Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 October 1891 — FACTS FOR CALAMITY-HOWLERS. [ARTICLE]

FACTS FOR CALAMITY-HOWLERS.

FOJir FIGURESTHEY CANNOT DISPUTE — RETURNS FOR LABOR UNDER THE NEW TARIFF. WashfalTton Sped ajrto N. Y. Tribune. While the discordant shrieks of Mills, Spi inger. Bynum and hundreds of other free-trade “cnlamityliowlers” are vexing the air in Ohio and Iowa: while they, as “lean kine" dreamers, are trying to malic the farmers and workingmen disbelieve the evidence of their own senses and pocket-books, and convince them, that they arc the daily victims of “tariff robbers," it may be worth Ivhile to mention one or two facts. Mills and Ids imitators and followers declare that the McKinley tariff has raised the prices of every man ufaetured article that the farmer, the mechanic or the workingman buys and uses. The falsity of such assertions was clearly and completely exposed in these dispatches several inontbs ago, when it was shown that the Indian supplies of cotton goods, woolen goods—including tho “poor man's blanket’’—agricultural tools tnd implements, builders’ hardware, Iron and tinware and other household utensils, sugar and many other articles, amounting in value to many hundred thousands of dollars, and Surchased from many different biders in different domestic markets, were cheaper in price and of better quality than they were shown last year under the old tariff. It was also shown that the cost of wheat, fiour, corn, meal, beef, pork, oats and other agricultural products was much greater than last year. The accuracy of those figures has not been disf mted by Mills or any other freerader, but' all of them continue to reiterate their false assertions with even greater noise and vehemence “Hgn before. Perhaps they will deny this statement about prices in North Dakota. At,Watertown is the biggest mercantile house in that State, and it buys and sells nearly everything in the line of Jamily supplies. On Aug. 26, the head of that house, after a thorough examination of his books and invoices, made a statement of the buying and selling prices as compared with Aug. 26, 1890, six weeks before the existing tariff became operative, He found that the house had bought its stock of flannels, underwear and velvets. 8 per cent cheaper than last year; cloaks and readymade clothing and other dry goods, 10 percent, cheaper; sugar 40 per cent, cheaper; canned fruits 50 per cent, cheaper, with “a fair avererage of 10 per <-<nt. reduction in the run Of the. grocery''trade.” Shoes for the fall and winter trade had been bought 2 per cent, cheaper than last year: tinware. 5 percent, cheaper; crockery, millinery and shelf hard ward cost the same. “These reductions ,iii the purchase price,” said tMr. Sixer, the manager, “have enabled us to make our retail prices throughout the store more than 10 Kr cent, lower than last year or over fore in Dakota." The “po'w man s tin bucket” is again called upon to do yeoman service in the cause of free trade this year, ar it was m 1890. The comparative prices of that useful and necessary artioe. as well as of some other a-dries is common use in. Watertown, N. D., are shown in the 'following t ible. These are actual retail selling prices: Prices. Prices. I 8» H»l. IWta* nails 64 50 . S 3 75 jßradts 1 00 00 fTeaicL. ,cs 80 B 0 iFo.irte:n<.us.t abApins .00 35 centr'd palls 75 00 (joint Kto'-eiMjc ...... 25 91 lFou.to-a qv-trt tin » d,j BO . 85 “tTwOHo lUirt Un pads 40 95 ftVree quart -In tails _. tn W (Milk Mas, per C0zAn....... . ISO 100 [Tin cupwr 05 05 The Corsicana Cobden and all who [agree with him long for a return of Mbs “good old times.” They would

be glad to try such a tariff as Congress made in 1816 or in 1846. Here are some of the prices copied from the day book entries made in the year 1817 by Hezekia Fellows, who then kept a country store in Boscawen, N. H. j Three-fourths pound loaf sugar, 27c; one quarter pound powder, 17c; a quarter pound of lead, 17c; two pounds veal, 6c; eleven and a half yards calico. 75c; a half yard muslin, 42c; five yards cambric, $3.05; half yard shirting, 34c; one pound sugar, 20c: fifteen eggs, 15c; one yard flannel, 62c: half bushel herd grass, 63; five yards calico, $2.50; three hoes. $2; three pounds (Sitton yarn, No. 9, $2.25. These entries and others were copied by Statistician Dodge, of the Agricultural Department, and will be found in his report for the current month, together with these comments: > “An item of credit is found that suggests the rate of wages for transient labor in a community of farmers, viz.: ‘One-half day’s work, 25c;’ in the same region the cheapest farm labor is $1 P er day and $1.75 Tn harvest. With farm'labor at 50 cents one day's work would purchase a yard of calico. Now an hour’s work in haying or harvest time would buy at least two yards of calico. If a farmer wanted a garden hoe, he could possibly buy one, with veal at 3 cents per pound at retail, for thirty-three pounds of veal, unless the dealer should demand a wholesale rate for purchhase of meats instead of barter that promised him no profit. Now a smaller quantity of veal would suffice to purchase half a dozen hoes.” Mr. Dodge might have added that one day’s labor in 1817 would have bought two and one-has pounds of brow'll sugar, while in the same town in-1891 a day’s labor on the farm will buy from twenty to thirty pounds of better sugar. The duty on calico, muslin, eabrie, cotton yarn, etc., in 1817 was 25 per cent.; under the Walker tariff of 1846, which was ah ideal tariff in the opinion of Mills, Springer, McMillin and most of tire other free traders of to-day, the duty on calico was 30 per cent.; on other cotton goods and cotton yarns 25 per cent., the same as it had been in 1816, which was in force when Mr. Fellows’ shirting was at 63 cents a yard, calico, 50 cents a yard, cotton yarn 75 cents a pbtind, cambric 61 cents a yard and muslin 84 cents a yard.

THE TRUTH ABOUT PRICES. A year ago tho Democratic and free trade organ and orator were predicting what increased prices people would be obliged to pay because of the passage of the McKinley law. Pages of computations were given showing the per cent, over the then prices the consumers would be compelled to pay. The free-trade orator mingled his tears with his prophecy as he foretold aud bewailed the deprivation which the McKinley law would bring upon the people. Thousands who cannot get rid of the idea that the higher the duty on fore ign goods the higher the price, believed these free-trade statements and did not vote qr voted with the Democracy. Now that we have had nearly a year of the McKinley law the American Economist has compared the retail prices of fifty-six articles in common use for the year I 1857, when the tariff was imposed to give revenue only, in October, 1890, when the McKinley law went into operation, and in September of the present year, which shows the fallacy i of the free-trade predictions and claims. It is not essential to give the entire list, but a few comparisons taken from the Economist are given below: V- Article.’ 1857. 1800. Sept Binding twine.... ..... 40 14% toil Blankets, pair 63 83% 4(SI« 370 Boots 4 7« 3 07 9 78?£ Calico, yard 14 % Ofl Carpets, yard. ... ..... 1 SO»4 73% 66%. Flannel, yard 70 Fruit cans, per dozen.. 3 00 65 54% Nails, iron OS% 18% 01 Plow ........ S 3 19% 13 9'.% 12 00 Salt per bbl 9 30 1 65 133 Shoes 5 84 3 15 3 Ort Sugar, granulated 19% Oa% 05% Tin milk pan 37% 17% 15% Ticking, yard 35% 18% 17 Wash tub 190 (T» 65 i Wooden buckets . 45 89 20% Woolen clothing. 24 00 14 50 14 25 0 - ' . ' These are samples not selected be- j cause the decline has been greater on ■ them than on the rest, but are chos- I eu to give articles in all departments named. There is but one article in i the whole list the price of which is j higher than a year ago, and that is j the much mourned pearl button, ' which cut so great a figure in the tearful predictions of last year about increased prices. The retail price of gearl buttons Was 2 cents higher last eptember than a year earlier. In addition to getting the prices for comparison the Economist sent circulars to retailers in every State asking their views regarding prices. It says that all the replies received were to the effect that manufactured goods used by the mass of people were never so cheap as at the present time. Extracts from a number of these letters are given one iJ of which, from the report of Simon Bager, of Bay, Gasconade county, Missouri, is copied, as follows: “I am a dealer in general mer- ; chandise, such as is kept in a general * store in the country, and I must say I that in all the twenty-nine years "j ' have been doing business goods never ■ sold any cheaper than to day a x produce never higher, with tne ex I ception of war prices. The McKin- , ' ley bill is a blessing to the farmer: I •he gets more for his produce and ; buys a great deal cheaper. If anybody wants goods made in another country, let him pay for them." Another says that “the people n getting better posted every day, an

they cannot be fooled again as they were last fail by the cry of extortion and Jobbery.” j The foregoing list of prices will I repay a careful examination by those! who are seeking the truth regarding the results of the puptection policy in • this country. They show, first, that the prices of manufactured goods in most general use are from 35 to 60 per cent, cheaper now than during the free trade era of 1857, the larger part being nearly 50 per cent lower— , that is, a dollar now will buy as ; much as two would purchasein 1857. j They show, secondly, that prices last j September, under the McKinley law, j which is the most perfect protective ; tariff ever devised, dre lower than in October, 1890, when the McKinley law went into effect. The prices are a conclusive argument in themselves. THE PROPER USES OF THZ AELTXXCE St. Louis Globe-Democrat When the Farmers’ Alliance was originally organized the country was given to understand that it was a strictly non-partisan order, an ! t ! its objects were such as in vol ved no political test. Upon that theory it gained popularity and influence. 'I h great majority of those who joined it were actuated by honest and* con sis tent motives, aud disposed to ihak< it a source Of advantage in a social and educational way. It is easy to see how much an organization might be turned to very profitable account for such purposes, and nobody equid have the least objection to it under conditions of that kind. The farmers have a perfect right to organize for the protection of their interests and the promotion of their welfare. It is desirable that they shall do so. inasmuch as they are thus helped to respect their catling and to laborjor its elevation. But in so doing they owe. something to other classes. It will not do for them to assume that: the world exists principally for t! o who arc engaged in agriculture, an that "governments are irs'itute mainly to give them a preference over a’l the rest’ o; the population. Th it is the philosophy of the People’s party which they are asked to indorse and support. Its principles and tendencies arc all in the direction of class legislation and of dis criminations on account of forms-ef business and employment.

The result of all such experiments lias been to do the class directly con cerned more harm than good by arraying all other classes against it for mutual protection. This is apparent in the present instance. Wherever the People’s party has any definite influence there is a fusion of the Republican and Democratic parties against it. The plan of its being is a menace to every element except the one for which it was created; and the natural consequence is chat those elements organize to resist its self;, ish demands and to defeat its unreasonable objects. They are stronger, of course, than it can hope to be come, and so in the long run they will triumph over it and make a mockery of its beliefs and intentions This is the fate that the Alliance is inviting for itself by going into poli tics with a view to establishing a new party. If it would confine itself to those things for which ifr was originally designed, the country would show it pronounced favor and help it to realize its hopes and wish-, es. The popular heart beats warmly for those who til) the soil, but it is not so much devoted to them that it can afford to ignore the interests of other classes. They can not expect to dictate laws to suit themselves, regardless of the rights and desires of persons belonging to other branches of industry and production. The true value of tliieir Alliance is tc be found in its non-partisan features, and they would do well to deliver it from association with the new party enterprise and restore it to its origi nal condition of social profit and practical usefulness.