The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-04-08
THE TARIFF ON WOOL.
Letter From Hon. J. b. GrinneI.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 20, 1861

Letter From Hon. J. b. Grinnen.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 20, 1866.
Editors Of the Chicago Tribune:
Ia the Tribune Of the 18th inst, I find
an editorial which purports to give my posi-.
ton rs a member Of Congress, on the wool
question. It would not become me to ask
room to combat your theories, and am quite
willing to be judged in what / said on that
great enterprise in which is invested in our
country capital of more than two hundred
millions of dollars. | only wish that nv ar
gument may be fairly stated; and let me
specify.
1t was not said by me that wool could be
produced in South America "almost as cheap
ly as hay, &c;' rather that as was proven our
own wool made stronger cloth than that i'm.
ported; that by the importation of ''Shoddy,'
our people were imposed on by wearing the
cast off rags of South American barbarians.
said that so heavy were our taxes and so
slight the protection to wool. that the induce
ment was to become barbarian flock master
rather than remain in the West citizen con.
sumner, and defender Of the government
You were pleased to compare the wool.
grower with efforts in raising tea in our eli
mate, while said, Il asked nothing for an
exotic showing that our animals were the
best in the world that here they have the
largest feeces on the bestowal of such care
as was given to our domestic brutes, and that
the Northwest should not be Disseminated
against: only claiming what is not now given
such protection as is granted to salt, glass,
gunpowder, hemp, fax, &c.
1t is not a fair statement that / proposed to
"oyercome the advantages of South America
policy Of Great Britain and France in their
regard for the wool product, which we could
adopt with safety, and thus develop our coun-
try. keeping our gold and people at home,
which the flock masters were encouraged in,
even under Democratic administrations, when
wool had a higher protection than now
Your statement that wool growing does
not diversity industry" | must respectfully
deny. 1t gives occupation to the young and
the manned in care for the flocks; to sheep
washers and shearers, and winter employ.
ment, which grain growing does not, and be-
comes an agency in Grtiizing lands, rather
than wasting them by grain crops for expor-
tation.
On the authority of the best manufacturers
of this country, | must deny that the "man-
ufacturer must have foreign woods to enable
him to use ours at all,
The Speaker of the House of Representa-
tlves, Senator Grimes of Iowa and others |
know wear suits in which there is not par
ticle of foreign wool, and | have the official
statement of Eastern establishments which
show that they use native wool only.
Let me not multiply words. only to say,
that as pioneer farmer on the prairies of
Iowa ten years ago, assented to your advice:
''Let South America continue to furnish US
cheap WOOL Myself and neighbors raised
grain, but soon found that we transgressed
the most obvious principles of social and DO.
htical economy. There was an uncertain re-
ward for severe toll, attended with wasting
of the land and the dispersion of our popu-
lation: in and out of season | have spoken
and written in favor Of sheep husbandry, IN
hope that we mi ht have the regard of Eng
lands wisest statesmen for wool as sthe
flower, the wealth, The essence and the blood
Of England
The owners Of eight millions Of sheep in
the Northwest, who are almost without ex-
cep.ion readers of Union newspapers, and
know of no disloyal men in their ranks, have
thought. while labor was so much higher
than before the war, as well as lumber,
fret ht and newspapers, which the shepherd
must have, that they have right to ask "a.
vor for that article which is now in compar-
ison the lowest staple in the market, have
not asked more than what is accorded to the
sat-boiers and growers of hemp, and this /
cannot think will Cypress the poor, for they
make their own cloth, and when the hundred
wooden mills now going up in the Northwest
are in operation, there will be mutual bene-
fit in home exchange of wool for cloth, and
city and country labor will be better paid,
and growers Of oats and corn will get better
prices, than by their adoption of the policy
of raising grain to send to South America
and Africa to pay for wool.
If your theories are correct. the sooner our
people betake themselves to the gold mines,
or become hounds and barbarians, or return
to the Eastern States, the better for their
pockets and the palmer their indication of
practical common sense.
Very truly yours,
J. b. GRrSyEIJ