The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-22
A CONFESSION OF WEAKNESS.

The present tariff campaign in congress
IL confession of weakness on the part of
the Democracy. The debate opened with
the reitsration Of the campaign lie OF 1890
that the Mckinley bill increased prices on
all articles on which the duties were
raised. The articles which the Democracy
now proposes to place on the free list are
wool. binding Irvine, bagging for cotton,
machinery for manufacturing bagging and
cotton ties.
The answer to the campaign lie of 1890 is
found in the fact that, so far from the Nc
Kinley bill having advanced prices, prices
have declined on all the articles affected
by the bills reported by the Democratic
committee Of ways and means. Woolens
are cheaper than they ever were before,
while the number Of sheep at the same
time has increased nearly 2,OO0, 900 since
the Mckinley bill took effect
While the price of American merino
wool has only declined about 10 per cent,
merino wool in the worlds markets has
declined rs per cent. The Mckinley law
has thus saved American wool growers at
least Is per cent. of the price of their wool.
The wool manufacturers have profited by
the enormous decrease under the McKin-
ley law in the importation OF foreign manu-
featured goods. Wooden mills that were
silent in 1890 have become vocal with the
hum of industry, and the United States is
the only country in the world today where
the wooden business is prosperous. If the
Democratic proposition to place wool on
the free list were enacted, the wool grow
ing industry of the country, which now
employs 100000 persons, would be de-
stroyed.
The Springer bill, which allows differ
ence Of only per cent. between the duty
on cloth and the duty on ready made
clothing, would ruin the ready made cloth
ing business now giving employment to
5000 men and women. In compensation
for this so-called tariff reform" the Demo-
Gratis say that "the manufacturers would
be able to compete in the worlds market.
for WOODEN goods" But this would be i'm
possible without reducing wages TO the
standard of Great Britain. The Demo-
cratic tariff reformers" seriously propose
that our American manufacturers shall
throw away a home market worth more
than all the foreign markets of the world
in order 10 try and compel in these foreign
markets with cheaper manufactured goods
and pay duties in addition, for every
foreign market, save Great Britain, i'm
poses duty on the importation of such
goods.
Placing cotton bagging and cotton ties
on the free list is another absurd Demo-
cratic proposition. Under the Mckinley
act two-pound cotton bagging has declined
from an average of eIs cents per yard in
1890 to Ga cents in 1922, the lowest price
ever known in the history of the country.
The Democrats propose TO open our home
market to the competition of foreign
combination and thus destroy an industry
which employs home capital and home
labor. and at the same time gives lower
rrices to the consumer through the fierce
competition in this business at home.
So with cotton ties, the prices Of which
under the Mckinley act declined from
p.I7,S a bundle to si07i4. Protection has
stimulated the manufacture of cotton ties
lust as il did the manufacture of steel
rails, so that four times as many ties were
made the last year IS in the previous year.
The Democrats now propose to e1tinguish
this business. which now gives employ
msnt 20 a large number Of men and large
amount OF domestic capital, by putting
the manufactured article on the free list
And continuing the duty on the raw ma
tsral.
The Democrats propose TO place on the
ffAs list binding twine, for which the rate
Of dsty 10 now but ~ per cent. This in