Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-14


the duty on the material that went into
these goods, was Sc per dozen, and after
the passage of the Mckinley bill. it was
ooer &c per dozen (near ic.)
Now, | think "Protectionist' would ac-
knowledge in this, that nothing so far as
American manufacture is concerned is ac-
complished, except to increase the cost of
making the American goods. Now, these
two articles are identically the same shape,
the difference in price being in the quality,
and increased cost by reason of tariff.
Precisely the same thing can be said of
tumblers, and q long list of articles. Now,
there never has been so-called "protec-
tive tariff but which contained these
same ridiculous features on very many
manufactured articles, and ! defy any
dozen congressman to draft one which
does not but not only this--itis is impossible
to have SUCH system in force, and not
make it possible (but altogether probable)
for com mbinations of men TO reap colossal
fortunes in remarkably short periods of
time and only by reason of the partner
snip Of the United States, and solely at the
expense of the people.
Another little glass article which has
been largely used in this county, namely,
the 'prisms" used on lamps. These goods
have been made in Austria, and sold in
this country at prices at which we could
AAce hliAi NhC AltNlt hOlGo llltlu lOl anu
in order to enable us to make them here, |
think it would require q duty of some
thing like 5000 per cent. Now, should all
the glass men go to Washington bent on
making these little articles, and ask the
price to be raised to start another infant
industry?
Another instance ] wish here to give
you, of the utter folly of Congress attempt
ing the fixing" of prices. Under the
laty al; S,F IL
comes in free, while there is duty on all
of the material of which it is made.
must confess Il have not the cheek" to
ask duty on optical glass, because want
to make it; (but we do make it), the Other
sixty-ninc million people who use it, ought
to be consulted some about it; besides we
are not so restricted in our manufacture in
this country, as to be able to make nothing
else, than the same things and quality
made in Germany and Belgium. The
whole subject in the minds of many sin
cere and honest protectionists, is enveloped
in vague indefinite notion, that by some
mysterious process, we are all benefited in
some way without cost to anybody, and ii
all reminds me of what farmer said to
me once "he did not care what kind of a
tariff it was, how high, or how low, just
so it made beef at least &c pound"
Your contemporary will get rid of the
llObioh JhdJ tlltS SNslGlll VI UTOINCIlOl
does what is claimed for it, or that we will
all be smashed to smithereens by getting
rid of it.
"Protectionist" is in error, He should
all the testimony before the ways and
means committee.
have in mind many examples of the
way this Mckinley system works, but it
would draw out this letter too long.
Yours truly, GEORGE A. MACBETH.
sr9NF FNKg4 10
THE ORIGINAL INTERVIEW.
Mr.. Macbeth encloses, in his letter, a
clipping from the Pittsburg Post, of
November 2Sth, containing what is evil
IDENTIFY the original interview referred to,
and which reads as follows:
Mr.. George A. Macbeth, the glass manu-
facturer, who is probably the best Informed
man in the city on tariff matters had this
to say:
"My idea of complete tariff bill is one
which states definite time for the expira-
tion of the duty. on a large number of
articles which will finally go on the free
list. government that attempts the
regulation of commerce by tariffs should
have definite, settled policy. In other
words, it is n bad thing for tho business of
country TO have its taxes on imports or
exports subject to the caprice of a large
number of persons who don't even profess
to know much about it, or have it subject
to the cafss4W of party politicians. 1t is a
deplorabls lact that the question has been
pulled and hauled about, and an element
OF uncertainty introduced into it that has
done more injury to the manufacturing
enterprises and longtime investments than
anything else that has happened to this
country.
DON'T LIKE THE INCOME TAX.
1.-THE income tax idea which is connected
with the bill believe is the most odious
tax that could be imposed. 1t is not only
difficult to collect, but it is tax on enter
prise and is too easy to evade. ! do not
see why duty could not be collected easily
and certainly on sugar, tea and coffee. It
is easily paid. easily collected and is uni
yersal. As for bounty on sugar, it is
simply monstrous and | do not think the
government has any right to take money
out of its treasury to pay anybody for rals-
ing anything. There is no end to the lusty
infant industries which would have every
bit as just claim OH the treasury.
In considering the matter of tariff in
Pittsburg, iron seems the first thing
thought Of and glass the next. This morn
ing's papers tell us a great deal of vague
calamities about to follow as a result of
this bill. But failed to notice anybody
come forward with the figures on iron. 1
was somewhat surprised ON being told this
morning by well-posted iron man that
iron was sold in Pittsburg within the last
three days at Sl.50 a ton less than the price
for the same kind of iron in England. II
this is anything near the fact certainly the
reduction proposed could not hurt the iron
business. But suppose II did. suppose ali
these predicted calamities should befall us,
would the working people not be better off
than i'll the past II or lS months? We have
been having high tariff, too.
''One great benefit we would derive from
the present proposed bill would be the re.
duction in cost of large amount of ma
terial used BY these very people in their
various occupations. never could believe
workman could be benefited IN his wages
by increasing the price of the materials
which he formed intu goods for the market.
"Then when the iron men are talking
about these calaniities ! ask them to give
us something definite. show us where they
are going to be injured. have utterly
failed to find anyone to tell me just how it
was going to happen or in what manner
lie was to be injured.
MORE DEMAND, MORE WORK.
"My recollection is that under the Nc
Kinley bill there is about l2O per cent duty
on window glass, and ii always was large.
if not quite this much. The net result OF
this high tariff duty is that the men work
about eight months year. Evidently the
high duty on window glass was not sue
cess. There was a long stoppage last year
and there has been practically nothing
done since last June. So far as the re-
mainder of the glass trade is concerned, if
the proposed bill should be put into opera
ton tomorrow, so far as | can see, it
would make very little change. Most of
the glass imported consists Of articles we
do not make, and we generally get at it
pretty quick and copy it If it is desirable.
"The sum total of the present bill so far
as can make out is that it is such a bill as
might be called a compromise, and is all