The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-02-04
woOn. AND TmE TARIrr.

action that followed the war carried
/ the price of wool down rapidly from
the prices to which the war, by cut.
ting off the supply Of cotton, had car
ried il. The lords of the WOODEN man
ufacturing Embellishments put theii
heads together and originated a tariff
to prop the fallen values Of their fab
RIGS, and renew the golden harvest oi
1861. To resolve by the mannfac,
turers of New England and to enact
by a Republican Congress we're in Of
feet but one thing, and so in the win.
ter of 1867 The Morrill, tariff went
into effect. This fixed the duty on
raw wool at from ten to twelve
cents per pound and from ten to elov-
en- per cent. al valorem. But now, af
on Offset totho blessing thus conferred
upon the grower, and to compensate
the manufacturer for the increased
price that the tariff would putupon the
raw material, the laws placed . duty
upon cloth OF 30 cents per pound,
| (about four pounds OF wool being ern.
ployed in pound of cloth.) Nor did
it stop here. A further duty OF 25 per.
cent. ad valorem was added which was
increased the nextyear ten cents more,
making an ad valorem tax of 30 pen
cent.
No man can be so porverse as not
to SEQ that the lions share of the tariff
spoils fell to the manufacturer. This
is protection. In our Pacific par
lance, the game was made. But some
how, the little arrangement, always SO
easily demonstrated practicable on pa
per, wouldn't work. It was in contro-
vention of the laws Of trade, which, in d
partial aspect, are as immutable as the
laws of nature. The arbitrary enact
ment utterly failed in its purpose. II
recoiled upon its originators with ter
xible effect. The effects are seen every
where. Under the operation of the tariff,
California is compelled to employ
cheap labor in order to continue her
factories, and in Oregon some of the
largest establishments stand idle.
According to Mr.. Wells, the Eng
hshman is still able to under-sell US in
spite of our tariff of so cents PEI
pound, and 35 per cent. ad yalorem.
We can have as cheap labor, and
woods in the United States can be pur-
chased in quantities and prices to de-
fy competition, and this without the
tariff. It was raised in Texas last year
as low as seven cents perpound. With
such producing facilities, why should
we need Congressional aid to keep out
importation.
We ask attention TO the following
summing up of the Commissioner,
and that the facts stated by him be
considered in connection with the re.
port of the ship building Committe, and
the statements of the delegation that
recently interviewed Congressional
Committee to procure the removal oi
the duty on leather.
The ugly fact that the dominant
party is destroying, irretrieYably, the
most vital interests Of the country, &C.
quires additional proportions each
day. The time is surely coming, with
quickoning speed, when no sophistry
and no party blindness can save this
tariff systefn. Hero is what Commits.
sioner Wells says it has done for us:
1st. Wool TO the agriculeurist at 6
lower price In gold than has almos
ever before been experienced; the ay
erage price of medium American wash
ed woods from 1927 to 1862 hayine
been 42 $40 cents per pound (gold)
while the average price of Ohio wooli
for the year 1868, reduced to gold, wa.
only 1921 cents; which Is less thar
he average price of 1853, whom, un
der the influence of the disastrous cri
sis of 1867, large portion of the mills
of the country were standing absolute
iy idle, For the year 1869, the pric,
paid Ohio for medium wools acoordinG
to estimates presented to the commits
sioner, has been about 43 cents cur
rency.
ID. 4 decrease IN the number o
sheep In the United States, estimated
| by the commissioner of agriculture O
four millions for the single year, 1868
while other authorities place the tota
decrease as high as twenty-five pc
cent. since the passage of the WOO
tariff.
| 3D.. A condition Of the wooden man
ufacture characterized by greater de
preston than that of any other brancI
of industry In the the country, wit
the exception of ship building; small
| profits accruing to a few, heavy losse
to the many, with numerous and con
stantly recurring failures. At the dat
of writing, November, 1869, the atten
tion of the commissioner is called t,
the sale of a woolen mill property
which will give to the stockholder
| $105, 900 upon capital of S7O0,0OO
thus showing loss of 85 per cent. o
! the whole capital In from four to fy
| years in operations.
! 4th. An increase in the importation
of foreign fabrics of wool; the import
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