Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-08-20
TARIFF TRUTHs-READ AND RE-
MEMBER.

TARIFF TRUTHS-READ AND RE
MEMBER.
The wages paid to silk workers in En-
gland have declined 80 per cent since
1860. Those paid in the United State,
haye been steadily increasing since the
establishment Of the industry.
The American Economist asks the
pertinent question-If free wool would
give cheaper wool to the manufacturer
how would il raise the price of wool sold
by the farmer? And no Cobdenite rises
TO answer.
The average rate Of duty imposed by
the present tariff law is only 8 per cen,
higher than that imposed by the tariff
law passed by the first congress and
signed by Geo. Washington. And YET
the antagonists of protection allege tina,
all through the Nineteenth Century
there has been steady increase Of tariff
duties.
In 1883 there were $4,000 100 pound
kegs of wire nails manufactured in the
United States. AT that time nails were
selling at s.3 cents per pound, and the
import duty was cents per pound. In
1891 there were 4,ll4.3S5 kegs of these
nails produced in the United States
The import duty is now cents pound
and the nails are selling for l.6 cents
per pound.
The Plymouth Cordage company, oi
North Plymouth, Mass, one of the
largest manufacturers of binding twine
in the United States, or the world for
that matter. has recently substantially
increased the wages paid it employee
and yet since the passage of the Nc
Kinley bill, the price of binding twine
has fallen. The maxim ofthis company
is large sales and small profits.
Consul Roosevelt, our representative
at Brussels, reports that the average
wages paid 10 the iron and stee
workers in Belgium is 65 cents day
Workmen engaged in the same in
dustries in the United States receive
from 81 to S. a day. Can we in justice
to the American laborer take down the
bars of protection, and compete with the
manufacturers of Belgium
The democratic house of the last con
gress made five very feeble attemps tc
relieve the people who are being robbed
by the Mckinley bill. 1t introduced
and passed free wool bill, free cottor
tie, cotton bagging and binding twins
bill, a free silver lead ore bill, and q bill
reducing to 500 the amount of persona
effects a person can bring into the Unit
ed States without paying duty on them
The United States and England are
practical illustrations Of what the two
policies, protection and free trade, viii
do for the countries in which they are
put into execution. And in England
to-day the greatest minds, and men who
are usually conservative, are demanding
a radical change of policy, deeming il
necessary to prevent the total destruc
ton of its industries, and the further
enslavsment of its laboring classes.
From 1889 to 1892 the prices of cotton
knit goods decreased 25 per cent; bind
ing twine, is per cent; calicos, 40 pei
cent; blue shirting, % per cent; heavy
working boots, Is per cent; farm
wagons, 33t per cent; Hannels, 20 pei
cent; linen goods 80 per cent; moving
machines, 20 per cent; wire nails, 81
per cent; plows and horse rakes, Is pei
cent; reapers, 20 per cent salt, 20 pei
cent; sheeting. 33a per cent; sugar, A
per cent. A thousand and one othel
articles might be named, the prices o
which have dropped as much more IL
the last three years. and yet al these
things are in constant use by the farmel
and laboring man who are being rob
bed" by the Mckinley bill. Consul
yonr memories, oh tillers of the soil
and tell yourselves. has the average
market price of your grain, your porl
and your beef, decreased from Is to A
per cent during the same period.
The late Cardinal Manning said to tn,
secretary Of the United Empire Trad,
League, December l5. 1890: "In tn
day of Golden / was his enthusiast
advocate and supporter. / thought
England showed the way of Free Trad,
all the world would follow. The success
at first was great. We had the genius
means and raw material to apply first O
all, steam to locomotion and machinery
1t won for us the staples of the world
But 20 years ago saw an United Amer
Gu, an United Germany, an Unite
Italy, France pacific. Spain Tranquil
Austria Hungary consolidated. Th
aim Of every nation became to win bac
from England their lost staples. Fl
Rlish foremen and English machiner
had been obtained. Year after year, 4
success was achieved the determinatio
became more fixed to exclude Britis
manufactures by high duties. Englan
cannot be alone among the nations, cal
not alone swim against the feeling
the democracy of every country 10 d
f.Dd national industry"