The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1891-12-05
The Germania Newspaper op the
Operation Of the Mckinley
Bill.
Nice Example of the Stimulating
Effect Of the Robber
Tariff.
Catholic Medals and Kindred Ar
ticles to be Made at Home
Hereafter.

The Germania newspaper OF Milwaukee,
which saw tit to oppose the republican
ticket last fall, prints an editorial in re-
gard to the practical effect of the new tar
if law touching some articles that are
extensively used by the Catholic churches
in this country. A translation of the edi-
torial is given below, and stronger en-
dorsement of the Mckinley bill could
hardly be written; and even the firm to
whom the Germania refers - Benziger
Bros. democrats, have kindly done the
country a splendid service, in showing
how the .'robber" is stimulating their
business. The article, to which specii.
attention is called, is as follows:
"A very interesting commentary to the
tariff question, OF Mckinley bill, if you
please, Is furnished by the world. .knowr
firm of Benziger Bros, in New York,
Chicago and Cincinnati. This firm deals
in sundry articles for Catholics and the
Catholic church, and it is by far the most
important of its kind in the country. We
have before US printed circular issued by
this firm, in which prices are quoted for
its goods, medals and book marks, etc, in
particular. At the head of the circular
Benziger Bros. say:
"'1he duty on gold and silver medals
having been advanced 80 per cent. tfree or
duty heretofore) 1T is impossible to import
them in the future and sell them at the
old prices. We have therefore begun the
manufacture of medals In our New York
factory for chalices, etc, and having made
new dies with correct English texts, we are
prepared to make t EN- now at the old
price. Medals with the immaculate con-
ception on one side and Sacred Heart of
Jesus and Mary on reverse. Here follows
list of prices with designs OF the med
ais.
"What. now. have our friends, the free
traders, to say to this splendid testimonial
of the Mckinley tariff? Political campaign
tin is certainly not the issue here. For,
being good Catholics, BeIziger Bros are
presumably fuIl-hedged democrats, and it
may be taken for granted that they do not
dream of being desirous of furnishing
campaign documents to the protectionlsts
Nevertheless, it remains u fact that a
better proof and argument In favor of the
protection tariff can not very we'll be ad.
duced
"Whosoever is acquainted with the stu
pendous extent of the Catholic church IN
this country can form an idea OF the extent
of the trade in medals and kindred arti-
cles. The demand Tor them is enormous,
and as long as not subject to any duty they
were imported from other countries. Vast
amounts of money were thus drawn from
our country. The importer and the brok-
er, of course, derived an adequate profit
from this source, but no benefit accrued to
even single (American) laborer.
The new tariff has imposed duty OF 30
per cent. on these goods, anu, II one were
to Judge by the assertions of The free
traders, the price of the medals etc, was
raised fully one-half by the infamous tariff
of the bad Mckinley bill. A mccall, for in
stance, which formerly one could buy from
Benziaer Bros. for dollar, under the new
tariff would cost dollar and a half. II
would cost the same If The duty on 1t
should be genuine democr atic (revonue)
duty; that is to say If BY reason OF there
being such "a duty imposed on i, the
article could not be manufactured IN this
country. II is tue, If such medals were
not manufactured here they would cost a
dollar and half while their former price
was only one dollar. In their circular
Benziger Bros. state expressly that In con
sequence of the Mckinley bull they lind
themselves unable 10 lmpor. the medals at
the former price.
But from this it by no means allows that
the poor people are now compelled to
pay mere for the medals. Great mer.
chants like Benziger Bros. are also good at
figures. CheeItully they went to work,
had the dies for the medals made mere,
and now they manufacture III their own
American factories those articles which
they formerly imported from Europe.
And through their circular they inform
their customers that they will continue to
sell at the old price the goods which they
now themselves manufacture In this coun-
try. In other words, those who formerly,
when there was no duty ON the medals,
bought one Of them for dollar can do the
came to-day, Notwithstanding the fact that
the bad Mckinley tariff has placed duty
of so cents on the medal. The poor peo
pie" therefore have not been damaged a
cents worth hy the Mckinley bill.
But what has been gained by the coun-
try? Need we explain it? In the first
place, the money which formerly flowed TO
Europe now remains In our own country.
That undoubtedly If grea gain. And 1t
must not be supposed that this money,
which ia thus kept in America, remains
living idle In some American safe, but III
the form OF well earned wages, it finds lis
way into the pocket of maLy hundreds OF
honest work men who are being employed
In the factories OF BenZ.ger Bros, and who
did not have such employn ent before the
passage of the Mckinley cill. These
workmen again must pay their taxes
the money earned by them accordingly
flows into the channels which keep alive
American commerce, American industry,
and American agriculture. The whole
United States thus profit from it. And the
facts are established by the circular OF this
one firm apply also to hundreds of other
articles, which. by reason of the protective
tariff, are manufactured IN this country by
well paid workmen. And the TIN, about
which so many silly things have been
said, falls within the scope of this argu
ment alse.