New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-23
BTGH-PRICED CONCERNS.

In BrOcktOn, Mass, according TO press us
match, at wellknown clearinghouse the
nrice of board has been raised so cents per
week on account Of the Mckinley bill. n
boarding house keeper so gifted should certain
" be patronzed by all good Americans. They
know that the sugar duty removed counts Tor
many times as much as the duties added on
potatoes and all other food products. But
Americans are of course anxious to buy where
they can pay the highest possible price. All
know that this is National popularity.
Therefore, it will doubtless be exceedingly
helpful to snndry firms to be advertised in
sheet printed for Democratic campaign dis
tribution, as gh-priced concerns, which plum
der customers wherever they have a chance.
The people of this country enjoy being lmpu-
IDENTIFY plundcred who doubts it? These firms
took care to import quantities OF certain for
eign goods prior to the passage OF the new
Tariff bill. They paid the old rates OF duty
and not a penny more. They have on hand
enough of the goods imported at the old rates
of duty to supply the probable demand OF their
customers for months to come. Now they take
care to advertise that they will be obliged
70 charge their customers higher prices to
correspond with q new rate of duty which they
have not paid.
The American who sees fit to deal with such
firms evidently wants to he plucked, and is in
a fair way to have his wish. The names OF
firms which thus take care to e1tort the last
cent they can for goods without even decent
excuse will be gratutously advertised at the
expense of the Democratic party and very
properly. About half of them may be recog-
nized by their names as not Americans IN
lineage, and very likely not in citizenship, so
that they may be highly patriotic in striving
TO transfer az much American money to foreign
bank accounts rs possible, and this is in str'ct
accord with Democratic principles. AS there
arc only about two dozen of them mentioned
by name, and their places OF business are scat
tered all over the country from Boston to Kan
sas City. extraordinary pains having obviously
been taken to get together as many OF them
rs possible, an enormous trade is theirs. as
,uming that Americans prefer to be plundered.
Nothing is said in this Democratic campaign
sheet of the many other firms which adver-
ise in this and other cities that they are sell
ing their goods at the old rates, as they are in
honesty bound to do, having paid as yet not a
cent of increased duty. Firms of that kind
are not truly Democratic. They endeavor to
command the respect and confidence OF the
public by fair dealing and honesty, and that
does not serve the ends of a party which works
for foreign against American interests. 1t is
barely possible that some American customers
who are not in love with extortion may prefer
to deal with people who sell at fair prices.
Melancholy as it may appear, firms of this kind
arc so numerous that eI6ry customer can hnd
them if he plcases, 49, some of them will
doubtless be enriched by their timely invita-
ton to the mean-spirited public.
The election is not far away. The men who
serve foreign and Democratic interests by their
advertisements will contribute literally, no
doubt from the money which they compel
their customers to pay, in order to defeat an
American tariff for the promotion of foreign
industries. But after the returns have been
counted it may appear well to these people to
handler to the tastes of those Americans who
want cheap goods and honest dealing. The
chances are that sundry of these yOciferOuS
price raisers will then be reducing goods to the
old figures. But even then they will not be
ahead of certain English and German manu-
facturers, who are even to-day offering goods
through their agents here at reduction just
sufficient to balance the increased duty Strange
that men should be 50 regardless of Free. Trade
theories