The Washington bee., 1892-10-22
SHE BUYS CURTAINS.
DOROTHY SELECTS WINDOW DRAP-
ERlES FOR HER BACK PARLOR.

ACdA tAAhSo AL uCI AO1uc. NOu huu"S
but when it came TO lace curtains for
her prospective back parlor, she had to
draw the line. They cost several hun
dred dollars pair, and Dorothy's ship
has not come in. While we were con-
sidering the matter saw private let
ter from Marshall Field, the great Chi
cago dry goods merchant. in which
clerk said that such curtains as Dorothy
wanted cost "thirty-fve cents more
yard than they did before the Mckinley
bill"
And don't believe it," said l.
"Neither do l." said Dorothy.
Lets look it up," we both said. Upon
wouldn't buy stitch from anybody
who lied to us about Mckinley high
prices"
My official tariff book (you can get one
yourself by writing to Washington for
it, tells me that the duty on lace curtains
has been raised from 40 TO 60 per cent
by the Mckinley law.
why was it raised? What was the
result of it," Dorothy and wanted to
know. If we liked the answers we would
buy the curtains. If it was to make 1.-The
rich richer and 'the poor poorer" as the
Democrat papers claimed Il have been
reading tariff literature lately, we should
certainly not be party to that sort Of
thing. If, as the Republican papers
said. this advance in duty was really
benefit to the men and women who work
at curtain making and to the people who
buy them l should do everything in my
power to let the women of the country
know what unprincipled, selfish people
Democratic Mckinley tale fabricators
are.
We went to O'Neills on Sixth avenue
first. They had such curtains as we
wanted, but the price was eighteen cents
a yard higher than before the Mckinley
bill We didn't deal with them.
Next we went TO Simpson & Craw-
ford'S. 4 polite man said that the price
Of curtains had not been raised in that
store anyway by the Mckinley bill"
He laughed in funny little way wnen
we asked the question. and seemed to
have something in mind which was a
good joke on somebody. Then he said,
No, indeed. we can't raise the prices on
Sixth avenue: the people would get tafter
Us if We did.
Then it isn't necessary to charge
more:" persisted Dorothy.
Il wouldn't like to answer that, miss
The wholesale people can tell you all
about prices" Then ne gave US the ad-
dress of Mills & Gibbs, Of Broadway and
Grand street.
Yes, the duty has been raised, ana
there was good reason for it" said the
salesman ar that store There are a
large number of factories trying to es-
tablish themselves here, and they could
not compete successfully with imported
curtains made by laborers who work for
one-third of what our curtain people are
paid. By raising the tariff the curtain
manufacturer can and does pay his
woThmen enough to live comfortably.
even lu1uriou>ly. as American citizens
should live. At the same time he can
compete with the imported curtains,
even though the labor on them costs the
foreign maker but one-third as much"
Why, that is as clear as daylight"
said Dorothy. But when l come to
think of it we who buy lace curtains
have to pay that extra duty, don't We:
No: the foreign maker lowers his
workman's or workwoman's wages
enough to pay that duty"
We'll, what keeps the American man.
ufac1urer from charging TOO much"
Competition, miss; sharp compet;-
tion. such as is stimulated by a fairly
high protection
We'll, then" put in, why are not
the American workers wages lowered
by this competition:7
Because there is a const ant demand
for their services. and if one employer
doesn't do the right thing by man he
can 20 TO another"
We'll, think that tariff is tine best
thing know Of for working people. anl
cont care if it does make the rich ell
ployers keep their eyes wide open. Il
seems to me that Mr.. Mckinley has
made the poor richer aud the rich 4
trife more energetic" added.
Now finally" Dorothy went on. Il
want to know the truth. Is curtain
muslin more expensive than it was De-
fore the Mckinley law went into ef-
fect:"
No. it is as cheap. and in many il
stances cheaper. For. as told you. the
foreign manufacturer pays that extra
duty"
We'll. then" Dorothy replied tri-
umplantly, please show me some white
lace curtains OF fine net, with a fern pat
term
We found what we wanted at four
dollars pair; they had been a tribe
higher two years before. And Dorothy
had another treasure for that home"
On our way TO the station we stopped
at Mr.. Horner's gorgeous furniture store
on Twenty-third street to see about
some furniture, and Mr.. Horner himself
told rs that he knew Of very large
concern ION the other side" that is COM
ing TO this country if Mr.. Harrison is
elected. That would mean another =
factory here with employment for ever
so many people.
Oh, it would be such a wicked thing
if Grover Cleveland should be elected,
The tariff would be changed, and that
would make it so hard for people who
work by the day" Every woman ought
TO realize that and influence her husband
70 vote for the party that cares for the
happiness Of iaborers.
OF course Dorothy and don't know
,-t,o-;,,. SE,-sI.11 E;o13 ,,5 NJ T.N- =,