Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-03-31

port is signed by Mr.. Beardsley, o
the Senate, and Messrs. Dudley and
Stanchield. of the House f.ta
Wool Growing I'm Iowa and the
Tariff.
Hon. J. B. Grinnell sends. to the
Davenport Gazette, under, date OF
March 3, the following letter on the
above subject The letter will ex
plain itself:
notice your article of yesterday on
1.-THE wool interest of Poye eshiek coun.
ty, and in view of the decline, your
query for tariff men" is connected
with mention of my name. Silence
might seem to imply that there could
be no defense for the action of the en-.
tire delegation from Iowa in voting
for the tariff on woods and woolens a
few years ago.. These are my reasons
for the low price of wool and conse.
quent depression of sheep husbandry:
!. The close of the war found q
large surplus of cloth and clothing
which depressed the market.
2. A dishonest execution of the rev.
enue laws tor three years led to a
flooding of the country with cheap
aud poor class OF goods; a large part
shoddy, . which camo in. competition
with soursfoloth, made from strong
wool. = &.A%sNP = EA4k
3. The reduced price of cotton lit
being bought at about one-half war
prices) has contributed to it's substitu-
ton for, and lessened the demand for
wool. ##
4. The high price of wool Tor two
years stimulated its production in
South America and other warm coun-
tries, and our strong wool was brough,
into ruinous competition with a poor
er article.
S. The higher prices which compel
ing products bring above those OF
former years has led to change ol
employment. Our wheat brought
from $3.50 to 1926 a bushel, aud
pork from s6 to 50 hundred, and
corn double in value; before which
prices the flock could find bu. few ad-
litions, aud by neglect, disease and
transfer southwark, the numbers are
decimated.
6. And lastly: Let me not tail TO
give the dogs their full credit. They
have worried and wasted our flocks.
Expensive enclosures for night folds
and the watching by shepherd by
day have been necessity. Most 9th.
er States have given soms protection
to the focks against the ours, but that
Iowa denies.
It's proper that / should add a
word to these "reasons.'s It was never
predicted by me that the tariff would
give us supremacy as a wool grow
ing State; but that we should get
better and cheaper cloth by cncourag-
ing competition which would multiply
home factories and keep up supply
Of wool, which promises now to be cut
off by combination OF circumstances
which a tariff would not avert. "a
saiIt was prophesied by free traders
that the wool and wooden bill would
subserve no interest and raise cloth
ahove the reach Of the masses. They
were only prophets Of evil. Iowa has
between fifty and sixty woolen mills,
and cheaper and better cloth is now
furnished to the people than before
this tariff; or was ever furnished in the
history OF the country. t
The Government gains millions Of
dollars in revenue; the farmers, some
protection against foreigners who grow
SO poor staple that to keep it from
falling of. it requires to be shorn twice
q year, and employment is found on
own soil for large class in the factory
from whose trade there are local gains,
and who become consumers of all
farm products at better prices than
could be commanded it our exchanges
w-re made with South American
shepherds or the poor-tcd operatives
of Europe. aasi i93
! am tor 4 tariff to diversity indust-
~. secure national independence and
cheaper exchanges On our own soil,
saving time which involves. interest,
waste, insurance, commission and
ifroights, when producer and tabricator
are thousands of.miles apart. ST
To day, make my theories practi-
cal by sending few thousand pounds
OF my last years clip to Shields wool
EN- mill in Davenport, whose cloth 1
wear, deerning it fit tor Prince or
President. Has this fabrication no re.
lation to the prosperity Of city trade,
and to the valhc OF lands in your vicin
ity? Would not its extension advance
Western prosperity and National in.
dependence, building up domestic
trade, which regard as OF more value
to us than foreign commerce, securing
still, cheap cloth. and increased ability
to pay for it, and finding encourage
ment to open our new lands for our
children, and the homeless millions
abroad, desiring just such homes as
our country is adapted to furnish? VI
When good wheat is drug In the
market at fifty cents . bushel, it re.
qaires no words to dispel that old free