The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-10-04
An Instructive Lesson.

The arguments made by the manufac
turers for continuance of their subsidies
have been heard time and again, and tim,
and again they have been refuted. Wha
the people now demand is prompt anC
vigorous action.
Taxation, tariff taxation, is today 6
cloak for the robbery of the many who
are poor for the benefit OF few who are
rich. These few, as do minority in the
Senate, seem to be doing all the talking
But occasionally the people have an adj.
vocate to appear and protest against any
further subsection Of the masses to the
classes. Here is one case:
Among the articles in most general nse
are floor oilcloth, linoleum and mattings,
together with oilcloths in imitation of
leather and light oilcloths used to cover
the table, shelf and stairs. They are
used in every house and cabin, either
directly or as materials for the manufac-
ture OF many articles used by the poor.
The existing tariff rates, it is shown,
compel consumers to pay exorbitant
prices for these goods-more than is right
and just. On the oilcloths and linoleum
for hoors-stamped, printed or plain
and in all other oilcloth and waterproof
cloth not equally provided for, costing %
cents square yard, the duty is 40 per cent
of the value. That is to say, poor wom-
an buying sixteen yards OF 25.cent floor
covering would have to pay SIS 60 for it,
whereas without the tariff it would cost
her but 81. In other words, she is out
10 cents on every yard she buys Fully
two.thirds of the floor cloth produced and
consumed in this country and all the Ia
BILE, shelf and stair cloth are of the class
costing 25 cents and less yard, and on
all this quantity the tariff advances the
price by 10 cents yard.
Mr.. Preston, of Baltimore, appeared be-
fore the committee to call attention to
this iniquity. In his remarks he showed
that the materials of these wares, with
slight exceptions, are cheaper here than
abroad, and that machinery does nearly
all the work They ought, accordingly
to sell lower and not higher than their
foreign competitors. Instead of enhanc-
ing the price of the imitation leather
cloth entering into the manufacture of |
children's shoes, hats, caps, travelling
bags, trunks, harness, etc, they should |
reduce it. Floor oilcloth is made of coarse |
burlaps, costing from 3 to cents yard; |
other oicloths of coarse cotton cloth |
costing q and 8 cents yard. These
foundations" have applied to them
earths and clays worth to / cent
pound, and oil, gum and varnishes which
are extremely cheap. Recently invented
almost excludes human labor
rom the manufacture, The labor in a
square yard OF these wares is almost in
though 10 cents is allowed
or it by the Mckinley law. The bonus
,oes TO a few wealthy firms and corpora
ions. sol m1Gi 3'dGuiEV a
Here is one iniquity; the tariff list is
ull of them. Tits time that these wrongs
hould cease; that this plundering should
,e forbidden. We 90 about it the wrong
way. Instead of calling for men to show
Why certain taxes should not be rejected
We should force men to justify every tax
proposed, and to justify not from the
tandpoint of the manufacturer at all, but
rom that of the consumer.
Down with the tariff louisville Post.