Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-25
THE SHEEP, THE GOAT AND
THE TARIFF e.


The United States Economist publish
ed in the city of New York, devotes
three of its long columns on the Goth
Instant to the sheep and its wool, the
Angora goat and its mohair, and the
tariff as it affects the wool-grower and
the manufacturer of wool. 1t copies
from late cable telegram from Lon.
don a short account of the sale of $780,
600 large bales of colonial wool without
any silly tariff protection, at prices
satisfactory to wool-growers and man
ufaeturers. 1t says:
We do not ever hear any wrangling
between the manufacturers and grow
ers of these woods about high tariffs.
Australia, New Zealand, Sidney, Cape
Of Good Hope, East India and even the
South American woods, which pass our
own doors, are all represented, and
prices paid for the same which are per-
fectly satisfactory. Here is freedom of
commerce on British soil, and this is
the key which unlocks nearly all the
ports ofSthe world to English manufac-
turers. Would that America could
take one advance step in this freedom of
trade, instead of being lying in chains
and tied down to the chariot wheels of
the most ridiculous, the most fallacious
and the most infamous tariff extant on
the statute books of any nation known
in civilized history, tariff that has
all but ruined our wool and wooden IN
dustry, and our farming interest too.
All fair minded men must see and
admit that the idea Of taxing farmers
and other producing classes into pros
perity, no matter how high the tariff
tax is, has signally failed. 1t is pre-
cisely like doubling the load poor ass
has to carry under the plea that by
making him stand up and walk under
a greater burden you will strengthen
his backbone and his muscles, and
make him a much stronger animal.
Corrupt politicians of the ''irrepress-
ible'' Seward stamp wanted a great
deal of money out of the pockets of
the dear people for their good, and the
country is beginning to see and feel
the good of this protective policy. The
Economist has the following and much
more to say on the Angora goat specu-
lation:
What we stated beyond cavil was
that there were ninety thousand An
CORA goats in California, Kentucky
and Tennessee, and that there was not
a loom In the entire country using or
working the vast production of these
animals into any description of textiles.
Neither is there any home market for
all this raw material. In fact, we have
been requested long since by the
largest wool houses in the country not
to quote or allude to it at all, as it was
source of complete annoyance to
them. The truth is there is no market
fol- it at all in this country, and his as
sertion about getting eighty cents a
pound for the whole pooduct In Cali
fornia is in keeping with some of his
other loose statements, such as the
poor animals living eff they can get
moss and plenty of BRUSH" so chat
''they will keep fat the year round, J."
and that ''they will do full as well, if
not better, in this country than in their
native country.
After a few at the expense of the
many have ridden the goat up hill and
down some twenty years, on n mohair
cushion, the above is the latest news
showing the demand for this new agri-
cultural staple. All who love to be
cheated can now be accommodated in
many ways with little trouble to them
selves. As we have often written to
our friends who own and till the soil,
farmers should ponder facts as they
transpire.