Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-10-05
Charles Broaa.sav Rouss on MeKinIe.


Mr.. Charles Broadway Rouss, the great
dry goods merchant of New York was re-
Gently interviewed BY a reporter. Speaking
Of the Mckinley bill land no man is better
qualified to Judge of the good or i'll of that
measure than Mr.. Rouss), he said;
Il don't believe that you can fud single
man in the dry goods trade who, when
speaking his honest convictions, will say
that the Mckinley tariff act has put one
dollar in his pocket or in those Of the peo-
pie dealing with him.
81 am opposed to the Mckinley tariff be-
cause you will find without single excep-
ton those things that are used by the
American workingman cost more to day
than they did before the passage Of the bill,
while articles that can be purchased only
by the rich have either not changed in price
or cost less than they did prior to the pas
sage of the bill. | may mention, among
other things, buttons, pearl buttons, and
other cheap buttons, such as you would ex-
pect q poor man to use, have been protect
ed by the Mckinley law, while the finer
buttons, such as agate aud porcelain, remain
as they were ProtectiOnists say we cannot
manufacture the latter in this country. Any
man who sells large quantities of buttons
will tell you that it is impossible for US to
meet the demand for pearl buttons unless
we import them from abroad.
THAT which / say of buttons is also true
of cutlery, such as knives, shears, &c Mr.
Roass said further "Clocks, haudkerchiefs,
linen goods generally, stationery, musical
instruments, cheap jewelry, millinery silks
indeed l could take you through one floor
of my establishment and show you l,OOO
things in everyday use by poor people that
now cost them a dollar, but which before
the Mckinley law went into effect could be
bought for fifty cents On another floor
can show YOU q great number of articles
that only the more prosperous are able to
buy, which can sell to-day at, if anything,
lower price than before the Mckinley bill
was passed.
1T is simply tax of from so per cent.
up, all Of which the millions and millions
Of people of this country have to pay in
order that dozen or perhaps less number
of manufactures may profit and they do not
pay one penny more wages than they did
before the passage of this BILL The injury
that has been done to this great country oil
ours. it seems to me, is as plain as day.
"A man discusses the tariff every time he
puts his hand in his pocket" Mr.. Rouss
went on. 1T touches him on that tender
sensitive nerve. When he has to pay one
dollar for what ought not to cost more than
twenty-five cents, he naturally asks himself
why this is so. And it is this very thing
that has set the intelligent people
thinking and that will continually keep
them from being humbugged by such men
as Mckinley, Harrison and Ried, who are
inAicting a burden upon the poor people in
order that few monOpOists may be bene-
fitted.
Another article which we can never
hope to produce in this country, principal
| " on account of uufayorable climatic con-
ditions,and which has been taxed to point
where we cannot bring it in is yelyeteen, OF
the quality used alone by the middle and
poorer classes"
Mr.. Rouss said in conclusion, They are
now compelled to buy inferior cloth OF
home manufacture at much higher price
At best under the Mckinley Bill, we can
only hope to build up a factory here and
there. We give employment in each Of
one Of these factories perhaps TO 200 peO-
pie and in order to do this we have placed
a most exorbitant tax upon 100000. Dc
you see the fallacy of the argument Of the
gentleman from Ohio? If by putting on a
protective tariff we could build up factories
enough to bring about a healthy state Of
competition, a competition which would
eventually prevent monopoly, that would be
all right; the more The merrier, for the
benefit would eventually fall upon the poor
people But as the protective tariff is reg
ulated at present it simply benefits few
while it increases the cost of living for The
many"