Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-07-20
FREE TRADE, AND CHEAPER
LIVING

LIVING
Editor Reflector: / read in last
nights Reflector an article on the
Democratic tariff. For information l
would like to ask a few questions.
have been a voter since Lincoln's
second election, at that time and for
one or two elections following cleo
tions the civil war and questions
arising out of it were the chief
items Of discussion. But since that
time the Democrats have been talk
ing about the tariff as a tax and
claiming all the time that the tariff
resulted in higher prices and an in
crease of the cost of living. Now
referring to your editorial, you say
that twenty articles out of every
hundred have been put on the free
list. That is, you say that in the
Payne-Aldrich tariff fifty per cent
of the imports were duty free but in
the Underwood bill passed by the
present Democratic congress seven
ty per cent come in duty free.
Now as to the arguments of all
Democratic speakers have heard,
and l have listened to a good many
the price of these twenty articles
out of every hundred ought to be
reduced the amount Of the reduc-
ton made by the Underwood tariff,
when compared with the Payne
Aldrich law. Unfortunately | do not
have before me either bill so as to
be able to make a comparison, but
personally ! find no reduction in
any thing l desire to purchase. II
/ want to purchase clothing the !
man or tailor assures me '
prices have advanced. If something
for the kitchen table, the grocer and &
butcher insist that prices of every e
hing is advancing, and that they Il
must have better prices for their a
goods. IL / go to the shoemaker D
)r salesman, he says shoes prices Il
ire way up, and so on down the A
list. Mr.. Editor, won't you tell us d
where the Democratic tariff has Re- r.
Iuced Prices?-Voter. Il
1t requires no statement from us ii
s to the increased cost of prac-
icaly everything the average fam i
ly uses; living is at its highest
oint in the history Of the country.
ONE of this increase is alleged to
he war in Europe, but in many in Il
tances the increase is made with ID
he war as an excuse and not as W
aid reason. In the meanwhile the IL
nportations of foreign made goods TO
beyond all precedent. For the to
ear ending June the total impor
ltions were $2,109,0 100000. Never
efore have they reached two bill re
on and they are nearly half bill -
on more than the same period in
911-1912 when the Republicans q
ere in power. Under the Under <
God tariff our doors are open to
rery nation under the sun except
ermany and Austria and they will
nd their flood OF products when
e war closes. Not all are competi- 4
ge OF course; they never are; but 4
large portion supplant home pro- Z
lets. The free trade defenders hail
is flood of foreign goods as mean
g prosperity but when the home
ctories cease making shrapnel and
ms for murder what are they to
/? The price of living is high-X
/ the producers of goods are to 4
ger degree those of other coun-
es than ever before in our history.
the meanwhile the new revenue 4
V to meet the greatest expenditure 4
any session OF congress, packed x
/ with pork barrel distributions
)poses to double income taxes,
ible corporation taxes. add inner
nee taxes and on top OF that is
s125,0O0,0 900 OF bonds to keep
country running. II is time for
people Of this country to think
the meaning OF this condition and
its certain consequences. Before
war, two years ago. the country
on the verge OF business disas-
1t may be in the same position
a month after the war closes.