Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-11-27
A MADMAN IN CONGRESS-.


of purpose, and intentional truth
fulness. Granting this estimate OF
him to be correct, his utterances
upon the tariff question, An Published
in the Democrat of last week, are
explainable only on the theory that
the man il mental weakIing or "A
uaOnon,uniac on the subject. No
honest, truthful man, Of aceH but
uuced mind could make such state
ments as the following, which APP
pear over Capt. Bushnell's signature:
"High protective tariffs, that last
wear cost the five counties OF tins
congressional district nearly two and
a quarter millions of dollars, aud
the state Of Wisconsin over twenty
three millions of dollars; and under
which, within the last thirty years,
thirt\.,ne and one-half billions of
dollars, over oue-half OF the vast
wealth of this country, has been
wresled from It's producers, ana
piled up in the Golfers of less than
$4,000 individuals, were not hlgh
enough. The Republican congress
under the dictation of their leaders,
and monopolist masters, by The Nc
kinley bill, increased the tariffs on
dutiabie imports, on the average
about one-lhird. Under the false
pretense of giving US free sugar,
they take from the treasury many
millions annually, and give them to
the sugar trust, which has long been
paving 40 aud 50 per cent. dlVl-
bends yearly, to It's many tunes mt
lionaire members"
lie -ays, "lIigh protective tariffs
last year cost the five counties OF
this district nearly two and a quar-
ter millions of dollars" If this be
true, then there was consumed by
the 1875 900 people of this district
last year elecen million, eight hun
dred and t,oelge thousand and fye
hundred (Sll,Sl2,5oO) dotIars north
Of imported goods--over seventy-two
dollars worth for every mau, woman
and child, or more than three hun
bred and sixty dollars worth to each
wage Garner, estimating one wage
Garner to five of population, Bust
ness men agree that fifty per cent.
for profit, transportation and other
expenses between importer, jobber
ami Wisconsin retailer OF imported
good, may be fairly estimated
Starting with that basis, mathe
malical calculation To arrive at the
final cost of imported goods &c
Wisconsin consumers, paying a tar
if of $2,250,00O (asSuming the av-
eruge rate to be 40 per cent? results
as follows.
Cost at sea board in Europe s 5,62b,ooo
Add duty or 40 per cent. ~'~oo'ooo
Cost. tariff paid ..................s 100000
Add 90 per cent for profit aud
transportation. ....,............S $4,000
,ost to consumer in Wisconsin. 81, Sl25oo
These figures uncontestibly prove
that the tariff could not have cos
the people of this district two anC
a quarter millions last year, except
they consumed Sll,Sl2, $500 worth o.
dutiable goods, which is beyonC
belief by any one not cro,ed ON The
subject of the tariff.
Even upon the fallacious theory
that the tariff operates to enhance
the value of articles of domestic
production to the extent of the duty
on like foreign articles, Mr.. Bush
nell's assertion appears scarcely less
ridiculous. lie is out of accord
with his party if he estimates the
tariff to affect the prices of agrlcuI'
tural products, Go be of any benefit
to the farmeD; therefore, 1t cannot
be that any part of the S2,25O,OOO,
which he says the tariff costs the
people of this district annually, Is
paid ON our -four, meat, vegetables,
butter, eggs, fruit, fuel, etc. No
part of it is paid on coffee, tea, OF
kerosene oil, because these articles
are on the free list. The amount
paid on sugar IAN average of =
cents per pound) he appears to think
should be continued as the demo
cratic Mills bill provided; that
surely he does not class as part of
,he great robbery. So that the
whole extra cost of s2,25o,0oO
IS1q 80 In each of the 1865, 900 peo-