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A Few Truths

A Few Truths image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
November
Year
1890
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Conjrressmen Belden in a recent interview in the N. Y. Mail and Express tells a few facts relative to the late election tliat are pertinent: AI'T ILLUSTRATIOXS. "Souie illustrations will sliow the absurdity of the rise in prices. Now, tin cans have a duty of five cents a dozen on tliera, and yet I know nierchants who charged 25 per cent. adüitloual on the old prices, all on account of tbe wageearners' tarill'. The duty on champagne is eight cents per bottle, yet the sellers liere charged lifty cents nioicon a hottle. llundreds of instances could be given of the advantase taken of the pas-age of the tariff bill to raise prices and créate alarm. "A staunch republican ín JNew lovk City wanted to palnt his housc and found that the price on linseed oil had incre;ised 5 per cent. He said it was the new tariñ law, and boiling witli imiigtiation went and voted the democratie ticket. The duty on linseed oil has not been cUanged. In fact, the 5 )er cent, rise was owlng to the linseed oil trust which simply saw lit to increusc pnces. It made no dlflerenee wliether articles wcre on the tïee list or not, piiees were put up and tlie cry was: 'Tliat is what the tariff bilí did.' Xothing was said about silgar being practlcally on the free list. Nothintr was said of the reductions made in many articles of prime necessity." IUrORTERS TO BLAME. "Did the iniporters help to spreid the alarm?" 'Ves, they were more vigoroiis Ulan usual, but they were not mad about tbe wage-earners' tariff law, although they pretended to be. The administrativo bilí, passed before the tariff bilí, is what made the im]ortei'S furious. You see, before this bilí was pasecd everything was In a more or less choatic statc as resurtís correct classification. It was inipossible to place every bnndle and every article that carne into this country on un equitable dutiable basis. Big fortunes were, therefore, made by many of tlie inportcr?, because the proper duty was not assessed. In other words, the chances tor making fortunes were grcat, and irnporters soon learned what to import and what kind of packnges to use. All of this has been nipped in the bud by the administrative bilí, wbich clearly defines and settles the duty on all Imported packages and articles not hitheito specüically enumerated. I do not eee why the importers should be permitted to make fortunes at the expense of the merchants and con.-umers. I canuot believe t luit the country at large would care to tuaintain a system so manifestly unjust." TUUTH WILL RIGIIT IT. "Do you thiuk things will be righted soon ?" "Yes, I do. Snap judginent was taken on the new tariífbill. The Muuchausens in the land were as thick as leaves in a Michigan forest, and the truth about the wage-iarners' tarid law was stifled, crushed, without a hearlnjí and without fair discussion. This is a cise where the truth cannot bc crusbed, and the people will foon realize that tliey have been imposed upon." "Do you believe congress wlll attempt to repeal or modlfy the new law?" "No, I do not. It would be a step bacKvvard and tantamountlo a confession Ibat the bill was what the demócrata have asserted. It is a measure that will show its benefleial effects as time passes. No great bill, affecting so many industries, can be put luto execution in a month. In a year the law will be appreclated." TUE VAHMERS' ALI.IANCB. "What about the Farmers' Allianceï" "The farmers have voted in a way to indícate a desire to have free trade and pauper labor. I cannot believe that the; realize the full import of thcir polltlcal action. If they do they are simply playiiig into the handt of the free trade democráta. A litlle practical experience witli free trade wonld show tlicm the fallacy of the Cobdcn plan." "Have you any fear for 1892." "The república party bas sustained defeat before in off vears and wou the national election. The democrats will have such a large majority In congress tbat they cannot agree and will liglit among themselves. They are not infallible, and the next coDgress will probably exhibit from time to tiuie spcctacles that will disgust the country. We can win in 1893. Farmers should stop and a;-k tlninselves whltber they are drlltlng? Let them couskler wlicthera law tliat aiitagonlzestbe (armen, manufacturera and exporterers, of Ë'igland, Franco, Germany, etc, is not really a law in tlieir own inlereste. McKinicy lias been liuiij; in eflijíy i tliosi' countiics for tliis law. Is thut not an cvidence that it 8 a law in the interest of United States citizens. The average taxation of farms in the United States is 12 cents per acre. The average taxatlon of farms in England Is 1G8 cents, or just fourteen times greater in free trade England than in protectud America! And yct ttiere are farmers, thousands of them, rignt here In Wafli tenaw county, who voie eveiy year to ndopt the English plan of free trade and higher taxation.

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier