The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-22
GENERAL JOSEPH WHEELER
Talks About the New Tariff Law
and Its Effect.
UNJUST LAW TO THE POOR
The Working People Must Bear the Great Bur-
den of This Law Put Upon the Statute
Books BY the Republicans.
Special to The Age-Herald.

Special to The Age-Herald.
washington, Aug. 21.-Gen. Joe Wheel
er was discussing the new tariff law with
The Age-Herald correspondent
ut is an unjust law to tbs poor people"
said he. 1T taxes cheap wool hats used
by the poor 235 per cent, while those of
fine qualities are only taxed about 10
per cent. Cheap blankets are taxed
154 per cent, while expensive ones are
taxed only about so per cent.
This increases thu price Of cheap ar
ficles, and the great mass of the people
who consume 95 per cent. of our pro-
ducts, must lessen their purchases. This
will reduce the American demand, and
as the high tariff will tend to cut us off
from foreign markets, the result must
finally be a decreased reduction and idle
workmen. The impolicy of adopting
such a System for the United States, is
becoming apparent to every one.
I'VE now far exceed adj other nations
In the production of iron ore, pig iron and
steel and that our production of those
articles is now greater than that of Grsat
Britain or Germany, and leaving out
those two nations our production of iron
ore, pig iron and steel is far greater than
that of. all the rest of the world COM
bined.
1.-The European demand for Alabama
iron is daily increasing, and for the same
quality. we can undersell any nation in
the world.
"a low tariff, as demanded by the DEM
ocratic party, has had the effect to de-
velop and infuse life into American in
dustries, and deprsss those of foreign
relations, while the effect of high tariff
as advocated by the republican party,
has been precisely the reverse.
ii "Our exports of the products of agri-
culture and manufactured goods have in
creased from 80 to so per cent. since the
passage of the Wilson bill.
"Our exports of agricultural products
having increased $4,000 900, our exports
of manufactured goods sos, 900, 900 and our
total exports 1925 100000.
"Under an enormous tariff of over 100
per cent, our wool production has ac-
tually diminished, and although we have
maintained our production of wheat, we
have largely lost our foreign market for
that great staple.
From 1880 to 1895 our exports of wheat
have fall=n from 150,000000 to g., 900, 600
bushels. During that same period Ar
gentina has increased her exports of
wheat from 5000 to 370000 600 bushels, and
Russia has increased from 36000 900 te
142.000,000 bushels, and during the same
years, Russia has increased her exports
of flour from 92,o00,G6O to 143, 900 00(
pounds. Argentina has increased hers
from 100000 to 100000 pounds, and
India hers from 100000 to 124, 00O, 900
pounds.
In the face of these facts, and the
further fact that some years we produce
more than 100000 bushels of wheat to
ona imported, republicans put a tariff OF
II per cent. on wheat to keep out that
one little solitary bushel Some years
we produce nearly 1000, 900 bushels of rye
to one imported, yet they put a tariff on
rye.
The statistics of import and produc-
tion of corn, barley, oats, hops and hay
are almost as startling.
The recent run of steel from Alabama
Iron was so successful, and the product
commended so highly by Philadelphia
experts, that plans have already been
perfected to build extensive steel works
in the Alabama district
The cost of the late run of steel was
212 per ton, but with the Introduction
of economies, this cost can be much les
Eened
THE recent discovery of vein of
brown Iron ore in Alabama, forty feet
thick and many miles long, Is a matter of
vast Importance. 1t Is rich in iron and
very low in PHOSPHORUS. That the
iron and steel industries of Alabama will
soon rank among the most important in
the world, is readily admitted by per.
sons informed on this subject. The in.
felligent people of Alabama are fas
learning that high tariffs restrict them ii
the sale of their products in the high
est markets. and therefore prevent theil
selling them at the highest price, while
at the same time such laws prevent theil
purchasing what they need in the loves
market and prevent their getting it a
the lowest prices"