Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-12-21
Wilson. the Tariff Reformer,
And the Poor Man.

And the Poor Man.
After all, the author of the Wilson
Tariff bill did not entirely overlook the
needs of the workingman. Scattered
here and there through the schedules
of proposed act. discerning eye may
detect few items of solace-a few
grains Of solid comfort for tao horny
handed son of toll Does he lack bread?
Let him glance along the columns of
the free list and congratulate his di-
gestive organs that ''pYroligneous acid
exceeding the specific gravity Of one
and forty-seyen one thousandths" has
had the duty striker clear Oft. The
robber baron viii fatten himself no
more upon this important material at
the expense of the child of poverty.
Does the laborer observe his babes
grow wan from hunger? Wilson sends
to him and to them the word CT cheer
that ''ochre aud ochre earths, when
dry shall pay taxes no longer for the
benefit of tie protected monopolists.
The deliver in the earth after iron ore
will have no more work, it is true; but
what matters it, If Wilson has wrenched
loose the grasp of the greedy capitalists
and triumphantly 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, Will
son offers him 'gunwads', at a reduc-
ton Of per cent.
What snail comfort the mill operative
who can find no employment if he
refuses to appreciate the boon offered
him by Wilson in the chance to buy
"grindstones' under duty Of 81. IS?
What mechanic, not chronic grumbler
will fail to admit that his inability to
sell bis labor is matter of trifling inn
portance in view of the fact that Wilson
has lifted up the burdens of an
oppressed nation by knocking off 5
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" teapots every day in the week
at half priceP What if he shall SILVER
with the cold of December if "all
compounds of pyroxyline" are freed
| from taxation, and if he can fairly stuff
himself with artificial sulphate of
baryta. now rescued from the tariff
taxes9 He is hard man to please
who would rather have steady work,
and permit the robber barons to filch
the substance of the people through the
iustrumer tally y: a severe duty upon
'iodide of potash, than TO be idle and
to have iodide admitted free of duty
Some men ara never satisfied.
II has long been a pet grievance with
the American workingman that tho
duty on "statuary' is heavy Wilson
has redressed the wrong by taking the
duty clear off. Thus every humble
home may now be graced with trophies
of art, though butter and beans be
scarce; and. as though this was not
enough TO do for the PLAN people of
the country. Wilson, while arranging
to cut down their apparent income, has
been impelled by the angels of his bet
ter nature to let in "anvils' atconsider-
ably lower duties. Every dreside may
soon have its marble statues and its
anvils 10 gladden. the hearts OF those
who huddle around It.
Thus Wilson has been, as it were,
culpable with eNtenuating Circumstance.
es. He may have smitten with one
hand. but he has offered some sort Of
blessing with the other. If he has
taken away bread, he has handed back
fish glue" if he has reduced the IA
tons of meat, he has placed the "castor
bean and the "muriate of soda"
within easier reach OF the unfortunate.
Crude potash" may perhaps be rude
substitute for some of the higher luxu-
ries Of life; but. such as it is, Wilson
does not begrudge it. Begrudge it!
why. with it he generously offers modi-
fed rates upon telegraph polesn Let
US do the man justice EVENT. the times
are hard Let us deal fairly with him,