Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-12-02
New Light from a New source.


The Germania newspaper, published
in Milwaukee, recently printed an edi-
torial on the Mckinley law as it affects
some articles used extensively by the
Catholic Church in this country. A
translation of the article is herewith
given, to which special attention is
called:
A very interesting commentary to the
tariff question, or Mckinley bill, if you
please, is furnished by the world-knOwn
firm of Benziger Bros, in New York, Chi
Sundry articles for Catholics and the Cath
olic Church, and it is by Tar the most i'm
pOrtant Of the kind in the country. We
have before US printed circular issued by
this firm, in which prices are quoted for it's
goods. medals, md book marks, ETC.. in
particular. At tie head Of the circular
Benziger Bros say:
1.-THE duty on gold and silver medals
having been advanced to 80 per cent Gree
OF duty heretofore), it is impossible to inn
port them IN 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 them now at the
old price. Medals with the Immaculate
Conception on one side and Sacred Heart
of Jesus and Mary OH reverse" Here
IolIOWS lISG Ol prices WlIn designs OF Cn0
medals.
What, now, have our friends. the free
traders, to say to this splendid testimonial
for the Mckinley tariff? Political cam
palgn tim is certainly not the issue here.
For, being good Catholics, Benziger Bros.
are presumably full-fedged Democrats,
and it may be taken for granted that they
do not dream OF being DESTROYS of furnish
ing campaign documents to the protec-
tlOniStS. Nevertheless, it remains a fact
that better proof and argument IL favor
OF the protective tariff cannot very we'll be
adduced.
Whosoever is acquainted with the stupen-
dous extent of the Catholic Church in this
country can form an idea of the extent or
the trade in metals and kindred articles
The demand for 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 broker,
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 so
per cent. on these goods, and, if one were
TO judge by the assertions of the Tree
traders, the price Of the medals, ETC., was
raised fully One-half by the Infamous tariff
of the bad Mckinley. A medal, for in
stance, which formerly one could buy from
BenZlger Bros. for dollar, under the new
tariff would cost a dollar and half. 1t
would cost the same if the duty on it should
be genuine Democratic (revenue) duty;
that is to say if, by reason of there being
such duty imposed on it, the article could
not be manufactured In this country. It's
true, If such medals were not manufac-
tured here they would cost dollar and a
half, while their former price was only one
dollar. In their circular Benziger Bros.
state expressly that IN consequence of the
Mckinley Bit they find themselves unable
to import the medals ct the former price.
But from this it by no means follows
that the poor people, are now compelled
to pay more Tor the medals. Great mer-
chants like BenZiger Bros. are also good at
figures. Cheerfully they went to work,
had the dies for the medals made here.
and TOaO they MANUFACTURE IN their OlCn
american factories those articles 1OIlicb
they formerly imported from Europe
And through their circular they inform
their customers that they will continue to
sell OF 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 same to-day, notwithstanding the fact
that the bad Mckinley tariff has placed a
duty Of 30 cents on the medal The ''poor
people," therefore, have not been damaged
a cents worth by the Mckinley bill.
But what has been gained by the coun-
Try NEED we explain 1t? In the nrSG
place, the money which formerly flowed
to Europe now remains in our own coun-
try. That undoubtedly is great gain.
And it must not be supposed that this
money, which is thus kept in America,
remains lying idle in some American safe,
but, in the form of well-earned wages, it
finds Its way into the pockets of many
hundreds of honest workmen who are be-
ing employed in the factories of Benziger
Bros, and who did not have such en-
ployment before the passage of the Nc
Kinley bill. 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 agri-
culture. The whole United States thus
profit from 1T. And the facts as estab-
lished by the circular of this one firm ap-
ply also to hundreds of other articles,
which, by reason of the protective tariff,
are manufactured in this country by we'll
paid workmen. And the tin, about which
SO many silly things lave been said, falls
within the scope of this argument also.
The Presidential OUTLOOK.