The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-13
The DUTY in Linens.

Editor Morning News: A clipping
from the Philadelphia Times, which
appeared in the Morning News recently.
was of great import, though on ac-
count of its brevity it may not have
been read by a great many. I will
quote it here:
THE Dingley law. and the internal
revenue laws, which added to the sur
plus S9,740.000. this being the largest
sum for any month of this year, and
at this rate. which, if maintained, will
soon disorganize our national finances.
Should this continue. the accumulation
at the end of the fiscal year will go
far beyond the earlier estimates Of
$40, 000 000."
This statement ought to set every
intelligent citizen to thinking and in
vestigating. | know there is a great
dread in financial circles, previous TO
every presidential election of changes
in the tariff, producing disturbance in
the commercial world; but now that
the treasury is filled to repletion, even
to disturbing and threatening disor-
ganizati wouldn't this be good
time while Congress is in session to re-
duce the tariff on some of the neces-
saries of life? One thing that closely
concerns every individual, both as to
comfort and economy is the tariff on
pure linen goods. Now, about every
purchaser OF the household supply of
linen knows when she. buys linen, OF
any kind, that she pays more for it
than in the past five or six years.
do not remember the date of the bill
becoming a law. but l do remember
that the merchants sold the first inn
portation thereafter at an advanced
price. That would not have been so
bad, but what followed is what hurts
the consumer. Union goods" a large
admixture of cotton with about twelve
threads of linen to the inch is CLOSED
up, and put on sale as pure linen"
So we are assured by the salesman.
Now, all the towels are hemmed. Why?
Because any one who is a judge of
linen. as every purchaser should be,
could draw and break a thread of the
warp and woof If they were fringed,
and convince the salesman and them
selves of the presence of cotton. They
so skillfully fill and glaze table linen,
towels and napkins that you cannot
tell until they have been laundered
what a big percentage of cotton OBJ
tains. Sometimes you find you have
paid a big price for a pure cotton"
napkin. OF course we want TO favor
our king" but we will do that in our
sheets. pillow cases, shirts. hosiery
and underwear; but we cannot allow
it to take the place of linen in towels
and napery. There is not the wear in
II, neither the absorbing qualities of
linen. Does anyone ask why this ad-
mixture? 1t is done TO evade the pro
tectiVe tariff" The union goods come
in on lower tariff!
How ! would like to know how much
flax is grown and manufactured in the
United States. In the days of our
grand mothers. the Northern and Mid
die states We're obliged to raise flax
to make their towels. table linen, bed
ticks and summer clothes for the men,
but in those days-early days in our
country's history, | will write again
of goods ! have seen made in the fam
iIies OF my ancestors. Since railroads
have been built and the manufactured
cotton goods have been brought to
their doors their descendants no
longer hear the hum of the spinning
wheel the crack Of the reel, the in
deScribable sound of the loom as the
weaver tramped the treadles. shot the
shuttle, and brought the sley with all
her force against the cloth to insure
| the closeness of texture desired.
Neither is there any flax to protect
Now Is the time ripe to urge our rep
resentatives TO seek repeal of this
tarff and let the people have what
they want, think every German.
| Scotch ana Irish man, would favor this
for the sake OF their native land. when
the bonnie blue flax flower makes such
large aud beautiful feature IN their
| landscape. / think the voice OF the peo-
pie ought to be heard IN this matter.
and save the politicians from scheming
20 get the money cut OF the treasury
a Housewife.