The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-07
THE TARIFF AND WOOL GROWERS.

BY reference to the price current in the newspa-
pers it will be seen that the price of wool has fallen
some thirty per cent. within the past year. This
great falling off in the price Of one of our staple arti-
ces of production, has created great uneasness
among our wing friends, if we may Judge by the
language of their journals, and they exceedingly
puzzled to account for it. They cannot see how the
price of this article should decline so much under
the benign operation of the blessed tariff which they
last year so patheticay called upon the woolgrow
ers to sustain as their only hope of salvation and
prosperity. II is problem which they cannot
sove-a deep mystery which they cannot unfold.
If, however, we 60 back little, and consult the
arguments and evidence contained in the wing Or
gans directly bearing upon this case, shall find
solution Of this mystery, which, if not entirely salts
factory to US, LAS we do not pretend it u.s. must,
think, be conclusive evidence to the minds of our
wing friends, and serve to show them that what
now appears mystery, is really no mystery at all.
1t is of the well-established doctrines of the
protectioniss, that tariff upon any articles Of pro-
ducton, whether Of the field or the loom, reduces
the price thereof The great high priest Of protec-
ton, Horace Greedy, has terated and reiterated this
doctrine on all occasions when discussing the tariff
question. It is of his avorite hobbies, and is
used to convince the farmers that they are not taxed
by tariff for the benefit of the manufacturer; but,
the contrary they are directly benefited by re-
duction in the price of all manufactured articles that
pay duty at the custom-house. Now, if the whig
theory ofprotection be true, the mystery lie solved
at once; for like causes produce like effects. If
tariff on English cotton or woollen cloth reduces
the price of the home made article, why not duty
on foreign wool reduce the price of the domestic
tclei 1t is evidently true that it would
The reduction in the price of this article, them is
the legitimate effect of the tariff and should create
no uneasiness in the minds Of the believers in the
doctrine of protection; for if their theory is correct
this reduction, as also of every other article upon
which duty is exacted by government, might be
as certainly calculated upon the changes Of the
seasons.
We are apprehensive, however, that the wool
growers are becoming skeptcal as to the soundness
Of this doctrine. They find that, while their re-
ceps during the past year have fallen off about 25
per cent? their bills at the store have increased in
the same proportion. They find that, while the
price Of woollen goods has not varied essentially,
they cannot obtain the old price for wool at the
mandatory, They find that cotton goods of all
descriptions have risen. This is conclusive evil
dence to them, that, while the tariff has advanced
the price of manufactured articles, it has had the
contrary effect with WOOL that the wing rule OF
"high tariff, low prices does not work both ways,
and is humbug
| If we were called upon to explain the cause OF
the depression in the wool market at this time, we
should say 1t is because there is evidently larger
supply in the country than is needed for immediate
consumption scarcity, and not the tariff, was
the cause Of the rise last year. One-haf Of the
wool used in the eastern factories is brought into
the country under duty of three-eighths per cent
Ia merely nominal tax. And this is the protection
which our blessed tariff affords to wool-growers.-
Onondaga (.N W Standard.