Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-02-21
HIGH PRICES.
ADVOCATED BY A PRoTEorIoNISF
ORGAN
It Matters Not That the Masses
Should Have TO Pay Them II
They WIZ Benefit the Glasses.

Should Have TO Pay Them III
They VIII Benefit the Classes
lnsolent and oyer-bearing as arc the
pap-fed organs OF the high tariff
trusts and monopolies in their asser-
ton OF the doctrine that tax burdens
should be laid on the many for the
benefit OF the few, u IS seldom that
, one of them goes so Tar as TO declare
that the protected interests have ac-
| CURED the fright" to rob consumers
through high prices extorted by high
, taxes on imports Yet this is the
claim put forward in recent issue of
the Philadelphia Manufacturer, the
organ of the protected manufacturers
of Pennsylvania.
The Ledger, Republican paper,
having stated the well.known fact that
to increase the duties on wool and
woolens would be "to increase
the cost Of all kinds of mems, women's
and children's clothing, blankets and
other necessities" the Manufactures
replied: "5upposing this result would
follow, might it not be justified on the
| ground that men, women and children
have no right to buy these articles
1 cheaper at the expense of the wool
/ growers and wooden manufacturers of
/ the country?"
The brazen impudence of this pre-
tence that sixty-fve million men, wo-
mon and children ''have no right TO
buy articles cheaper" at the expense
of few thousand manufacturers and
wool-growers may lead some people to
consider that the Manufacturer was
simply joking. But it was in dead
earnest and proceeded to denounce
the popular desire TO purchase things
ut the lowest possible price In the
regulation McKinleyite style. Evi.
IDENTIFY its editor believes what he
wrote.
Whilo this declaration of the
rights" OF the few to high prices at
the expense of the whole.people is only
the logical outcome of the protection.
list policy, Its brutal bluntness should
shock those amiable Republicans who
nave chung to their party in spite of
Its degen erGcy into mere tool OF
monopoly. So long as high tariff
was cioaked under the pretence that
1t was needed to raise large revenues,
OF that 1t tended to reduce prices by
| encouraging domestic competition.
there was some excuse for men who
had not studied the tariff question ad.
herring to the party which once stood
Tor human freedom and popular rights.
But that time has gone by, and there
can now be not the slightest doubt
that as a whole the Republican party
I n tnH 10
trine that the men who have been rob-
blng the public have fright to con.
tluue their stealing undisturbed.
Against this absurd and uniustprop-
osition every man possessing any SYM
pathy or intelligence should protest.
The idea that the few men who grow
wool, or convert it into cloth. can
nave right to compel each man.
woman and child to add to the profits
OF these growers or manufacturers, is
DENIAL OF the basis of American in
sltutions and all civilized society.
The whole fabric Of human rights pro.
ceeds from the universal agreement
that each man has the right to life.
liberty and the enjoyment of the prop
erty he produced. To take a portion
of their property away from the MANY
In order that the few may get richer.
is direct violation OF every principle
of morality.
If 1T be true that the manufacturers
have the right to charge higher prices
than would prevail under free and
fair competition, where and how did
they get 1t? Who had authority TO
give the rights OF the people into the
control of a handful of mon? How
dare the advocates of McKinlevsm
deny to the American consumers their
undeniable right to buy goods wher-
ever they can get them best and cheap
est? When was the principle of "the
greatest good to the greatest number
changed to "the greatest good of the
WOODEN manufacturers" Who are the
protectionists, anyhow, that they
should presume to say that men,
women and children shall not buy
their winter woolens as cheaply as
possible?
An attempt to increase the cost OF
clothing and other wooden necessaries
at this season of the year, is an illus.
tration of the inhumanity on which
the trade-haters and McIinleyites reIv
for support. But it is no more in.
human than the belief that a small
privileged class have more right to
consideration than the whole people.
Both doctrines are worthy only of say
ages.