Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-21
the RESULT,

1t will require great deal of time
and much earnest study to properly dis
sect the destructive monstrOsity, should
it become law. 1t is usually the case
where business has been prostrated and
the people have been kept in state of
doubt and uncertainty for a long time
and where production has been checked
to meet the under consumption that is
caused by the general idleness which has
curtailed the purchasing ability of the
masses, that when any settled policy has
finally been developed the effect has been
to stimulate production for 9 time, to
increase foreign importations and to i'm
prove trade and business in general. But
the time speedily follows when it is
found necessary, in order to compete
with the largely increased importations,
to reduce wages in all mills, factories
and industrial establishments. The
wages must come down or else the mills
and factories will have TO close except it
may be in few isolated cases where in
dustres have been favored with fair
degree Of protection through political or
sectional influence, and it will very
probably be the case, too, that even
these favored industries will find it
necessary to lower wages when they find
other branches of trade s. ru -gling under
the incubus of ruiuous foreign compet-
tion.
The immediate effect of the passage Of
the Bourbon tariff will Oe to prostrate
and destroy many new industries and to
throw out of employment persons who
will be compelled to seek other avenues
of trade in which to gain livlihood.
Under the Wilson German what-is-it
fx,r,i,r,, loh. t.yil nnntrnl
markets. Values cannot be accurately
ascertained, as the fluctuations of prices
in foreign markets will Immediately
affect our own, and the effect will be to
surrender our markets to the whole
world on those articles of manufacture
and commerce which are not sufficiently
protected, and the result which usually
follows the prOstration of any of our in
dustries is to afford foreign manufac-
turers an opportunity for time to ad-
vance prices and reap enormous profits.
The disastrous effects which will follow
the change of duties on materials used
in many industries will take time to
fully understand. The bill is a mass OF
incOngruites And this batch of lniqui-
ties is heralded to the world as tariff re-
form.
Wool is placed on the free list, which
will practically wipe out the industry in
this country, and in a few years give the
control of the market to foreigners who
can then demand their own price. The
bill reduces the duty on all agricultural
pr ducts which virtually Opeus our mar
kets to all Canadian products. 1t places
allow ad valorem duty on knit and man
ufactured goods which will afford little,
if any, protection.
Examined in every schedule and phase
the destructive hand of Bourbon hatred
is plainly visible. 1t is the first step, as
Chairman Wilson said, N the direction
of absolute free trade. 1t destroys the
industrial independence of this country
at the bchest of the free traders and for
the benefit of foreign interests. 1t will
reduce American wages to the level of
the old world, while the necessaries OF
life will remain about the same except
that in some instances, like sugar, the
consumer will have to pay more.