The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-07-29
MKINLEY DROLLERY.
AMAZING EXHIBITION BY THE AL
THOR OF THE TARIFF BILL.

Appropriateness In the Minneapolis Gath
ering which Pat Little Ben Up to lie
Knocked Down-What the Infam GUS
Tariff Bill Does in Actual Practice.
The tariff controversy has provoked
great many droll things, but the most
amazing exhibition Of mingled drollery
and effrontery that has marked il was
reserved, as it should have been. for the
distinguished author of the Mckinley
bill, and the place chosen for the exhi-
bition was, as it ought to have been, the
Republican national convention of 1892.
We mean the wonderful body that met
at Minneapolis and nominated Harrison
aud Reid. Major Mckinley was made
chairman of it, and this was another ex-
ample of fitness. The presidential con-
test is TO be fought on the tariff ques-
ton, very largely, and it was iry,erfect
accordance with all the propristies that
the most conspicuous exeniplar of
policy which takes three out of every
ten drops of productive sweat on
farmers brow and gi<ss them over to
the favored manufacturing class should
preside over the deliberations of an as
semblage called to indorse this sweat
taxing system.
OF course Major Mckinley said some
thing about the protective tariff policy.
He was expected to, and he did. And
this is what, among other things, he
said:
"The Democratic party believes in di-
rect taxation: that is, in taxing our
selves; but we do not believe in that
principle so long as we can find any
body else to tax. We propose TO raise
our money to pay public expenses by
taxing the products of other nations
rather than 10y taxing the products of
our own people
The meaning Of this statement. as ex-
planned by similar assertions in his other
speeches, is that our protective tariff
forces outside nations 10 pay our taxes
and transfers from our shoulders to
theirs the burden of paving the expenses
of our government II tlis were true,
then the French protective tariff on
American grain compels our western
grain raisers 20 help support the French
government, and the German protective
tariff on American meats enables the
German empire - collect taxes in Mis-
souri and Illinois Las. year We collect
ed S219, 500. .COJ in duties on impor.ed
goods. Major Mckinley pretends that
this money came out of the pockets of
foreign nations, but he knows better.
He knows that it was added to the price
of the SS45, 900. 900 worth of foreign goods
we imported. increasing the price Just
that much and compelling our people
to pay 81 ,06i 500, 600 for the SS45. .O00. 900
worth Of foreign goods, so that the S219,-
800, came out of their pockets in the
end.
When the Mckinley bill reduced the
duties on sugar the author of it asserted
that this reduction relieved the people
of $54, ,OOO, 600 year in taxes. and in his
Ohio canvass speeches last year he
pleaded this relief as claim on the
gratitude of the people. He did not
say. as he might, that q Republican tar
i'll had been for twenty-five years taxing
the people S54, ,000. 900 year on one Of
the necessaries of life, when the govern
ment had no use for the money; he con-
tented himself with telling them that
they ought TO be thankful TO the party
for its Inagnanimity in consenting TO rob
them no longer, But if what he said in
Ohio was true, how could that be true
which he said at Minneapolis? If the
sugar duties had been taking 81 .OO0. 600
year from our own people how can he
have the efrontery 10 assert that the
oh .I,,&
the same people?
But this is not the worst of it. If the
Mckinley tariff did nothing more than
collect the government revenue from
the people, it would not be so offensive
and oppressive. But it does great deal
more. II forces the people not only to
supply their government with revenues,
but to supply the favored manufactur-
ers with revenues also. We imported
and consumed last year SS45 ,00O, 900
worth Of foreign goods, paying on them
Ssl9 $500, 900 Ill duties TO the public treas
ury; but in the same time we consumed
three times that value OF protected home
manufactures, paying thereon three
times s2l9, 500 600 10 the favored class
engaged in making them. The very re-
lief of the people from sugar duties 10
the amount of s54 600 900 year was in
this way annullei by the increased du-
ties on other necessaries OF life. In
fact the favored manufacturers got the
$4,000, coo, ard as much more besides,
and every dollar of il came ont OF the
pockets of our own people.-St. Louis
Republic.
A Big Game of PIuckinc