Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-01-24
He WILL WEAR NO SOCKS.

A Protection Organs Comments Upon Hon.
Jerry simpsons "Free Trade Prejn-
dlces."
One of the favorite lines OF "argu-
ment" adopted by the defenders OF the
Mckinley law in the campaign last fall
was to point out that the free list was
larger in it than in any tariff since the
war. When the opponents of protection
ridiculed this boasted free list by quot
ing its provisions for free ''acorns, "
sassafetida " "ashes," "beeswax," ETC.,
the McKinleyites were wroth and
claimed that this was but another at
tempt by the 'British free traders" to
mislead the people by Disgusting from
them 'sthe strong points" of the McKin-
ley law.
No one expected that after the cleo
ton was over leading protection pa
per would undertake to show what a
narrow and unsatisfying thing Mckin-
ley's free list is; but the Manufacturer,
the organ Of the Pennsylysfiia MANN
sacturcrs Club. has just dassaprccisaiy
that service to the country.
Hon. Jerry Simpson, the Farmers
Alliance Congressman-elect from Kan
sas, wears no stockings and Jersey
City manufacturer sent him several
pairs, which were sent back with the
following letter:
Sir: Our forefathers refused to drink tea
because it was taxed 8 per cent, and held a
tea party in Boston to get rid OF the stun
have Just finished figuring up the tax upon
| those stockings and find that 1t amounts to
roper cent. will wear no socks till the tax
| Is taken off.
The manufacturer proceeds to com
ment upon this letter to show the diff
culties which the Congressman-elec,
will encounter if he seeks to be con
sistent and will use no tariff-taxed arti
cles; and it must be confessed that the
high protection organ does this in
way which would make the uninformec
reader suppose that the following ex
tract was taken from a 'free trade
journal:
As there is a heavy duty upon soap, nj
doubt the Kansas statesman finds pretex
for positively declining to use that article
finds his natural inclnations fitting in NIGEL.
with his free trade preiudces. But, If he Il
indeed going to try to live up to his princi
! pies it is difficult to perceive how he is goin,
to live at all. Nearly every article OF cloth
ing and the great mass of articles of food ar
subject to duties. and, therefore, his theor
ought to confine him rlgdly to use of materl
ais that are upon the free list. The attemp
of the Honorable Jerry to live within tn
boundaries OF the free list would excite UNI
ycrsal interest and curiosity He would, c
course, clothe himself with "hdes, raw
, incurred" with "asbestos" trimmings, per
, haps, and his diet would range from "acorns,
"acopite" and "assafctIda" to coil cake,
"caoutchouc," "verdigris' and "yams' In
:. Kansas Congressman is going to be pai
tcularly entertaining object of considerable
if he shall try to be consistent.
The Manufacturer should be col
+ graduated for showing up the limite
I character of the Mckinley free list
i. the Hon. Jerry" will follow its sut
y gestion that it should be consistent an
) will dress himself up in 'hides, raw c
a uncured," with "asbestos" trimming
e he will become, in this John the Bal
n tist garb, preacher of free trade
n such as this country has never seel
. The Kansas Congressman-elect, thu
!, rugged out in the precarious habilimen
IS of McKinleys free list, would not nee
o to utter one word against our hig
tariff laws: his very appearance woul
e have all the eloquence of voice
q . one CRYING in the wilderness"