St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-08-28
THE DlNGLEY REMEDY.
a Republican Dose for Declining
Industry.

Industry.
Mr.. McKinley's celebrated republican
remedy for hard times the Dingley tar
if plaster-wiII soon be ready to be
spread on the epiderlnis of the country.
Mr.. McKinley's front-porch speeches
show that he expects great results from
che Dingley tariff plaster, and the medi-
cine men of the senate are now adding
to it all the ingredients that go with
republican dose which is intended to
take effect promptly.
The whole process is simple, and 1T is
as old as the invention of cupping and
blistering. The theory is that of coun-
ter-irritation. The medicine, when
patient has case of cramps, a mustard
poultice is applied to his abdomen. In
other cases o fly plaster is applied. The
effects of counter-irritation are well
known in medicine, but what is to be
the result when the theory is applied
to the condition Of the people?
Mr.. Mckinley declared from his front
porch that the scheme would work.
When he said that a tariff tax
would open the mills, increase wages
and restore prosperity, he meant that
the doctrine of counter-irritation would
prove effic-cious in trade and business.
That is to say, he meant (if words mean
anything) that man who has no
money to buy goods at present low
prices would be benefited by being COM
PEELED to pay higher price for the same
goods.
That is the whole scheme ina nut
shell. Mr.. McKinley's method OF maxi
ing the people prosperous is to increase
the cost of the necessaries as well as the
luxuries of life. As the people are not
now able to buy these necessaries and
luxuries except in the most pinched and
pinching way, it will be Interesting to
watch the effect of the tariff plaster and
thus get.an idea of the process by which
the public at large is to toe made pros
porous as the result of higher taxes.
Stripped naked, this proposition par
takes of the nature of lunatic delusion,
but Mr.. Mckinley took care to array it
in good many small clothes, with ruff
fes, frills and furbeloWs. He lifted his
eyebrows and lowered them, and his
voice grew pathetic as he described the
beauties of higher taxation levied upon
a population already brought to the
verge of pauperism.
But at last the whole business is to
be put TO the actual test. There is
nothing in the way to confuse the public
mind Business men, manufacturers
and their employees, farmers, the whole
population in short, viii have an admir-
able opportunity of beholding the true
inwardness of the republican tariff
fraud. We have no doubt that Mr.. Nc
Kinley really believes what he says
about high protection. He has made it
his hobby until he is stricken with
fanatical fervor when he discusses the
subject publicly.
But there are other republicans, cold
bIooded and long-headed, who know
that protection is simply private snap
for moDopolistic cabal composed of
the millionaire manufacturers. There
are some of the long-headed men in
the senate, and they do not hesitate to
say in private that the expectations
which have been raised in the public
mind as to the effect of the new tariff
are doomed to disappointment. Some of
these men would be glad of an excuse
to delay the bill in the senate; but they
know that the fortunes of the repub-
iean party have been tied to the tariff
cart, and they dare not make a public
disavowal Of their fears and desires.
Even Mr.. Mckinley seems to have a
vague idea that the tariff fraudis about
to be exposed, and he is credited with
q desire to take public attention off the
new measure by sending il a message on
the currency question. He has already
committed himself to the retirement of
the greenbacks, and he desires to com
NIT his party to that scheme. This pro-
gramme IS so doubtful in its nature that
the republicans in congress, especially
in the house, do not care to injure their
chances for reelection next year by pro-
noting II.
Meanwhile the tariff delusion will
soon be on exhibition. Atlanta Consti-
tuition.
Worse Than q War Tariff.
The new tariff bill will be worse than
the Mckinley law, as that was worse
than-war- tarifff ffff = The war tariff in 1862
averaged about 80 per cent. The ay-
erage Mckinley duty was about 40 per
cent. The Ding1ey house bill averaged
So per cent, and the senate bill aV-
crages nearly 81. That is to say, 35 years
after the war tariff was enacted our