The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-09-08

eJue for tho Hslch Man and the Other
for the Poor Man How DO You Like

for the Poor Man-0Ow Do tou Like
H. Wsgs-Earner:
That the Mckinley law was cmphat-
ically made in favor Of the rich and
especially designed To tax the poor we
have repeatedly shown in our columns,
but the evidence that Is being produced
before tho Fairchild investigating com
mittee shows in more powerful light
the extraordinary degradation Mckin-
leyism sinks into to enforce its laws
against poor people. while its million
ARE bcncficiarics are assisted by Gus
tom-house officials TO bring ia free OF
duty thousands OF dollars of goods
Here are two pictures Each year. IL
has been the fad Of "A large number Of
wealthy Americans to visit Europe
for pleasure, recreation and profit II
has been computed that 100, 900 of these
tourists" spend the season" abroad.
Even il all they see of the circles of St
James or Partisan society is from the
outside, they must do" Europe. you
know, because il is fashionable Many
of them, however. have an eye to BUSH
ness, even while watching the fashion
! able whirl-from cab window--and
make the journey a source of profit as
well as pleasure. Few of them return
to our shores without fully equipping
themselves with all the wearing apparel
they are in need of for many day and
| so reimburse themselves for their jour-
ney. 1t is common occurrence for
"Americans" to bring over sixty suits
of clothes, and one of the Vanderbilts
gave an order in Europe for $4,000
worth of clothing The Mckinley bill
made special provision that these peo-
Pile should suffer no inconvenience in
getting them through the custom-house
free, it was only the workingman they
were looking after. II the latter i'm
agined he could bring clothes in, in the
same manner as the rich man, he would
be sadly mista ken, for the board of APP
praisers only last year constructed the
law in this fashion: I'm determining
whist apparel is necessary and appro-
pirate for ones journey, and especially
for aes present comfort and conyen-
fence. regard must. OF course, be had
to tie social status. condition in life
and financial resources of the person in
question.
Th- hard orking wagc-earner. il he
stays at home, must pay the Mckinley
tariff tax on all his clothes. and if he is
fortunate enough to make a European
trip mis- social status" or condition in
life will render him unfit to take adj
vantage of European conditions. Me-
Kinl syism was only intended to benefit
thos' in position To ape the Partisan
danc y or London dude.
Nov let us look at this picture. as
publ shed in the daily press. and see
how Mckinleyism acts towards the
poor
There is special department in the
appraisers stores charged with the
duty of lcvying duties on the eatables
and extra clothes brought over by inn
migrants. Oliver Cromwell Webster is
the rcrson who assesses these duties,
and ne told the Fairchild commission
that he went to Ellis island whenever
ther- were immigrants there and rum
mayed through their trunks and boxes
for articles of food. Bologna sausages
he passed free. but cheese and figs he
weighed and smelled, and on them he
charged the immigrants the regular
duty.
Ex-Collector Magone got mad when
he heard this testimony. and he de-
clsred that it was outragcously absurd
and illegal to discriminate in this way
against the poor immigrants little
stock of food.
What is the average value of the
food brought in by one of these immi-
grants" he asked.
"Ordinarily about So" replied Mr..
Webster, but often the food is not
worth over 81.
In July. 1898, the amount thus col
lccted in duties from the immigrants at
Ellis island was 1888 l6; in August, sl,-
232. SO; in September, s9'0.17, and in
May of this year, s469.5'.
Examiner Webster was law student
when the government employed him
year ago He has since been admitted
TO the bar.
In addition to fumbling for dutiablc
cheese and figs in immigrants trunks,
Mr. Webster levies duties on fish, oys-
tiers. birds nests and other dclicacies
which are sent from China for the de-
location of the Mott street palate.
rs the duty on birds nests put
there by the Mckinley law to protect
an infant American industry. or to pun
ish the Chinese for being hcrc?' asked
Mr.. Dunn
IF there is an infant American in
dustrv to protect in this case, never
heard of il" said Mr.. Webster.
What workingman in this country
can be so blind to his interests as to
countenance such miserable law.
which demonstrates on every page il
was concocted in behalf of millionaircs
and monopolists and to grind the last
penny out Of the pockets of the wage
earners in taxation? Thousands Of
dollars of clothes for the rich man is
welcomed in free. but the cheese in the
satchels Of the poor immigrant must be
taxed. American Industries.
TERRIBLE DISASTER AVOIDED.