Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-12-27
Wilson and the Poor Man.

After all, the author of the Wilson
Tariff bill did not entirely overlook the
needs of the poor workingman. Scat
tered here and there throughout the
schedules of the proposed act discern
ing eye may detecta few items of solace
"a few grains of solid comfort for the
horny handed son of toll. Does he lack
breadS Let him glance along the col.
umns of the free list and congratulate
his digestive organs that ''pyroligneous
acid exceeding the specific gravity of
II and forty sever one thousa ldths"
has had the duty striken clear off. Tn,
robber baron will fatten himself no
more upon this important material at
the expense of the child OF poverty
Does the labOrer observe his babes grow
wan rom hunger? Wilson ends Il
him and to them the word of cheer
that "ochre and ochre earths, when
dry, shall pay taxes no longer for the
benefit of the protected monopolists.
The deliver in the earth after iron ore
will have no more work, it is true; but
what matter it, if Wilson has wreuched
loose the grasp of the greedy capitalists
and tr%iumphantly placed edible in
sects' upon the free list? The iron ore
miner, therefore may now import free
of duty from the far East ~evaporated
grasshoppers and miscellaneous bugs.
The miner of soft coal will have his
wages reduced; but, as an offset, Wilson
offers him "gunwads" at "a reduction
of 8 per cent.
What shall comfort the mill opera
tive who can find no employment if he
refuses to appreciate the boon offered
to him by Wilson in the chance to buy
"grindstones' under a duty of 81. rs?
What mechanic not q chronic g~rumbler
will fail to admit that his inability to
sell his labor is a matter of trihing i'm
portance in view of the fact that Will
son has lifted the burdens of an op-
pressed nation by knocking off 8 per
cent. from 'pianoforte actions?" Is
the soul of the hard listed toiler SO base
that he would rather have roast beef
on Sundays than to be able TO buy
"albata" teap is every day in the week
at half price? What if he shall SILVER
with the cold of December if ''all COM
pounds of pyroxyline" are freed from
taxation, and if he can fairly stuff
himself with artificial sulphate of
brayta now rescued from the tariff
taxes? He is II hard man to please who
would rather have steady work, and
permit the robber barons to 6lch the
substance of the people through the
instrumentality of a severe duty upon
"iodide Of potash, " than TO be idle and
to have his iodide a lmit tied free of
duty. Some men are never satisfied.
1t has long been a pet grievance with
the American nottingham that duty
Oh 'statuary" is heavy. Wilson has
redresscd the wrong by taking the duty
clear off. Thus every humble home
may now be graced with trophies of
arts, though butter and bears be scarce;
and, as though this were not enough
to do for the plain people of the coun-
try, Wilson, while arranging to cut
down their apparent income, has been
impelled by the angels of his better pa-
ture 10 let in "anvilS" ut considerably
lower duties. Every fireside may soon
have its marble statues and its anvlls
to gladden. the hearts of those who
huddle around it.
Thus Wilson has been, as 1t we're, cul-
pable with extenuating circumstances.
He may have smittcn with one hand,
but he has offered some sort of bless.
ing with the other. If he has taken
away bread, he has handed back fish
glue;" if he has reduced the ration of
meat, he has placed the '~'castor beam
and the "muriate of soda" within
easier reach of the unfortunate.
Crude potash" may perhaps be a rude
substitute for some of the higher luxu-
rics OF life; but, such as it is, Wilson
does not b~egIudge it. Begrudge it,
Why, with it he generously offers
modified rates upon Telegraph poles"
Let us do the nan justice, even if the
times are hard. Let us deal fairly with
him, even though a poor man, with no
thing to offer to his gastric juice, is not
Wild with exultation to learn that
"l oiler tubes are TO be cheaper.-New
York Press.