The Republican journal., 1910-09-15
A, Plain Talk on the Tariff.

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: On
arriving home from the wreck Of the
Alice Clark l found four cards Of differ.
ent colors, like a rainbow and just as de-
ceptive, for there is an old adage that at
the end of rainbow there would be
found pot Of gold; but never yet has
anyone recovered it. These cards l now
have before me are put out to catch the
unwary like the Jack of Lantern, the
Light of which arises from cemeteries
and low, marshy grounds. don't desire
to take much of your space but will try
and answer these questions as put forth
in these variegated colored cards.
Supply and demand come very near
regulating the price of the articles
enumerated in the cards mentioned. If
certain party wants my vote for redu-
cling the price of pork to 5 cents per ID.
that party cannot expect my friend who
sells 1000 lbs. of pork to vote that par
tvs way also. Our interests clash.
What is good for one, party is good for
the other, and the more people who are
benefited by an act the better the act.
This question of political economy has
been wrestled with from time immemo-
rial and will be as long as people govern
themselves. Figures are grand and can
not be cast aside yet they are very de-
ceptive when used by smart deceivers.
The writer we'll remembers when four of
seven judges of this State made quo
rum and three of them said that Cover
nor Garcelon was wrong, and how ingen-
iously the governor manipulated figures
to show that majority of the Supreme
Court of this State did not condemn him.
l we'll remember when President Cleve-
land told Congress that the tariff en-
HANGED the price of an article just the
amount of the tariff, yet it was demon
strated to all thinking people that many
articles were sold for less than the
amount of the tariff.
The writer we'll remembers when the
wool schedule of the Mckinley tariff
was to be debated in Congress that Hon.
Leopold Morse of Boston, a large clothier
on Washington street, gave notice to the
House that he would speak on the wool
schedule on certain day when the bill
would be taken up. He collected some
of the figures see on my desk now and
had them tabulated, and the public ex-
pected some very fine points from him.
In the interim Mr.. Mckinley sent to the
Morse store in Boston and bought a suit
of clothes for $40 and had the tag left on
them: In the regular order Mr.. Morse
took the floor. The galleries were filled,
and under this inspiration Mr.. Morse
launched out and had dilated on the cost
of the suit of clothes the working man
had to pay so much for. He elaborated
on the cheapness of clothes in London,
Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest and
Moscow, and was carrying his audience
with him when Mr.. Mckinley asked him
for few minutes of his time, which Mr..
Morse kindly accorded. Mr.. Mckinley
sent a page to Mr.. Morse's desk and
asked if Mr.. Morse would kindly tell the
house anything he knew about the
clothes. Mr.. Morse did, and told the
house the clothes were bought at his
store in Boston and cost $40, and that let
his figures come down with thud.
ho cfor
which happened in Brooklyn, N. Y,
when the Hon. Roger @. Mills, chairman
of the ways and means committee Of the
Democratic House, was addressing an
audience in relation to this much discuss
ed and little understood tariff. Mr..
Mills was formulating tariff bill that
would maintain the government and give
the country practically free trade. He
also had tables of figures and in part
of his address held up pair of cottor
stockings and asked why duty SHOULD
be levied on such articles, when the
English made them all and that the in.
vention was English and at that time 6
secret with them. Later, when he re-
turned to the House he was shown his
error and was advised that it was ar
American invention and had been held {
secret by the Americans for some time
Mr.. Mills being a gentleman, like the
most Of Southern men, told the House
he was mistaken; that he had been mis-
Informed and acknowledged the wrong
England and her possessions are al
ways referred to in one way or the other
on such occasions as the Fourth of July
Evacuation day, the anniversaries of tn,
battles of Bennington, Lexington, Con
cord, Saratoga and such, as tyrant ant
kindred names. When food or raimen
is the subject England is a model
KY....>..,MMM