The Tariff That Stole Your Coat: How Washington's Economy Was Held Hostage
In October 1890, Aberdeen workers and farmers felt the bite of the McKinley Tariff before it even passed, as prices soared and wages stagnated in a state where 'free labor' was being priced out of existence.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The impression has been received by some that the republican candidate for commissioner from the first district was W. T. Beck, of Montesano, not A. P. Beck, of Summit. This is very far from being the case. W. T. is young, active and enterprising, the other man is the opposite of all these.
One result of the passage of the McKinley bill will soon make itself apparent. The farmer coming in town makes purchases for his farm or his family and the mechanic's wife going to the store for household needs will find that a dollar will not go as far as it did before the anticipated passage of the McKinley bill cast its baleful shadow upon the 'home market.' When the farmer finds that he will have to sell more wool to buy a shabby coat and more wheat to meet current expenses, and the working man discovers that the purchasing power of his week's wages has diminished instead of increased as promised, each will have an object lesson on the tariff that will be not difficult of comprehension.
Democratic Speaking. The audience at the opera house on Tuesday night filled to overflowing the auditorium. The speaking was of the kind to appeal to the reason of every thinking man. J. J. Carney gave a careful statement of the principles actuating the two parties, and most convincing arguments against protective ideas. A. H. Kennedy, the candidate for school superintendent, gave some excellent ideas on educational subjects, and showed himself well qualified for the position for which he is a candidate. The meeting was closed by 'Our Own' B. F. Johnston, candidate for senator, with an appeal for every man to make a personal application of the McKinley tariff bill, and was an appeal that must have reached the heart of every workingman.
This 1890 editorial captures the visceral economic anxiety of the era, where trade policy wasn't just abstract legislation but a direct threat to the family budget. It mirrors modern debates over tariffs and inflation, reminding us that when the cost of basic goods rises while wages stagnate, political rhetoric often fails to comfort the working class.
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