Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-06-26

| not be one there until after everybody
q Augusta had read IL.
Wages and Pnces.
IL has come to be a sort Of pastime
with free trade speakers aud editors to
take up the different articles Of farfn-
era home and tell him how much he is
ia xed on each one Of them by this rob
Der tariff when they can get an
audience Of farmers to listen 10 them,
they are happy, and they reel off the
figures in bewlidering manner, calcu-
| lated to make the average farmer think
that " will require the bank account Of
a millionaire to pay Tor the plain APP
pointments of his humble home. But
| they are very careful 10 avoid telling
him just what he does pay for these
tariff taxed" articles "a compared with
| their price ia free trade days. They
| c0utiue themselves to per cents and tell
him that he is taxed 50 much per cent on
his sheets and pillow eases, 80 much on
his brush and comb, 40 much Oh his trou-
.ers, his hat, his gloves, his harness, his
wagon, etc, etc. This dazzling array of
percentages may do for the free traders
to conjure with, but they don't fool any
Intelligent farmer. He knows what he
paid for the articles themselves, aud ii
he Is old enough to remember back to
free trade times, he knows what similar
articles cost then, although their quality
was much inferior to those which the
farmer has ut the present day.
But II prices are examined with care
it will be found that not only all the
articles which the farmer buys, enumer-
ated above, are much less than for
merry, but hardware. furniture, gro
eeries, farm Implements, dry goods,
musical Instruments and hundred
and one other articles are not only
less in price than formerly, but OF far
better quality. The farmer to-day buy,
a standard 5uekeye or other flrst-elass
mower for $3.50, which formerly cost
him sS5. cuitiyators, plows, pumps,
harrows, corn shelters, buggies and car
riages are NIL reduced nearly or quite
ope-half as compared with former years.
Ten years ago standard graduated sugar
was Il IL cents per pound, now It is
only : cents. Kerosene oil Of l75 test
was then 81 cents per gallon, aud is now
but II cents Flour ton years ago sold
at $40 and sl2 per barrel, and to-day the
same grades can be purchased for s5.7j.
trockery ware, teas and tobacco have
been reduced from q to - cents from ten
years ago. Readers who need convic-
tion on the above points, If they do upt
themselves remember prices now and in
1ss0, have only 70 step into some large
retail grocery or hardware store, aud IN
quire to-day's prices, and then ask the
merchant to turn back to his books aud
see what his prices for the same articles
we're ten or a dozen years ago. The
general reduction on stocks of dry goods
has been from b to 33 per cent. In
clothing, boots and shoes. watches.
clocks aud cutlery the same per cent Of
reduction has taken place 4 pair uf
blankets which cost s12.00 fifteen years
ago. can he bought today for 5000 and
at sl6.00 then, can be purchased now for
$3.50 to $500. The price of furniture
has been reduced from p to 30 per cent
or in other words, bedsiead which cost
from 500 to $500 dozen years ago.
eau now he bought for $50 or even
less parlor organs have been reduced
% per cent.
This Is only one part OF u most encour-
aging story for the working man, fog not
only can he buy things cheaper now than
he could in free trade or Democratic DAYS
before the war, but his wages are stead
lily advancing. According to statistics
carefully gathered by The United States
Department of Agriculture, the working
man finds that under protection wages
are advancing, and their purchasing
power Is much greater than it was under
| free trade.
While we are far frem believing that
our social order Is perfect, and while we
recognize that there is yet much
inequality aud injustice i'll the
! distribution of burdens and rewards,
| We are firmly convinced that
the most searching examination of the
records will show that upon the whole the
inequalities of life are becoming less. the
condition of the working man is better
thsn formerly. and that much of the
increased production of civilization goes
to labor. Labor is better paid now than
1t was ten years ago. The workingmen
of this country were never more alert to
their Interests than they are to-day, and
their movement for less hours of labor
aud better pay never has commanded
the interest aud the sympathy that it
commands to-day. The workingmen OF
America were never so intelligent as
they are to-day. and that means both
that they deserve more and that they
know how to get more. The working
man is winning on both sides of tn
! question, more hours to himself and
better wages on Que side AID cheaper
living on the other side 1t is douhiy
false, then for any enc TO assert that tbs
ieve,epement of the age is not henefitlnl
, The workingman. Now why should MOI
the farmer and the worsSingman be fully
in sympathy with our present tariff
policy, siaoe directly and Indirectly Il
has demonstrated It's benefits to thes.
large and intelligent classes,
OR. Wo0DBuRrS lHTlDoTE