The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-03-13
THE VIEWS OF AN IMPORTER.
A Dealer In Foreign Goods Talks About
the Wilson Tariff.

Dealer In Foreign Goous 1aAAs ADout
the Wilson Tariff.
Being in New York after the Wilson
tariff bill had passed the house, dropped
in at the large importing place of Graball,
Keepit & Co. l found that the senior
partner of the firm was in Europe, but
Mr.. Keepit invited me into his private
office and gave me a good foreign made
cigar. This being unusually liberal on
his part, ventured to inquire if "busi-
ness was good"
"Well, no. We cannot say that it is
Just yet. Indeed it has not been for sew
eral years past, but we look for great
improvement in the near future, was
Mr.. Keepit's reply.
81 am glad to hear that" l said. at
is indeed encouraging to hear somebody
talk of good times when we read OF so
much distress in the country through
this Wilson tariff"
IAN nonsense" said Mr.. Keepit. ut
is the Mckinley bill that has killed
business. We have not imported since
1890, in three years, as many foreign
goods as we used to handle every year
before that ruinous high tariff came into
effect"
80 you expect the Wilson bill to re-
vive your trade, thenf''
"Why, certainly; of course it must.
How else could it be, with the duties all
lowered? We expect to import foreign
goods more largely than ever we did.
Everything is in our favor now. Why,
our Mr.. Graball is in Europe already.
He went over two weeks ago, SO as to
lose no time in placing his orders, and |
cabled him last night that the Wilson
bill had passed the house. He will be
delighted. In fact, we all are. Take
another cigar-put one in your pocket, "
and Mr.. Keepit in his enthusiasm forced
several into my pocket.
"But how about the American manu-
facturers? Won't it hurt them if you i'm
port large quantities of foreign goodsT l
asked.
why, of course-I suppose SO. 1t
must" said Mr.. Keepit. "They cannot
undersell us, you know. Wages are too
high here. 1t is absurd to think that
American goods can be sold as cheap as
the European goods. We want the trade,
and we buy where we can buy the cheap
est. We are not interested in American
factories. We are importers"
"Then the American factories must
close unless our people work for Euro
pean wages" said.
Certainly" said Mr.. Keepit. 1--WE will
flood the markets with cheap foreign
goods till the American factories are
closed, and then we can advance our
prices a little at time. Why, this is
what we have been working for. For
what other reason do you think the bust
ness men of New York paraded before
Grover Cleveland Is months agoP"
"Oh,' said, "that great parade was
because you wanted free trade, was itr'
"Of course, of course" said Mr.. Keep
it, rubbing his hands together gleefully,
"and now we've got free trade, and we'll
keep it, sure as my names what it is. It's
worth millions to us to deal in foreign
goods. Millions in our pockets, do you
hearT
l heard-I could not help it, for he
shrieked it into my ears as he danced
with delight about his Office, thinking of
the millions that Graball, Keepit & Co.
would make out of cheap foreign goods.
But where do the American manufac-
turer and the American laborer come In?
B. thinker.