Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-03-30


saw, the grist mill and the threshing
machine all repealed, because he hears
their clatter, but his reason is too sin
gle and simple to comprehend their
utility. AS the Democratic party gets
broke to the tariff it dislikes it less
american Economist,
Sharp Answers to McMilin's Gross Mis-
statements.
The speech of Congressman McMillin,
who opened the tariff debate for the
Democratic party in the House of Rep
resentatives last Wednesday, was a sig
nal failure. We shall take at random
dozen of the free trade orators asser-
tons, and SHOW their falsity, and then
we shall drop Mr.. McMillin.
The speech began as follows:
L. Mr.. Chairman, the last Congress i'm
posed the highest tariff taxes ever levied
in this country.
From the last annual report of the
chief of the Bureau of Statistics we
learn that the average ad valorem rate
on duta BILE imports has exceeded 453
per cent. during ten different years.
The average ad valorem rate on ali i'm
ports under the Mckinley law is now
about 213 per cent, less than it has been
for thirty years. less than it was during
ten years of the Walker tariff, less in
fact than it was under our first tariff of
century ago. In 1866 the duty collect
ed per capita was $4.96. In 1882 it was
4.l2. For the four years preceding
the passage of the Mckinley bill it ex-
ceeded $3.50. During the first twelve
months of the new tariff it was less
than So. In 1882 less than 80 per cent
of our importations came in free. Now
81 per cent. come in free.
II. Mr.. McMillin says 'fhe tariff law has
now been in operation for one year and
five months"
Part of it has, but part has not. The
most important changes in the bill add
ed sugar to the free list and increased
the duty on tin-plate. The former took
effect less than twelve months ago,
while the latter has been in operation
less than nine months.
Ill. [ challenge any representative here
to point to a single line of manufactures in
which the labOrer'S wages has been IN
creased by that law.
How about plush, pearl buttons, lin
en-, cutlery and other industries estab-
lished or aided by the new tariff? Free
traders collect dozen instances of re-
duction in wages. They pass over every
reported instance of increased employ
ment and advanced wages directly
traceable to the tariff. The last annual
report of the Bureau of Statistics of La
Dor of New York State shows that in
1,94l cases wages were increased, while
in AL cases wages were reduced. 1t
further shows that reduction in the
hours of labor took place in 2,0S5 IN
stances, all of which should be counted
as increased pay. Could we present
the statistics from every state it would
be shown that the Mckinley bill was
indeed laborers' bill. Mr.. McMlIn
does not speak of the present condition
of the laborers of free trade England.
". The laborer has been forced to pay
more for the roof that shelters him, for he
hat that covers his head, and the woolens
that cover his back. He has had to ply
more for the linen he wears, the hammer
and hoe with which he works.
With one exception the price of ep-
erything Mr.. McMillIn names is lower
now than before the bill passed-in fat,
is cheaper than ever before IN our
history.
V. The act of 1883 imposed an a>>,. ge
rate OF 45 per cent. The two acts of v o.
which Supplanted it. have imposed In
average OF nearly 60 per cent.
The last figures at hand bearing IN
this statement are those ending Seq
TENDER so, 1891. During the twelve
months ending on that day our in
ports were valued as follows:
Ais, 2O3. 30
Total ,..,,..., 1882, Cos, o5
Total duties collected during these
twelve months. O4OR 90
If Mr.. McMillin cares to get at The
truth he can divide 1913, O40 02O by $41a-
2O3, 165, and he will find that instead If
our average rate being go per cent. it
was only AZ, while on the total imports,
the honest way of reckoning, it was only
% per cent, and is still less for the
calendar year 1891.
VI. 1t is true that fifty odd millions If
dollars was taken off the sugar tax. Bit
this was no free-Will offering, for the sane
measure provided for the payment f
twelve millions to the producers of sugar
as bountleS.
Government estimates are that the
amount Of bounties for the current year
will amount to $6, 793. 900, almost all Of
which will 90 to Southern sugar growers.
The Mckinley law is not a Sectional
law" as every Democratic tariff has
been.
VII. Again, while the fifty odd millions
Of tax was taken Off sugar, increase of dJ-
ties, amounting to about SiXty-fiVe millions,
was put on other things and generally On
the neceSSarles of life.
The amount of duties collected during
the fiscal year preceding the Mckinley
tariff act was 1926, $40, OBJ. During the
first twelve months of the operation of
the new tariff the duties collected
amounted to only SOS, 040, 020. 40-a de-
crease of $33, 500,017, and this will be
much further reduced under a whole
year with free sugar. Where is Mr.. Nc.
Millin's increase Of $65, 100000?
VIII. When an American citizen buys
here an article manufactured abroad he
pays for not only the original cost abroad,
but the cost Of transportation to this coun-
try and the duty collected at the port of
entry, and when he uses and consumes the
article he pays the tax imposed by the gov
ernment.
Why then have the Chemnitz hosiery
makers, the Sheffield cutlery manu-
facturers, the tin plate barons of Wales
reduced their prices to meet the in
creased duty on their wares? Why
does the Canadian sell his barley for
less than the New York farmer gets for
his? These people confess and COM
loi1 ho4 Jo