Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-10-30

Daniel McKeever, the well-known
economist and New York merchant
writes his views on the tariff question,
as applied to wearing apparel, which in-
terests everybody, and particularly peo.
pie without great means Mr.. Mckee,
yer says:
The actual additional cost to the i'm.
porters on the various articles used
by men and women for clothing pur.
poses is from IS to so per cent moro
than under the old tariff, but the actual
advance asked to-day by tho importers
is only from 121S to 25 per cent. But
this is only for to-day, because no man
is willing, after his stock at low price
is closed out, and If he isto pay the adj
ditional cost on the new stock, to sell at
such small advance.
The enhanced cost OF all the cheaper
grades OF textile fabrics used by either
men or women will fall on those who
are less prepared to pay it, namely, the
poor consumers. Every article that
may be classed among the necessaries of
| ll1c kuOE0bS0u ONOK OO/B pOA SCAlu VA
an average, while the luxuries remain
about the same. The workingman's
wages are not and will not be increased
one iota, whereas there is not laboring
man in the country whose expenses will
not be increased from $50 to $50 year,
This may look very small to the mill.
ionaires, but $50 year to the working
man means thirty days wages given for
nothing, as the workingman's time is
his capital, and what he loses in time
means his loss OF capital Every
! working-girl who earns S4 or SIS
or $S o week will feel the in
creased tax, without dollar of bene-,
flt to her. The strongest advocate OF
the bill would not dare to claim that
shop-girrs wages would be advanced
from IS to SO a week because it will cost
her at least ST. week extra to clothe
herself, under the Mckinley bill as we'll
as she could havc done under the old
bill.
| The result OF the entire matter will
be that the consumer, and by the con-
sumner mean the working man, must of
necessity do with fewer goods and less
changes of clothing than heretofore. II
under the present rate of wages tho
workingman has been simply able to
keep himself and clothe his family, he
certainly can not afford to give thirty
days OF his labor for nothing to simply
keep himself as he has been doing up
to this time. 1t may be little while
before the working classes realize the
effect of the Mckinley bill on them,
but when they do realize that and see in
actual facts that which has hitherto cost
them IS will now cost So they will rise
en- masse and demand the repeal of such
an inquitous law, that not only fails to
protect our industries but imposes a
wholly unnecessary burden on the poorer
classes.
To-day they have practically prohib-
tied go per cent. Of the cheap classes Of
goods. The consumer of that 60 per
cent. must pay the enhanced value to
either the manufacturers or the import
ers. Dhe importer, il he has to pay the
enhanced value, must change his prices
accordingly. The manufacturers have
got to pay so much additional cost on
his raw material that he is no better off
than the importer, SO that the consumer
is the only sufferer
The cotton clothes worn by the farm
laborer, which heretofore paid duty OF
35 per cent, pays to-day lis per cent,
whereas the clothes worn by a million
aire are raised from so per cent. to 60
/ per cent.