Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-11-13
The New Tariff.

| Deen III operation louI WeoAe O"1 !"
has furnished a few avaricious and
thoughtless tradesman with an excuse
for advancing their prices for
goods, which great many people pre-
tend to have been stupid enough to &C
cept as genuine. The democratic
newspapers and free trade stump ora
tors have persistently and wilfully
supported this delusion and have thus
gained some votes for the party which
recognized no moral or political princi-
Piles beyond the principle of immediate
political profits.
But as far as the result of the cleo
ton relates to the tariff bill, 1t was ar
error of judgment caused by the adj
mission of false evidence to the jury.
Before another election takes place the
business world will have become &C
quainted with the business significance
of the measure and the sophisttcal
assertions of the free traders will haye
reacted upon their party with crush
ing force.
From this time forth every day will
bring new testimony as to the good
effects of this new tariff law. 1t is
not pretended that it is a perfect meas
ure OF the 5000 clauses some of
them will doubtless need modification,
some may demand repeal. 1t wouldbe
remarkably strange If bill effecting so
numerous and such diversity of i'm
terests should not be found defective
in some particulars. But in the main
we believe the bill will serve as model
for revenue legislation for years to
come. And we believe it will be general
ly approved by the people as soon as it
is understood by them.
II is broad, intelligent measure.
Changes have been made in the tariff
upon many articles but reductions are
far more numerous than advances.
On the necessities Of life duties have
almost invariably been cut down, while
the design has been to collect the rev.
enue necessary to to support the gov
eminent by slightly increasing the
duties upon the acknowledged Injuries.
The REFLECTOR is abont the only
paper i'll Kansas which has published
and sent to its readers the complete
tariff bill as finally passed by congress.
The bill as we Furnished it also shows
the new tariff rates rs compared with
the old, and careful examination OF
the document will completely and for
ever refute the false and malicious cry
of the free trader that the Mckinley
tariff bill furnishes any excuse what
ever for advancing the prices of the
necessaries of life. On the other hand
if the reducing Of the tariff has ten
tency to lower prices, then these demo-
cratic merchants should mash their
prices down.
So far as the new tariff bill entered
into the contest just closed, the repub-
licans fought for the great economic
principle of protection to American
industries.
II based its line of battle OH the idea
that This government was created pri-
marily for the people who live under it,
and that consequently its first duty
was to those people. TIL" republican
party said that the American people
must be better fed, better clothed, bet
ter housed ana better educated than
the people of any other nation or the
Republic cannot prosper. To secure
these things there must be more re-
munerative employment here than in
any other nation, there must be fewer
hours of labor and more money for less
time; and to secure that our laborers
must be protected from the oppressed
and ignorant, half paid laborers of
monarchical countries where they are
mudsills and not, as here, the main
stays of the government. Thus actua-
ted by these supreme duties to the
American Republic and the citizens
thereof, we entered upon this contest.
As the reverses of Bull Run and the
drawn battles OF Antietam and Gettys-
burg only made the loyal legiOns of the
north more valiant and determined
that victory and the Union should
ultimately triumph, so the temporary
success to the free traders, the inn
porters and the foreign manufacturers
will more fully arouse the people of
this country to the realization of the
fact that America should first look
after the interests of Americans.
The Wichita Eagle sizes up the stu
alton when it calls the attention of ex-
uniOn soldiers who voted for Willis. |