The Indianapolis journal., 1890-10-16
THE TALK ABOUT POLITICS
Ideas Taken from the Workings of the
Tariff Free-Traders Ought TO Read.
Democrats Growing and Swearing Secretly
AbOutthe Operations of the Election Law
Their Big Three on the County Ticket.


A retail druggist, proprietor of one of the
best downtown stores, was asked what
effect the Mckinley bill would have upon
prices of imported articles to his customers
1t viii make no difference whatever" was
the reply. "in the retail or prescription bus
mess. The New York importers are using
the new tariff law to some extent to induce
patrons to buy now and In larger quanti-
ties. They are interested, of course, in
stimulating their trade. 1t is also used to
some purpose In advancing prices on arti-
cies which they have perhaps been selling
at too close figure. But these advances,
where they are paid by the retailer will be
too small to affect the ultimate purchaser.
Twenty-Five or fifty cents, or even q dollar
or more on dozen bottles of imported per-
fume would not add any thing to my selling
price. In all lines of toilet articles Ameri-
can-made goods fairly rival the best inn
portations. My opinion is when the people
understand this tariff they will be thorough
ly satisfied. A great deal Of breath is be-
has come to stsy The Political oil campleSion
OF the United States Senate cannot be
changed during this century. So we have
ten years, at least, In which to give
this new tariff trial. Protection has
serious disturbance of that policy would be
felt no sooner and no more seriously than
among the working people of this city.
whose savings are going week after week
into the one hundred and twenty building
and loan associations Disturbing the ex-
listing state of things may be to the interest
of a few Democratic free-traders. but it Is
hardly advisable to jeopardize the interests
OF an entire community to advance the
success of a handful"
Its very clever thing" remarked a
machinist, yesterday, 'fOr a mugwump
newspaper man to sit in his stuffed chair
We have got tired of tin-bucket and pearl
button demagogy. ] paw S. a week into
building association. and am in an industry
that indirectly feels the benefit of a tariff.
l want to be let alone, and in less than
year from now will own the house In
which live"
THE Mckinley bill nor any other bill has
had anything to do with the advance In
Shoes" said West Washington-s street shoe
dealer yesterday. I'm fact. so far as the
customs of Indianapolis retail shoe-houses
are concerned there has been no advance
nor is it likely there Will be any. There Is
to dealers an advance of from to 10 cents
pair on low and medium priced goods. We
get no more on that account. our profit being
curtailed just to that extent. 1t would
be better policy for the free-trade papers to
attempt to convert Republican dealers than
to waste time on the customers. who are
unhurt and who will not be hurt. How
ever they would fare but poorly with shoe
dealers as the advance came long before
the passage of the Mckinley bill, leather
having advanced without any reference to
&t-A l<x.xx "A
ably needed to move up a little. A two:
dollar pair of shoes will continue to retail
at g, and there will be no advance on
workingmen's shoes at S1.25."
"How about the advance in rubber
goodss" inquired the reporter of dealer
yesterday.
II have made no advance in my goods"
he replied. There is o scarcity of Para
rubber, and the price of the crude article
has advanced to manufacturers. There is
no tariff on rubber. but there is on the
home of rubber manufactures and we beat
the world. My experience is that foreign
goods of rubber do not give the satisfaction
that our American-made goods do; it IS n
matter of climate or something of that
kind. One thing / cannot understand Is
that rubber goods should be sold by manu-
factureTs near the old price, nOtwith-
standing the advance in the crude ma
terial." The reporter was then introduced
to the agent of the Goodyear Glove Com
pany. This gentleman, who has been con-
nected with the company nearly thirty
years, is Democrat. The ad-
vance on, Para rubber" said he.
within the year. has been 20 per
cent, but our prices have advanced very
little. Competition keeps prices down.
There is greater competiop in all lines of
rubber goods than In any other line of man
ufacture."
A real-estate man calls attention to the
fact that there has been a very marked ad-
vance in indianapolis real estate during
the past year, and he wants to attribute it
to the Mckinley bill. 81 have sold," he
remarked, more real estate in the past
three months than before in year. and if
factories all at work and the employees lay
ing up money right along. look for next
year to be the greatest year of home-buy-
ing that this city has ever known"
The three Democratic candidates on the
county ticket for whom nearly all the work
of the committee is being done and whose
individual efforts are largely at the ex-
pense of the other nominees are Taggart.
Wilson and Backus. The first named has
made fortune out of the auditors office,
but wants to secure another in the next
four years by reelection. Wilson is con-
Quoting the clerks office under a contract
with the County Commissioners, which, he
admits. is of no legal force, and Backus is a
candidate for treasurer with the consent
of Taggart and Wilson. What affects him
must necessarily, by political connection
and bossism, affect the other two. BackuS
has such longing to live on the public
that. when defeated for the nomination for
county clerk. he entered into conspiracy
with Taggart and Wilson to push Osterman
off the ticket for treasurer when. up to the
last moment, it was understood and ac-
cepted by the Democracy that Osterman
like turning the wheel of fortune in
Backus's favor. with Osterman as the vic
tim to be plucked. That is bossism as il is
found in the courthouse.
Democrats from those in authority to
the curb-stone orator. avoid committing
themselves to an opinion concerning the
probable result of the election by saying
they know nothing about it. 1T is all
guess work. you know" said one of them
yesterday. 'I don't think any one can give
an estimate OF prediction that will come
near what is accruing to the benefit of
either party" When one hears Democrat
talk that way something is wrong with
party discipline, and the reports to head
quarters of the canvassing cOntingents are
not satisfactory. The farmers have thro wn
the exulting Democrats off their base line,
and at the committee-rooms of the latter,
when the question is asked, How is the cam