St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-28
TARIFF TAX TABLETS.

The treasury will soon be wanting a
subsidy as badly as do the ships.
The farmers tariff may he rather in
elegantly but expressively said to have
received a Blaine clout.
The Philadelphia Record is confident
that if the Mckinley tariff bill should
pass, the chief nations Of Europe would
boycott American products, a move
ment to that effect, initiated by Ger
many, having been agreed upon by
France, Austria, Italy and Spain. Such
a result could scarcely be avoided. since
the Mckinley bill is not merely war
burden on our own people, but is also,
in effect and intent, an act of war on
the commerce of the world. American
cattle. hogs, breadstuffs and provisions
are to be shut out of the ports of Europe
the farmers tariff" How do the
farmers like it?
The Judge has commenced lampOOn-
ing Secretary Blaine. In its last issue
there is cartoon showing Mckinley.
wooing the Republican party, while
jealous JIM" as the carto0nist puts it
"a pretty name, by the way, for one who
was for years the party'S idoD, leans
over the wall, with senile, longing
face and the old cooked hat of the
knight, without its plume. 1t is not to
be forgotten that Russell Harrison, the
presidents Son,is one Of the pr0priet0rs
of Judge.
The Madison Democrat gives the fol-
lowing Intelligent explanation Of the
practical operation of the Mckinley bill
in case it becomes law:
The careless and unthinking do not
dream what the Mckinley bill means.
They pay little heed to legislation. The
details of a tariff bill are too complicated
for their understandings and the bill is
purposely made untelligible SO that it
can be hustled through congress with
out its iniQuities, inequalities and
crudities exposed.
But soon after its passage. if it be-
come law, they will begin to feel its
grip. When worsteds rise in the market
some % to so per cent in cost, they will
then learn that it was the enormous in
crease in the tariff. When woolenS
jump up about One-quarter in price,
they will then see how shreWdly the
wooden men invested their money in
Quay's Doodle fund.
The Mckinley bill is intended to raise
dress goods in price, the tariff being
raised from 621a to 9214 per cent. Ordi-
nary linens, for wearing, table and
housekeeping purposes, go from gen.
eral rate of 35 per cent to irregular rates,
none less than SO and some as high as
rs per cent. There is business done
in this country in domestic collars and
cuffs amounting to $4.000,000, while the
total imports are less than $500, 900; yet
the duties on these are made
prohibitory. The duty on buttons is
a curiosity. On four qualities specified,
it ranges from l4S to 210 per cent: while
on the pearl button of commerce, Of
which the largest quantities are sold,
it rises in one case to 500 per cent.
Spectacles and eyeglasses now bear a
uniform duty of As per cent, under
which manufacturers are flourishing !;
the bill raises this to IS per cent as the
lowest, aud 335 per cent as the highest,
according to quality. The enormous
increase on firearms and cutlery, and
the addition of 125 per cent on tin plate,
have been dealt with in detail in these
columns. Among grocers' supplies, it
is significant that there is not one item
of reduction, while the increases of
duty are many and severe. The almost
pr ohibitiye tariff proposed on fruits,
both fresh and dried, must add i'm
mensely to the cost of living. And
these are but few illustrations of the
practical meaning of the Mckinley bill
in dollars and cents, taken from the
mass of facts presented by the I'M
porterS' report. (