Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-07-06

at cost Of % cents a thousand. Such
improvem ents have been making con-
stantly in the American watch business,
and they have finally resulted in plac-
ing the American watch in Cheapness,
quality and beauty away beyond COM
parison with any other watch on
earth"
A Sharp Answer to Very Foolish Reso-
luton.
The Democratic platform condemns
everything Republican, of course, and
this is what is says of the tariff:
We denounce the Republican system Of
protecuOn as a fraud-the labor Of the
great majority Of American people for the
benefit of the few. We declare it to be a
fundamental principle of the Democratic
party that the federal government has no
constitutional power to impose and collect
tariff duties, except for the purpose of
lection Of such taxes shall be limited to the
necessities of the government when
honestly and economically administered.
Do the Democrats give illustrations
of how the tariff has proven q fraud?
No. DO they give instances which show
as a N after of fact that the tariff has in
creased prices? No. So the issue is
one of facts. Here are some facts from
the New York Tribune which the Demo-
CTdLS WHO are 30 Tree 10 ueuOuuCo Inc
tariff as fraud, should study: New
and higher duties were imposed by the
Mckinley tariff upon certain products.
But those products actually cost no
more, and In many cases even less, at
retail to-day than they cost before the
new and higher duties were imposed.
This is ithe fact as to worsteds, dress
goods, and nearly all woolens that are
largely imported; it is the fact as TO cut
lery, cotton ties, steel ingots and beams,
and imported products Of iron it is the
fact as to tlnware, pals, pans, cans, and
all utensils made out of tin. Other illus
trations of the same general truth could
be mentioned in great number, but one
suffices to test the principle as we'll as
many.
"Within forty-eight hours after the
new tariff went into effect agents of for
eign houses were offering wooden goods
in this market, on which the duties had
been advanced, at exactly the prices
paid before the advance in duties. The
foreign maker or dealer Immediately
reduced his price exactly as much as
the duty had been raised, in order to
keep American customers by selling
here at the old prices. Who paid the
additional duty in that case? Not the
American consumer, who obtained ex-
actly the same articles at the same price
as before. There is not boy or girl in
the land fit to attend common school
who would not see at once that in such
case the whole increase of duty was
paid by the foreign manufacturer or
dealer, 80 that the additional duty
taxed foreigners only and Americans
not at all.
"But before long Americans began to
supply many WOODEN goods which had
not been made in this country at all.
These goods were offered at exactly the
price formerly charged for similar for
eign goods, but on account of some SUI
periority in the quality or finish the
homemade goods began to gain the
preference. In some cases the foreign
goods were entirely excluded from the
market, and are no longer imported.
In other cases the foreign goods were
again reduced in price, so that they are
sold here for less money with the new
merly cost with the old and lower
duties. The foreigner not only paid
all the additional tax, but part Of the
tax which American consumers had
! been accustomed to pay. There is not
| a man in the dry goods trade who can
not name SUCH instances, in which for
eign goods cost less than before IN spite
of higher duties, and other instances in
which foreign goods have been entirely
excluded from the market by American
goods, the latter being sold at the price
formerly paid for the foreign. 1t IS the
same way with many kinds of cutlery,
| and American steel beams can now be
bought for less money than was paid be-
fore the duties were levied. The en-
tire demand for cotton ties is now sup
piled by American makers, and yet the
| price to consumers is lover than 1t ever
was before the duties were increased.
'These and thousands of similar facts
will be forced upon the attention of
voters during the coming months. If
| Democrats rely upon the refuted theory
that the consumer must always pay the
duty, or if they attempt to get through
the campaign with misstatements about
| nricas they will have q hard time ,,