Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-04-09
The-Republican Tariff.

The-Republiean Tariff.
1t is ga tariff for protection, with Incl
dental revenue" such as the republican
platform promised and as all republican
speakers pledged themselve to make if th,
people would restore them to power.
1t is as iniquitous and oppressive law al
has ever been proposed since the foundation
of the government. Every corporate anc
capitalist interest that "fried out" finds its
reward in the bill, which strikes at the hard
earnings of the laboring poor in every page
Here are few instances, hastily culled,
The changes from ad valorem to specific and
in other ways in the form of the duties laid
make the bill puzzle, which only experts
can finally unravel with much trouble and
waste of time.
The duties on cotton and woollen mate
rials are raised heavily along the whole line,
but those on the goods used by the laboring
masses are invariably-so far as we can see
made to pay higher duties than are put
on the more costly goods used by the rich.
The duty on wool, unreasonably high at
present, is heavily increased; the duty on
woollen yarns is doubled, and the duty on
blankets and woollen stuffs is doubled and
on some of the cheaper qualities, those most
used by the poor, is nearly trebled. On
some of these goods in universal use the
duty is run up to one hundred and fifty per
cent. So, too, the cheaper kinds of carpets
have their duty heavily raised.
Houses are made dearer by the increased
duty on lime and cement-double the pres
ent rates and by increased duties on brick
and tiles and by higher duties on glass The
poor mans kitchen is made more costly by
increased duties on pottery aud on glass
ware, that on common glassware being in
creased in some cases more than hundred
per cent; the poor mans clothing and bsd-
ding are made more costly by heavily in
creased duties on blankets, coatings-in
fact, on all that he and wife and family wear
or need to keep them warm in winter or
cool In summer. The poor mans shoe bill
is increased by the duty on bides, which is
laid to keep an ante-election bargain Of the
committee with some Western
hide men. On common window glass, such
as lights the homes of the farmers and me-
chancs, the duty. already up to from sixty
to one hundred and sixty per cent, is heavi-
ly increased.
On penknives, pocket knives, razors and
that class of cutlery, the duty, already aver
aging fifty per cent, is increased to from
sixty.five to two hundred and fifty per cent,
and again the highest rates are levied on
the cheaper goods used by the mass Of the
people. Table cutlery, now taxed thirty
five per cent, is raised to from fifty to one
hundred and fifty per cent. Guns, now
thirty-fiv per cent. are to pay from fifty to
two hundred and fifty per cent, the higher
duties on the cheaper goods.
All kinds of buttons are raised from fifty
to two hundred and fifty per cent. and tag
gers iron, their raw material, is raised fifty
per cent. Clay pipes rise from the present
rate, thirty-fiye per cent. to seventy per
cent. On matches the match trust will be
delighted to see the duty doubled. On
wool pulp for printing paper, Mr.. Warner
Miller's specially, the duty is also doubled.
On cotton ties the duty is nearly trebled
to encourage the negro cotton raisers. On
hoop iron it is largely increased, and on
boiler and other plate iron there is an in-
crease of about forty per cent. because Penn
sylvania ssfried out" On railroad bars
there is a decrease of So per ton-evidently
some railroad corporations ''fried OUT"
Leaf tobacco (Sumatra). now paying
thirty five to seventy-fve cents per pound,
is to pay from SO to $2.75 per pound, so
that the cigarmakers must get their wrap
pers at home.
Tin plates are doubled-and mp goes the
canning industry. Ga bottles the duty is
increased fifty per csnt-and up goes the
great mineral water and beer bottling in
dustry. On glue there is large increase,
as also on all paint oils, linseed, faxseed,
poppy seed and on paints, all which makes
the poor mans house dearer once more.
1t is for the benefit of the great mass of
poor in our gaeat cities, we sup
pose, that the duty on oranges, lemons and
lines has been trebled.
Because the New England manufacturers
were saucy enough to ask for free wool,
coal and iron ore they are punished by an
increase of twenty per cent on steel blooms
the bases of all steel manufactures of that
region-and another increase of ten per
cent on chair cane, which is now free, and
which is extensively used in New England
A great number of articles now on the
free list are made dutiable. 1t is for the
benefit af the laboring poor, of course, that
fresh fish, now duty free. are to pay a cent
a pound duty; that the noble cabbage must
pay three cents duty, about one hundred
per cent; that apples are to pay twenty. five
cents per bushel, onions forty cents BUSH
e!, dried apples two cents a pound, cider
five cents a gallon, eggs five cents dozen,
macaroui and vermicslli two cents pound.
All these and many more provisions con-
sumed by the masses of the people have
been on the fres list, but are now to pay a
heavy duty.
Straw, now free, is to pay So ton. Pop
py seed oil, now free, is to pay thirty cents
a gallon Pepperment oil, now free, is to
paw 81 pound. Teszles, now free, must
pay thirty per cent. Aluminium. now free,
is to pay thirty-five per oent-some Penn
sylvanisn evidently is going to try to make
it. Cancels hair, now free, is to pay elev-
en- cents pound. These are only fair sam
pies of bill whose all effect will be to make
the rich richer and the poor poorer; which
in every part is ingeniously coutrived to
enable trusts, corporations aud capitalists
to fleece the mass of the people, aud which
yet only redeems the pledges of the repub
lican party in the Presidential canvass.
We are curious to know Mr.. Allison g
opinion of this measure. Mr.. Mckinley evi.
IDENTIFY does not believe that "the conditions
have changed IN. Y. Herald, april 2nd.
The victory which thsrepublicans obtain
ed by their now openly confessed ''trade" in
New York, and which they could not have
got without trading Governorship for a
Presidency, is likely to be fatal victory for
them They are in deep water. The peo-
pie everywhere begin to compare the four
years of quiet, prosperity and peace all over
the land under democratic management
with the turmoil, restlessness and increas-
ing decentralization and disorder which at
tend the republican reinstatement; and as
the people want before all things peace, or
\ Al -.