Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-24

Democratic Mckinley tale fabilr-iosa
are
We went 70 O'Neills on sixth avenue
first. They had saeh curlelns a. Ne
wanrea, tut the price was e. hteen cents
a yard higher taan before tlls Mckinley
biil We didn't deal with them.
Next We went T. Simpson & Craw-
fords A poAte man said that the pTlce
OF curtains h@d not been raised IL THAR
store anyway b the Mckinley bali"
lie laus hed IA a funny httls Way when
We ASKED tie question. and seemed ~
have something Ia mind which was q
good joke on somebody Then be said,
"No. indeed. We can't raise the prices on
Sixth avenue; the people would get after
Us II We did.
Il lien It isn't necessary 10 charge
more! persisted Dorothy
II wouldn't ike 10 answer that. miss.
The wholesale people can tell you al
about prices. Then he gave us the adj
dress Of Mills * Gibbs, OF Broadway and
Grand street.
Yes. the duty has been raised, and
there was good reason for 1t. said tbs
Statesman a. hASt sbDtc. LStS a4c .
large number Of factories trying 10 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
worklnen enough 10 live comfortably,
even luxuriously. 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 come to
think of it We who buy lace curtains
have TO pay that extra duty. don't we?'
mo; the foreign maker lowers his
workman's or workwoman's wages
enough to pay that duty"
"Well, what keeps the American man.
ufacturer from charging too muchY'
Competition, miss; sharp competi-
ton. such as is stimulated by fairly
high e-otection."
well, then," put in, "why are not
the American workers wages lowered
by this competition
Because there is a constant demand
for their services, and if one employer
doesn't do the right thing by man be
can go to another"
well, think that tariff is the best
thing know of for working people, and
don't care if it does make the rich EN-.
ployers keep their eyes wide open. 1t
seems to me that Mr.. Mckinley has
made the poor richer and the rich a
trife more energetic added.
Now finally" Dorothy went on, II
want to know the truth. Is curtain
muslin more expensive than it was be-
fore the Mckinley law went into ef-
feet"
mo. it is as cheap, and in many in
stances cheaper. For, as told you. the
foreign manufacturer pays that extra
duty"
well, then" Dorothy replied tn
umphantly. please show me some white
lace curtains of fine net, with fern pat
term"
We found what we wanted at four
dollars pair; they had been tritie
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 us that he knew of a very large
concern ION the other side" that is COM
ing to this country if Mr.. Harrison is
elected. That would mean another big
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
to vote for the party that cares for the
happiness of laborers.
OF course Dorothy and don't know
whether Marshall Field and Mr.. O'Neill
direct their clerks to belle the effect OF
the Mckinley bill, but we think it is
pretty small if the heads of dry goods
concerns do sanction such dealing.
GP.cr Fc-HvP DREW