The Forrest City times., 1891-12-25
OVER THE sHoDDY LINE.
wssam sk-r-s Store Furnishes Tirst Glass
 Democratic Arguments.


 wsaamsk-r's Store Furnishes TIrss Glass
 Democratic Arguments
 Few Republicans discuss the effect of high tariffs with the candor of Mir. Jay Gould who made the naive sug- gestion that the way to get along un- der the Mckinley bill is 10 buy one suit where formerly two were pur- chased.
 Occasionally. however. there are found others whose knowledge of business is greater than their interest in politics who frankly state the effect of the new tariff law Mfr. J. H. Taylor a correspondent of an Ono paper recently met some men of this class in an unexpected quarter name Iy. in the Philadelphia establishment of Postmaster General Wanamaker. Conversing ~ith one of the salesmen. Mr T. asked how much the Mckinley bill had advanced the price of goods in his department The salesman said the goods had been marked dp twenty-five cents a yard The ad- vance. he said. restricted the sale of the goods. as they are now out of the reach of many who formerly bought them. and others had been driven over the line which divides these goods from the shoddy article.
 In another part of the store Mr. Taylor exhibited hat which he wore and asked how much more he would have to pay for a hat Of that kind than before the Mckinley bill passed He was answered thatthe advance was tl. 70. The salesman did not see any thing wrong about this. ..lf you wear that kind of a hat you ought to be made to pay for it said he
 There is another Illustration of the assumption by those who make and sell goods of the right to determine what others shall buy. The purchaser is vassaI at the mercy of few who manufacture goods that are undesira- ble either by reason Of defective quail ity or excessive cost Those who choose to wear something better must be made to pay an unreasonabiy high price Those who cannot stand the raise are forced to take an inferior article Some who formerly wore wool are now driven over the shoddy line. The goods which they are thus compelled to take may be insufficient to protect the wearer from the inclem- ency of the weather The change may mean disease or death to the buyer; but no matter. the domestic manufacturers must have the home market The market is not for the many who buy. but for the few who manufacture
 This system has not even the poor defense thas it is necessary to enable the protected manufacturers to main- tain themselves. Senator Sherman admitted this in a recent interview. He complained that the Eastern man. ufacturers are constantly making an effort to insert themselves into the tariff question where they need no protection. He should not it Is true have limited this remark to the East ern manufacturers for in his own state there are manufacturers of pot tery glass and other articles who need no further protection but who. never theless worked Major Mckinley so successfully as to obtain large advances in tariff rates after which they pro- ceeded to form trusts and to reduce the wages of their employees
 The notion that consumers are so many vassals whose interests must al- ways be sacrificed at the suggestion of small ring of petted interests hcs taken powerful hold on the minds of the persons with whose interests it harmonizes. It shows in a clear light the utter rottenness of the whole the ory of legislation for class interests, and the impossibility of confning it within any definite limits Under such a system the poor consumer is contin- ually liable to be driven over the shoddy line. "-Courier Journal.