New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-11
MR. WNILLIN'S IGNORANCE.

Mr.. Mclliliin has the courage oil his ignorance.
II would probably be unjust - attribute % I'M
yeracty the astonishing divergence between his
assertions and the facts that a.c accessible >
everybody Il WAS the characteristic II the
Bourbons over tho sea that they learned no.h-
inc and forget nothing. The truth they never
learned. but all the ftlschccdS their minds had
once absorbed they cherished forever Mr. Nc
MIlin has mover taken the trouble, and peihap,
il would be more charitable 70 say hl4 never
been competent, 70 find ont the truth about tho
effects Of The tariff upon prices and wages. But
he listened to thousands Of falschoodS III the fall
OF 1890, before the new tariff had fairly gone
into effect, and that beautiful constitution q
mind which protects his notion, from the de-
yas.ating invasion of facts Ia, enabled him 20
repeat with JUNCTION campaign yarns which other
men know have been exploded for more than
a year.
Two sentences in Mr.. McMilIin's speech in
Producing the Wool and WoollenS bill illustrate
his mental Bourbonism. He said: THE Ia
borcr has been forced 10 pay mUIc for the roof
that shelters him. for the hat that covers his
head and the woollenS that cover his back. He
has had To pay more for the linen he wcaIs; The
hammer and the hoe with which he works
But in not ono Of The long reports OF tho speech
thus far published does Mr.. NcNIilln appear TO
have made the slightest effort 70 support these
assertions. There does moi happen TO be a word
Of truth in either Of the TWO sentences quoted,
unless il be that in some towns, whore expansion
of industries and OF population has outnm The
building Of house, rents have advanced, as i'll
many others they have declined because too
10, .o1 IL 90.
all times a great variety in the fluctuations Of
rent at different localities. But there happcns
TO be no duty on houses nor have duties on any
of the materials that important in the con
strlction Of such houses rs labOrers Use been
advanced by the new tariff. The duties on bar
and round iron and all structural shapes OF iron
and steel Paragraphs 135-13O were reduced
in the new tariff the duties on ordinary WIN
dow glass were not changed the duties on un
ber boards and shingles were reduced, and not
even Mr. McMins ignorance, it is probable,
will claim that common building-sUOnc for fOm
dations has been rendered more costly by tho
tariff.
Mr. Mclliln really ought to know by this
time that the cost Of hats wOollen clothing,
linen and shoes to labOlers OF this country has
not been advanced in the last two yoars. II he
does not know this facts will be placed before
him in due time, showing the retail cost of such
articles at many points throughout the country,
which can hardly fail 70 make him ashamed Of
himself. The grades and qualities of w0ollen
goods and hats that are largely imported, of
which few have been advanced are not those
worn by "the laborer," Of this or any other
country. The cost of tools and other hardware
L;r,bn 1.,t 81 Ill hon, -
was two years ago, and the cost OF cutlery in ~
low or lower also, notwithstanding the more
effective duties
The truth about woollen goods and clothing, of
the kind used by " the laborcr'' in this country,
could have been ascertained by Mr. McMillin
In five minutes at any wholesale clothing store.