Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-03-28
Observation-Disclosures
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~ ==OF THE DAY 81
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Tru.t. rick women,. pocket.,

Trusts Pick Women's Pockets.
The purpose of the protective tariff
Is to make things dear. The higher
the cost of living, the more the protec-
tionists rub their hands with satisfac-
ton. There is no one more interested
In the tariff than the American woman,
who, as rule, is the treasurer Of the
American home of the average family.
But how few women know anything
about the tariff and the trusts that
have been fostered by 1t. They all
know that the wages Of their husbands
do not buy as much as formerly, but
the connection between wages and the
Increased cost of living through the
protective tariff tax they have to pay
on about all they buy, has never been
brought to the attention of most house
wives. The ordinary wife thinks the
tariff question Is a. political one and
leaves it to the husband and voter. But
Just the same politics" comes home
to every woman's pocket whether she
knows 1t or not.
Every dress you buy, my dear mad
am, every hat, every pair OF gloves,
your boots and shoes, and, in fact,
everything you wear, is made dearer by
the tariff. You have to pay twice as
much for the suit Of clothes for your
boy because of the tariff and those
clothes, thanks to the tariff again, are
half-shoddy and the other half often
cotton, because the tariff has SO in
creased the cost of wool. The clothes
FOR the girls is taxed In like manner.
The meat and other foods YOU buy for
your table, except perhaps the vege-
tables, has increased in price beyond
all reason, because the tariff shields the
Food Trust from competition. The
rent you pay is higher than 1t would
be IL the tariff did not make building
materials cost so much. The sugar tar
if alone adds $3.50 year to the cost
Of living to the average family. 1t
adds two cents pound to the price Of
every pound of sugar and thus makes
the canned fruit and preserves, which
the children crave, that much dearer.
The wife of the mechanic and labor
ing man never before found 1t so hard
to supply the household needs from
her husbands earnings and is obliged
to curtail the purchase of clothes for
herself and the children. The wife Of
the farmer finds the cost Of groceries
and clothing more than keeping up
with the advance in the price of the
wheat, corn and cattle, or other prod
ucts Of the farm. The wife of the bus
mess man has discovered that her
weekly allowance will not provide as
good table as heretofore and she dis
likes to ask her husband to increase the
allowance, which has sufficed for yenrs
before, and she has TO cut down her
own pleasures and adornment.
The tariff, therefore, is American
"home politics" and is worthy OF an
Investigation by the women as much as
the men. Under the present tariff,
which was enacted in 1897, the cost Of
living has Increased over 40 per cent
On account of this tariff the trusts
have Increased and flourished exceed
lngley and are able to send their goods
abroad, and sell them cheaper to for
eigners than they do to you here at
home which Is a plain plundering of
our own people.
The tariff Is a political question that
everyone Is interested in and the two
political parties are distinctly divided
on this issue. The Republican politi-
clans are protectionists, for If you ask
any of them, even the most liberal, they
will tell you they believe in the protec-
tive policy. The trusts and combines,
fostered by the tariff, furnish large
sums to elect Republicans to Congress
and to elect Legislatures that elect
United States Senators. 1t Is charged
that the corporations and trusts have
Influenced the votes Of legislators by
corrupt means to vote for United States
Senator'S that will prevent tariff re.
form. The Democrats believe III tariff
revision by reducing the protection the
trusts enjoy to the point that will
raise enough revenue to run the govern
ment when economically administered.
The tariff can only be changed by
politics. by men and women learning
about Its trust-breeding and trust-pro-
tectlng qualities. The women can only
vote in three States, but they can urge
the men In every State to vote on cleo
tlon day in favor of doing away with
Its plundering, by which the people are
taxed to make the trusts grow fat.
Voters Intent on Reform.
The people are evidently intent on