Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-12-11
shERMAN'S SOPHiSTRX.

He Voted For the Tariff Bill In tho Senate
and After the Waterloo at the Polls Can
Not Blame Dealers For Raising Prices In
Order to Make Money.
At the time when the Mckinley tariff
bill passed the Senate, Senator Sherman
made a very remarkable speech warn
ing the manufacturers not to take adj
vantage of the new conditions that the
bill created. Here is the press report of
this part of his speech:
Mr. Sherman closed his speech with some
words of warn ng and advice to the bene-
fici res Of the new tariff He was earnest
enough in his manner to indicate that he Is
not at all confident to the outcome of
the law. The great hing that stood in the
way of the success of the bill, he said, was
whether not the manufacturers of this
country would permit free competition in
the American market. The danger was that
the b-neficar es of the bill would combine
and cheat the people out of the benei Is OF
thu law. They were now given reasonable
and simple protection, and if they would re-
sst the temptation attaching to great a&
gregat!ons of capital to combine and ad-
vance prices, they might hope for a season
of great prosperity.
But Mr. sherman warned them that IL
they went into pools ana combin atoms and
made corners they would so offend the peo-
pie that the protective tariff would disap
pear with great rapidity. He di hope, the
Senator concluded, that the manufacturers
would open the doors to fair competition
and give its benefit, to the people. If they
do no., said Nj. Sherman. shall be as ready
to vote for the repeal of this law as 1 am
now ready to vote for it.
Since elections Senator Sherman has
been talking freely about the Repub-
lican Waterloo and the causes which pro-
duced it. In recent interview he said:
I have no doubt that the new tariff act
going into effect just before the election was
bad for the Republican party. The trades
III oil
| raise the prices of their goo DIS away beyond
! any necessity and beyond all reason. That, of
| course. must have had an injurious effect on
! the authors and sponsors of the law. And
| do not blame the tradeSmen. They only
! followed the universal law of trade in TAX
ing advantage of every circumstance out of
| which they could make little more money.
| The laws of trade would not by any means
| deter them from putting up the prices until
| they themselves were compelled to pay
| higher prices That the tradesmen of the
| country would do this might easily have
been foreseen. would myself Go just as
they have done. If had few building lots
for sale 1 would take advantage of any oc-
cur, ence. even of Democratic victory. to
enhance the market value of the lots and
put up the price.
Here the Senator was talking COM
mon sense. He knows the simple law
of trade that man who has something
to sell is not going to part with it with
out taking advantage of every possible
circumstance favorable to higher prices
What, in the light of the words just
quoted shall be thought of the Sena
tors warning to the manufacturers moi
to shake down the Mckinley plum:
into their laps? And what shall be
thought of a Senator who. knowing the
laws of trade, votes to give the manu-
facturers advantages which they art
kindly to refrain from selling? 1t i:
but another case of hang your clothe:
on a hickory limb, but don't go neal
! fbn tor