The Washington herald., 1907-09-30
Who Is Hurt9

Editor The Washington Herald:
I have been listening to tariff speeches
ard reading tariff schedules about sixty
years. and reading complaints about the
present Dingley tariff ever since It be
came q law. I would like 20 know who is
hurt. Am I paying too much for my cloth
ing and furniture and other family or
personal expenses? II so. what and how
would a reduction Of the present tarin
benefit me? Ny son-in-law came from the
Philippines via Hongkong. and got suit
Of clothes made 10 measure there for $lo'
for which our Washington tailors charge
me $50. Now, where is the compensation
for me? Is It that our Washington tailors
pay their workmeu better prices, and that
the employer and the workman live better
and are better citizens than the Hong
kong people? If the tariff on tailors'
goods was reduced so we could all get
clothing as cheap as in Hongkong, who
would suffer-the merchant, or the work
man. or both?
When Sam Peel was Congressman from
the Third district of Arkansas l at
tended a Democratic ratification or jollif-
cation meeting at Springdale, Ark, and
Peel made a rattling good speech and
told the people that the tariff then under
discussion in Congress, if passed, would
mean a tax on every labOring mans din
ner pail and on all housekeepers' tin cans
used for preserving and on every joint
Of stOvepipe and the price would become
so high that lab0rerS would have TO carry
their dinner in their coat pockets. and We
couldn't have any canned tomatoes or
peaches or berries, and stOvepipe would
become so high that we would have 10
run the pipe out Of the window. Peel
scared US all pretty badly. and We re-
turned him TO Congress to vote against
that bad tariff.
Notwithstanding all that Arkansas Dem
ocrats could do, the bill passed and be-
came law, There were no tin-plate fac
tories in the United States at that time;
but the next year 1 began 10 read in
the papers that several tin-plate factories
were being again put TO work after a
season Of rest. went TO Capt. Harrison,
one Of the Oldest hardware merchants in
Fayetteville, ten miles from where Peel
had made his speech, and asked him the
price, at that time. Of quart tin cans, for
canning fruits. Ninety cents" said he,
What was the price last year and the
year DtIDIt- dchtti. Il uDlluE tElis ltt
answered. What are you selling stove
pipe for now per joint?' Forty cents. "
"Why, did l not pay you 90 cents per joint
two years agO2' I think so" said he.
How is it, Captain, said ]; you can't
be making as much money as you for
merly did, are yOu?' Yes, I am making
more. because people are buying much
more. " We'll. how about the laborers' din
ner pau2' I'll sell Sam Peel or any one
else a single pail or a carload at 10 per
cent less than I charged two years ago. %
We couldn't afford glass Jars for preserv-
ing then, they were too costly; now We
can buy all we want at from IS TO 50
cents a dozen
Please tell us, Mr.. Editor, who is hurt.
Give us some specimens Of household
necessities, and other articles Of meTChan-
disc in general use, and which hurt the
mass of our people, not merely those liv-
ing in cities and their suburbs. but the
i5,0eo 900 families of the country where all
the wealth comes from.
Who. is hurt. and what is Wall street
and the newspapers and the politicians
growing about? Who knows?
J. F. SINiONDS