Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-02
The Ladies Don't See How the Nc
Kinley Law Will Help Them.
PRICES ARE THE FIRST TO RISE
And That Salaries will Follow is Just Now
Matter of Faith.
BESSIE BRAMBLE WILL WAIT TO SEE
rwnrrrrs FOR THE prsrAroH.l

tai philosophy, political economy, Amciic-
an literature, constitutional jurisprudence,
geology, English history, American history,
analogy, moral science, New Testament his
tory, mathematics, elocution, composition,
rhetoric. chemistry. music. with, of course.
the fundamental common things Of read
ing, writing, arithmetic and geography and
grammar.
In addition to this imposing array of
learning there were lessons in manners and
department, and all that is considered ''good
form" in society. Coming from famous
institution of learning such as this, where
thousands of dollars had been spent to make
her cultured and intelligent woman, and
capable of filling, as supposed, the highest
social position to which she could be called, it
was not little surprising to hear this hand
some young woman say to an intimate
friend, "What is this blamed tariff they are
all talking about anyhow? They all make
an excuse at the shops for raising the
price of everything until positively know
shall be busted long before my next al
lowance is due"
WHAT EDUCATION AMOUNTS TO.
These elegant remarks from one who had
graduated in Belles-lettres, art and science
including Political Economy-showed
what vast deal of money can be spent to
little purpose upon the education of girls,
and revealed how small is the smattering
that most of them receive in such knowl-
edge as pertains to their everyday life.
But since. this society girl did not in her
study of political economy learn anything
of the tariff at school, it is quite likely she
will have some practical knowledge OF it
drummed into her pretty head at home here
after. Her income is a fixed one-it does
not 60 up with sliding scale as prices ad-
vance, and her lesson of economy will have
to be learned, unless she happens to marry
man whose pockets will stand the
strain. If she knew what the
tariff meant, she might be able
to ''pick her man" accordingly.
This shows the Importance of being we'll
grounded in the matter of political economy.
a knowledge of the advantages and disad-
vantages of free trade and protection would
be of value to them in the momentous mat
ter of marriage.
MUST WATCH THE WAGES.
Until all wages and salaries are so ad-
justed as to rise with steep tariff, which
raises the prices of almost everything q
woman wears save calico, it is evidently to
her advantage to find husband whose for
tune is increased by the tariff for protec-
tion. If, under the Mckinley bill. she
now marries a man whose wages do not go
up to meet the prices. she will be further
away from a sealskin sacque, silk gown, a
plush wrap or handsome cloak this winter
than ever. There will be less hope that she
will be sumptuously attired in purple and
fine linen every day. There will be less
chance now for lace curtains, handsome
carpets, and the elegapcies of life. More
L L. -s1
handkerchief, gloves, and even corsets and
buttons.
1t is true, as Jay Gould wisely says from
millionaire standpoint, that if the tariff
raises the price of clothes. man can ''get
even" by wearing only one suit year in
stead of two, as heretofore. The same ad-
vice will serve good for a woman. II the
tariff raises the prices of what she wears she
can keep Square" by wearing her summer
duds all winter, or her winter things" all
summer. Or II that does not suit her fancy,
she can wear calico, instead of silk or al
paca, cotton velvet instead of silk or plush;
use bone buttons instead of pearl, cotton
handkerchiefs instead Of linen, limitations
and shams instead of the real and good
quality of anything.
THE EFFECT ON WAGES
This philosophy OF Jay Gould may not be
Jy
the lesson Of the hour to those who have to
make both ends meet on fixed incomes, and
to those whose wages will not rise in meas
ure with the increase of prices. American
workingmen get high wages as compared
with the toilers in other parts of the world,
but when these are shaved down by raised
prices it Is evident that some further DOCTOR
ing of statesmen is needed to Sc
cure the apparent and ultimate
advantage. The tariff secures high
wages say Brother Blaine, Speaker Reed,
Congressman Mckinley and other top-notch
statesmen, but if the tariff raises prices, and
invites the competition of hundreds and
thousands of Huns, Italians and the low
down labor of Continental Europe-to say
nothing of foreign plants of manufactures
coming here, where they can compete with
this country without the bar of the tariff
how are wages to be kept up, let alone to
rise on sliding scale with prices?
II women in the mass-and even those
who have been graduated in political
economy-know little Of the tariff and its
working, it may be said that they are
matched by the most of men. 1t would
seem that common sense would tell them
both that blanket could not be made
longer by cutting piece off the top and
sewing it on to the bottom. Men who have
brains use them to little purpose when they
do not see that system of legislation
WHICH ENRICHEs ONE CLASS
at the expense of all others is violation of
the law of equity. They use them to little
avail when they do not see that a system
which imposes tariff that raises prices for
home people and admits cheap labor free to
enter into competition with their wages is
bogus sort of protection. 1t is admitted by
most that the tariff will not raise wages.
They are regulated by the law of supply
and demand.
What seems strange is that workingmen
do not appear to see that what really lessons
their wages is an increase in the price of
food and clothes. If they get So week |
more than foreign worker they fondly |
imagine they are deal better off than he is, |
but if they by system of trade restriction |
raise the price of food and clothes to the |
same figure, they are NOT whit better off in
reality.
A man who has studied up our new tariff |
bill and has given his mind to its figures |
says that from the ''first to the last line it |
discriminates against the poor man." He |
uses the "fggers" to show that on articles !
used by mechanics, farmers and working |
women the increase of duty is larger than that
on the goods used by the rich by from 20 to
30 per cent. Doubtless, he sarcastically |
adds, the working people will be glad to
pay this advance, SO that the millionaires
can make more millions. They will be
quite willing to "chip in" this extra so that
philanthropists can establish libraries for
the benefit of foreign towns. (This seems |