The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-01-20
The Two Coat Trick in Congress.

The Two Coat Trick In Congress.
Philadelphia Record.
Much as the tariff has been thresh-
ed out the debate in the House
last week was full of instruction.
The speeches of Chairman Wilson
and Bourke Cochran were master
~ efforts, and did much to stiffen
the knees of few Democrats who
had betrayed symptoms of weak
ness. One or two speeches on the
Republican side-notably that of
Mr.. Dalzell-were above the 0rdi-
nary run of Protectionist oratory.
Nor was the debate wanting in
strokes of humor. When Mr. Sinp-
son, of Kansas, exhibited the high.
]y protected overcoat of the Ameri-
can farmer and, ripping up the
back. exposed the rotteuness of its
shoddy materials, everybody ap-
preciated the object lesson. The
counter exhibition of cheap
American suit of clothes and of Il
dearer foreign suit of less value,
by Mr.. Grosvenor, of Ohio, betray.
ed a want of humor AS well,as log
ic. That trick had been played
often before by tariff mounteban nks
without success.
MIR. Grosvenor was incapable of
perceivfng that if the facts were as
he stated them as to prices and
qualities of the two suits, he was
only strengthening the argument
for tariff reduction. If wooden
clothing of domestic manufacture
is so much cheaper aud better than
the foreign article, what need is
there of the enormous rates of pro.
tective duty for which he SD loudly
clamors? When American manu-
facturers can produce better fab
rics than their European rivals at
less cost, and pay duty of 33 per
cent. on wool, how much more fav-
orable will be their position when
wool is placed on the free list?
The current returns of trade de-
monstrate the utter absurdity of
MIR. Grosvenor's two.coat argu-
ment. During the last eleven
months the imports of wooden fab
RIGS amounted in value to $29,2S4,-
9l5 in duties at the custom house.
In the same period the total ex-
ports of wooden manufacturers
from the United States amounted
to $252,344 in value! If there were
any truth or common sense in the
cheap clothing cry Of the Pfotec-
ZIONIST, the currents Of trade, would
be completely reversed. Thacheap.
er wo0len fabrics Of the country
would be going out in increasing
quantities whilst the dear foreign
goods could not come In If there
were no protective duty. Yet, as
If utterly unconscious of the incon.
sistency of their position, the high
tariff champins insist in one and
the same breath upon the greater
cheapness and superior quality OF
American clothing and upon the
necessity of protecting it by a duty
nf nearly one hundred per cent
from the competition of dearer and
inferior foreign fabrics. The only
escape from this dilemma is in as,
suming that American consumer.
are SO wanting in discernment as
topay this exorbitant tax ON foreign
woolens, and that the c0untr,
would be flooded with them should
the duty be reduced. The diIemma
involves the still further assump
tiOn that foreign consumers do moi
know that this Is the cheapest
market In the world flr clothing
This knowledge seems to belong
exclusively to the Grosven0rs and
other performers Of the two-cOal
trick.
81 far from taking the high tar
III champions ut their word In any
respect. thu trainers of the Wilson
bill have left u protective duty O
~ pr cent. ON wnolen fabric,
while relieving the manufacturer
NJ nearly IN equal rate of duty 0l
wool. II Mr.. Grosv' ror's nrgu
ment hs just, there would he ~
need ~ a protertiye tariff on wool
ens vi all when the raw materia