefit of few capitalists We
set them free at an immense cost of life
and treasure, and now it is proposed, by
law, to suck the blood out of them to
fatten trusts" and pools" that are
manufacturing cotton ties; and the Re-
publicans of this district can hardly
ind words strong enough to express
,heir pride" in it!
The duties are to be increased by the
dill on woolen yarn over 1921, 200; ON
women and children's dress goods the
luties will be increased 81, 974, sos; blank
It's, Hannels and hats are increased from
%. 10 per cent. to 11OS4 per cent; silk
roods-' 'luxuries" they are called by
he committee-are only increased LAO
'er cent There is practically no change
n the duties on liquors. There are but
few samples Of the provisions of the
fcKinley bill that the wounded and
isabled soldiers, farmers, mechanics,
eachers, doctors, lawyers, widows and
rphaned children of this district are to
70 asked 10 take pride" in.
But great pretense is made that it is
bill especially designed to promote
he interests of the farmer The rates
t duty, forsooth, are to be increased on
orn, oats, wheat, rye and barley, none
I which, except little barley, do we
yer import, (excepta few bushels for
eed), while we export hundreds of mill
ons Of bushels to sell in the open mar
L. - 46< 0u1I So. i