Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-04-23

ton that the cost of "clothing, dress
goods and farming implements" is in
creased by the imposition of tariff
duty. while the fact is that the exact
opposite is true. After thirty years OF
protection of wool growing wooden
cloth is over 80 per cent cheaper than
it ever was when admitted free
of duty. There never was time when
clothing, dress goods and farming i'm
plements were so cheap as they are
now.
Prints which cost and 10 cents
yard a dozen years ago can now be
bought for and 6 cents. Farming
implements are from Is to 80 per cent
lower than they were fifteen years ago.
Tin plate which our free trade friends
predicted would go so high that poor
people would have TO eat on wooden
platters, can be bought as cheap or
cheaper than before the Mckinley bill
increased the duty on that article.
If anyone wishes to ascertain how
little effect a slight increase Of duty
upon any line of clothing may have, let
him step into Faulkner's or Sterl's
clothing store, and he will find that he
can buy all kinds of spring clothing for
less money that he could one year ago,
before the Mckinley bill became law.
The reason is apparent. Foreign man
ufacturers do not any longer control
the price of American clothing. By
the aid of protection hundreds Of
thousands of spindles and looms are
run by American laborers and we are
able to furnish the principal part of
our own clothing. These home fac
tories have been able TO reduce the
cost of our clothing far below what it
was when we were compelled to buy
from across the water. The same suit
of clothe which the free trade editor of
our contemporary now wears about the
streets Of Abilene cost him only two
thirds as much as he could have bought
it for in the good old free trade days
"befo' the wah.'" We have only space
for one Illustration to show that the
price of an article which can be pro-
duced in this country is not increased
OF controlled by the amount of the
duty imposed.
The cost of a pair Of five pound
wooden blankets in England is $4.45.
American blankets OF precisely the
same weight and quality cost 500.
The duty is S425 and the custom house
fees 65 cents. If the free trade argu-
ment that the cost is increased by the
amount of the duty were true the poor
mans blanket should cost 1886 with
cost of transportation across the water
added, instead of $500. What is true
of the cost of blankets is true of all
kinds of clothing and dress goods.
CaIicoes upon which the duty is A
cents a yard can be bought for cents a
yard at Case s. Bishops.
1t will thus be seen that the reduc-
ton of the duty upon those articles
which we can produce in this country
will not necessarily affect the cost be-
cause the cost is not controlled III any
manner by the duty as it is i'll the case
of sugar and other articles which We
cannot produce to anywhere near the
extent of our want. The price of
clothing is not enhanced by the tariff
as is sugar, and consequently the plac-
ing of clothing upon the free list would
not materially reduce lis cost.
But the question of one cent more or
one cent less on the price of yard of
cloth is of small consequence to the
farmers and to all the people, com
pared with the incalculable adyan-
tages to all to be derived from the abil-
1ty of our own people to make and sell
our own clothing, dress goods and
farming implements. But this fea-
ture must be left for some future
issue.