The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-07-13
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The time has come when the friends of the
mckinley bill are beginning to feel that they
are no longer upon the defensive. When
tnat measure came before the public IL was
preceded and enveloped by cloud of lies
such as probably never assailed any other
measure ever passed by Congress. The lies
were baseless. but there were some circum-
stances, like the unusual rise of prices last
fall, which seemed to give countenance to
some of them. The bill not having been in
operation its friends were not in position
to give facts in its support. All they could
say was that there was nothing in the bill to
cause the great calamities predicted by the
Democrats. This satisfied most thoughtful
men; but many were swept along by the
force OF the misrepresentation Today the
friends OF the Mckinley bill are able to meet
these Misrepresentation with the facts about
the actual operations of the measure; and
they are able to deny the two cardinal asser-
lions OF the enemies OF the bill The first of
these assertions was that it increased the
cost Of the manufactured goods used by the
poor man." The second was that 1t was
blow to commerce and our export trade.
Facts show both of these assertions to have
been utterly false. 1t is manifestly difficult
to compare prices from one year to another.
and equally difficult to use them in a discus
sion of this kind. Some articles little used
on which there have been large increases of
prices, may be inserted In averages to prove
almost anything that the disputant may wish
to prove; or there may be skillful use of
increased prices of articles of use where that
haG
causes not at all related to the tariff. For
instance, no one would attribute an increase
of the price of -four or beef to the tariff, for
the wheat crop and the condition of the
Western cattle ranges are the obvious causes
of such fluctuations. Since year ago there
has been rise In the prices of most articles
OF food, except In sugar, of which we do not
produce much, and the price of which has
lowered directly by the Mckinley bill. But
these increases Of price are generally caused
more by supply and demand than by tariff
regulations. But on the other hand the free
traders may claim that fluctuations in the
price OF the "poor mans blanket" and the
"laboring-man's dinner pail'' are the results
Of tariff legislation; and if the prices of
those manufactured neeessaries of life are
now higher upon the whole than they were a
year ago. there is a presumptive case, at
least, against the Mckinley bill. As we
have said before it is difficult to make a sat-
isfactory comparison of prices. But the bids
which the government opens for supplies
for the Indian bureau afford an unusually
good opportunity for making an accurate
comparison. The government buys for cash,
and its competitions bring out the bottom
prices each year. The bids for this year
have just been passed upon. and the pur-
chases made. The result shows that out of
several thousand manufactured articles
comprising wooden, cotton and linen goods,
clothing for men, women and children, boots,
shoes, iron and steel, including house hard
ware, agricultural tools, implements and ma
chinery, tin ware, ETC., the prices, instead of
averaging higher than they were year ago,
are lower. Last year at the time the bids
were opened the Mckinley bill was not
through the House, and therefore had not
had an effect on prices. This year 1t had
been in operation long enough to show its
complete effects. Now the poor mans blank
ct is cheaper than ever before. Every year
the government buys many thousands OF all
wool MacKinac blankets. Ten years ago
THESE blankets cost the government $552
par under the tariff of 1867. Last year, I'M
ueL Tue tariff of 1883. blankets of the same
Ts,sn', out OF finer qualits. cost $3.50 pair
80 go, seai 'ne Mckinley price, for blank
S SsS ~ .ne same size and weight, but of still
tha 49, Ssy' ID So'5l pair. So much for
49, p .pao.o "I pisnket In the price of tin
a mo .neie IS snght advance. as has been
expected put nothing such as the free trade
orators have been claiming. The tin onsrt
dippers bought by the government this vsar