Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-06-15
Hon. =. Stanton,

ON THE WOOL QUESTION
To The Editor Of the n. ?. 7ri6une:
SIR: The letter of your Washington tele
of the 10th inst, in speaking of the proceed
ings of the House on the tariff, says:
1.-TWO important amendments were adopted
one raising the 1uty on da1seed to 20 pei
cent and the other on wool, proposed by Mr.
Stanton of Ohio, which virtually prohibits i'm
portation."
And, again:
"Mr. Stanton's course on the bill excited
much comment among the friends of the tariff
and was enjoyed by the Democracy, whom he
appeared to lead in opposition to the Commit
tee of Ways and Means"
Again, in his letter, in THE TRIBUNE of the
llth, he says:
ton was dictated by a difference of two cents,
again oficiated as leader of the Democracy,
but Intellectually
l will not stop to inquire how difference
of two cents on wool would prohibit importa-
ton.
But as the gentleman who has charge OF
your telegraphic correspondence here has avail
ed himself of every opportunity that he could
find during the session to place me in false
position, think l may justly claim the privi-
lege of setting myself right
If my recollection is correct as to your state
ment of the circulation of The WEEKLY TRI-
BUNE, l think you send about $50 copies to
the village in which reside, and probably not
less than 5000 to my district While l care
nothing about the effect of these dispatches
here, and never trouble the House with ques-
tions of privilege growing out of any misrep-
resentation of my position in the newspapers,
l do not feel bound to submit to perseyering
effort to destroy the confidence of my constitu-
ents in my character and usefulness as a rep
resentative.
1t is true that have long since announced
my purpose not to be a candidate for re-elec-
ton. 1t is not, therefore, from any apprehen-
sions about the influence of your paper upon
my future prospects and promotion, but be-
canse desire in my retirement to preserve the
confidence and esteem of a constituency to
whom am indebted for a cordial, long -contin-
ued, and generous support, that l desire the
use of your columns to set myself right before
them. Now let us see what it is that war
rants your correspondent in denouncing me as
Committee of Ways and Means.
1t would not do to denounce NE for suppor-
ting an increase of the duty on haxseed, be-
cause Mr. Petit, Mr.. Kilgore, and Mr.. Colfax,
of Indiana, who are special favorites of The
TRIBUNE and its correspondent, took the lead
on the Republican side in favor of that amend
ment.
Hence my offense consists in offering and
supporting proviso to prevent frauds in the
Importation of WOOL That proviso was as
follows
- Propided. That all imported wool which
shall contain large admiXture of dirt burrs,
y6lk grecSe or other substance other than fine
wool. cleansed ready for carding, than good
merchantable wool, of a similar quality and
finenesS, the growth and produce of the United
States. shall be reduced in weight to the extent
of such excess and duties shall be levied on
such imported wool according to its value per
pound when 50 reduced in weight.
It will be borne in mind that the bill report
ted by the Committee of Ways and Means
proposes to admit all wool costing sixteen
cents per pound, or under, free. The manufac-
turers demanded that the the maximum weight
for free wool should be 20 cts. per pound at
the place from which it is exported. The
Committee agreed to raise the maximum to
Is cents, to admit all between s and "a cents
at duty of cents per pound, and all over
"a cents per pound at 9 cents.
considered this worse than maximum of
20 cents, with a duty of nine cents on all over
that price, as I have no doubt that all the du-
table wool that will be imported, will range
between Is and "a cents.
During the fiscal year ending June 80, 1859
there was 23l .230 pounds of wool imported
valued at $S1 ,633, or a little over 80 cents per
pound, while there was S4.363,l21 worth Of
wool (the number of pounds not given impor-
ted free of duty all of which must have cost
less than 20 cents per pound.
It would be doing great injustice to the
genius and inventive faculties of these impor.
ters, to suppose that they could not find some
way to reduce the price Of this little modcum
Of dutiable wool from 80 to "a cents pei
pound, when they could thereby get it in at o
duty of 3 cents, per pound instead Of paying
10.
The manufacturers in 1857, for the first
time in our history, demanded free wool. IT
support of this demand, they urged paradox
| ical proposition, that the abolition of duties
would increase the price of American WOOL
| They paraded statistics showing what was al
| lsged to have been the rusult of abolishing du
| ties on wool in England.
then devoted considerable labor to the in
vestigation of the subject. the results of which
I embodied in speech, which was delivered ii
the House of Representatives during the pen
dency of the tariff of 1857.
That investigation satisfied me that theil
statistics were false-probably forged-ant
their arguments wholly unsound.
The subject was finally adjusted by allowing
all wool costing under 20 cents per pound a
the foreign port to come in free, all costing
over that sum to pay duty of "a per cent
advalorem. This was done upon the represen
tation that coarse wool, which was required
for carpets, &C., was not grown in this coun
try, and that therefore it would not come il
competition with American wool.
The result has shown, as was then apprehen
ded, that wool is imported which is eighty pc
cent dirt, and in that condition is worth from
80 to so cents per pound, and is equal to tn
very best wool raised in the United States.-
Specimens of it have been shown upon tn
floor Of the House during the pendency Of th
present tariff, ard no one pretends to contro
vert the fact. Various interviews were o
course had between the Representatives of tn
manufacturing and wool growing interest, 70
the purpose Of endeavoring to find some com
mon ground upon which all could agree
Mr. Morrill, demanded a reduction of tn
maximum for free wool to l6 cents, as the onl
means of preventing the fraudulent importa
tion of fine wools. With this l would hav
been satisfied, but the manufacturers perempte
rily refused it. but said they were willing t
consent to any guards that could be desired t
prevent evasions of the law of 1857. Wit
this view, Mr.. Morrill, and myself proposed
them that all wool that would be reduced 5
per cent in weight by cleansing should pay
duty. At first they professed to be satisfe
with this but after some time they said tha