The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-13
SOME REPUBLIC ANFAcTs ANDDAT

Hon. George L. Douglass discussed some
of the campaign issues and among other
things the Democratic talk about tariff.
He made some points which should not
be lost, and read some letters in which
the public are interested and which we
here reproduce. He said:
GA year ago you were told that the
Mckinley bill would ruin the western
people; that the farmers would have to
sell cheap and pay more for everything.
And shrewd merchants, with view to
getting rid of old stock, took up the
Democratic CRY and assured us we had
better buy all we needed at once, for
prices would be away out of sight when
the Mckinley bill took effectl So great
was the din that even old-time Repub-
licans mistrusted their own judgment in
the matter. But the whole thing turns
out to have been a political fabrication,
as any man can now ascertain for him
self.
II have been making little inquiry
on my own account. We are practical
people, and what you and l want to
know is the effect upon us of the McKn-
ley bill; and am here to say that the
effect of that bill, as a whole, has been
to materially reduce the cost of living
to every family in Kansas. | went to
the Johnston & Larimer dry goods COM
pany-the largest wholesale dry goods
| house in this part of the country-and
asked about the "rise in prices" and
l hold in my hand their reply. After
stating that silks, velvets and linens
Ghings that you and buy very little of
are higher, they say:
1.-THE prices of wooden goods 1--WE refer
more particularly to domestic woolenS)
are noticably lower than at this time
last season; for instance, certain grades
of ounce western made flannelS, the
iobbing price of which last year was
271 cents per yard, are selling this year
at 22t cents per yard; and in no instance
are these grades of woolen goods higher.
''In this connection we may state that
we have Just executed a contract for
supplying the Kansas State Penitentiary
with about $4,000 worth of wooden
stripes, at prices averaging about a
cents per yard less than the prices at
which we sold them only year ago;
and at that time prices were figured
down to the lowest point.
"With reference to cotton goods we
would say that on nearly the entire line
of domestic staple cotton goods prices
this season show a decline of from 5 to
y per cent.
"We infer from your letter that you
wish to ascertain the general effect of
the tariff of 1890 upon the prices of such
dry goods as are in general use in this
and other western agricultural commu-
mites; and therefore. taking into consid-
Grafton the fact that of the different
classes of dry goods in general consump-
ton in this state, staple cotton and wool !
en- goods constitite the greater bulk (per |
haps S5 per cent. of the whole) and that !
silks and velvets and linens comprise |
only small percentage of the total |
consumption, we may safely say that on |
So per cent. of the general line OF dry goods |
in daily use by the people west of the |
Mississippi river, prices average from 4 |
to per cent. lower than they were a |
year ago, or before the change Of the i
tariff. Yours Respectfully,
The JOHNSTON & LARIMER DRY GOODS Co |
Per w. w. Johnston. Jr., Sec'y.
1t seems to me such a statement as
this, by one of the largest and best busi-
ness houses in Kansas, of actual facts, is
worth hours Of mere political buncombe
and debate.
Having learned something about the
effect of the law upon dry goods, went
to the Wichita Wholesale Grocer COM
pany, one of the oldest and largest con-
Germs in the state, and inquired about
the effect of the law, if any, upon the
vast range of articles included in the
family grocery bill which you and have
to pay every month, and here is the
reply.
WICHITA, Kan, Sept. %, 1891.
Hon. George l.. Douglass. City.
DEAR SIR-In answer to your letter of
the 23rd inst, we would say, that so far
as our business is concerned, the prInci-
pie effect of the tariff law of 1890, is
reduction in the price of sugar which is
now a little more than cents a pound
cheaper than it was last year. We do
not recall any article that we handle,
except beans, that is selling at anv
higher price than before the new law
went into effect There may be in the
future a very slight advance in canned
goods. But taking articles handled in
BUR business as a whole, including sugar,
and the effect Of the law is q decided re-
1uction in the costs of the neCesSaries Of !
ife. Yours respectfully,
WICHITA WHOLESALE GROCER Co.
But they say. "tin has gone uD!' SO
{ has, just little. The dutv on tan
plates was increased one and two-tenth |
,ents & pound. Take an average two
quart tin preserving can for IN stance. J
md you will find it weighs nearly half
)ound, and the increased duty on the tin {
ised in making it would be little less {
han siK-tenths Of cent Well, suppose {
Tour wife wants 70 put up twenty quarts $
Il preserves; she buys ten Of these cans,
nd not less than twenty pounds OF sugar. !
Assuming for sake of argument that
he has to pay the whole increase Of
luty on the tin. and she will pay SIX e
ents more for all the cans; and she viii G
ave Just full forty cents on the sugar. :
he net saving. therefore, 20 your pocket ]
n that little transaction by reason Of q
he Mckinley biH x over thirty -four t
ents; and the six cents temporary in =
rease on tin, II paid At al, means {
larger output Of American
niues, more employment for American Il
r5rkmen. and all the advantages 10 you
nd 10 me that come from the upbuild-
ng Of another great industry on Amsri- 9
an Soill !
What shall we say 20 the dOlsful and :
alse predictions with which the zir was :
aden by the enemies OF the Republican :