The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-03-11
WHAT DUTY ON HIDES
MEANS TO YOU

land or Germany or France. We
don't raise half enough leather for
our shoes and betting aud dress suit
cases, for our harness and upholster-
ing aud a world of other things.
This leather is called neat leather
it's the thick hide from the backs OF
beeves- it's "a By. product Of the
slaughtering business. We've never
had enough-hides have always been
on the free list, except during the
civil war and up to 1872, because It's
far better to have raw material to
give employment to our citizens, as
shoe makers and harness makers and
betting makers and ssddlers, than to
get a very small income from "A tar
ilf whose pro rata distribution in the
shape of benefits for the people would
be far less than the increased taxes
which would accrue from their great
or prosperity.
All along, all sorts of hides we're on
free list nobody ever wanted hides
Oft the free list, no statesman ever
wanted them off, no farmer ever
wanted them off, no tanner ever
wanted lhem oft, it is far more advis-
able to give employment to twice as
many workers by bringing in the raw
product that would enable US to put
them to work and provide for their
families, and in the end we've made
more money by putting superior Am
erican brains and skilled Americans
fingers manufacturing all types Of
leather goods, not only for home use,
but for consumption abroad, so that
we could increase the wealth OF the
country and, therefore, the revenues
OF the government and decrease the
list OF unemployed.
1t was because hides we're on the
flee list all along that American shoes
could keep so many thousands at
work, and hundreds Of communities
found their sole support at this indus
try as we couldn't get enough leather
in our own country, the increased
cost of the raw material would have
counteracted the efficiency OF Ameri-
can labor, and foreign countries
(none OF which have tax on hide:
or ever had a tax on hides) would
have secured the stronghold in shoe
making that has been ours for years
a stronghold so great that we have
been able to become the shoemakeIs
of the world.
But all this happened before 1897,
when the Dingley tariff was passed.
The Dingley tariff didn't have hides
on the schedule when it left the House
-Dingley never put them there no.
body wanted them there-no shoemak-
or asked for it-no tanner asked tor 1t
no newspaper asked for it-no farm.
or asked for it-but at the last
moment, quietly and without warn
ing. somebody with sufficient power
managed to sneak in % per. cent.
duty on neat hides just before the
senate ratified the document.
And, altho' by dint Of wonderful
opposition, at short notice, this wac
cut down, to 10 per cent, the crime
of 1897 was committed, and the beef
trust, a set of eight or ten men, man.
aged to influence certain uncertain
senator's to support an imposition up
on the American people to which
helped no one but themselves.
With all hides on the free list, S22,-
600, 600 worth of leather now exported
to be finished into shoes will Ee Fin
ished at e-thousands OF Ameri.
ems will find employment "a bigger
profit will come to the contry through
the heavier profit that we will be able
to make out OF foreign countries by
selling them manufactured articles
out OF this leather. We will not have
to send out footwear TO Europe to be
finished our shoes will cost less, so
much less that every father of every
family in America will benefit at
least 81 or 50 every year, IL not by
lower priced shoes, by better value
for the same money, which means
the purchase of fewer pairs of shoes
and the saving, it not through reduc
iton of price, at least through reduc.
tion OF purchases. Our tanneries
will be saved and kept out Of the NAV
of trust that has always been merci-
less--which has always taken advan-
tage of every opportunity to increase
the cost OF the prime necessities OF
life. 1t has made us pay more for
our footwear and for the weatban Dis
in our hats (and therefore our hats
our satchels, and our trunks. our
belting and the furniture in our
homes.
The beef trust alone Is benefited by
the tariff on hides, while millions and
millions of dollars have been lost to
American industry--thous of
homes have been thrown into want
through the cutting off of employment
in industries whioh would oontinue
to pay fair wages we've this unjust
handicap removed
This is not republican or demo-
crat issue-a tariff issue or free trade
issue-it is not national ISSUE or an
industrial issue 1t is personal is
sue-it's an issue between you and
your pocketbook. Between eighty
millions of persons and eight or ten
persnns-"Is 1t better for the eighty
millions to benefit instead OF the
eight or ten? Up on the hill In Wash
ington the men whom you have sent
to congress to obey you, who are
pledged to hear you and to defend
you, to legislate for your good and
for your welfare, are waiting. They
are your servants you've paid them.
They re your advocates-you have re.
tanned them; your ohampions-you
hve sent them there to guard your
rights.
This is still a government of the
people, by the people-it is your gov
ernment--it is your voice that guides
it. Your protest against the duty on
hides, ii loud enough, will remove it.
Your voice as an individual will swell
the chorus Your duty to yourself,
to your family, to your pocketbook.
to the workiDgmen in the shoe fac
tories and in the harness shops and
the saddleIies and the leather factor
les and in the tanneries, your duty
either as fellow workingman or as
a fellow manufacturer, and, above all,
as fe low American, cries out to you
TO write to your congressman at
protesting against the
injustice wrought by the eight upon
the eighty millions.
j. g. MCPHERSON.
1t Saved His leg.
"All thought I'd loose my ley" writes
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