The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-13
WHEELING, W. VA, MAY IL 1854.
The Democracy and the Wool Tariff.
The shallow hypocrisy OF the Democrat

The Democracy hhu tho wow A"'u'
The shallow hypocrisy Of the Democratic
party In charging the Republicans with the
responsibility Of reducing the wool tariff,
was ably and clearly exposed by Col. J. D.
Taylor, In his speech on the Morrison bill.
Tho speech dealt mainly with the wool
tariff question, and was one oil the ablest oil
the many speeches delivered by that gen.
tlemsn since his election to Congress.
It will be remembered that the Tariff
Commission, which was formed for the
express purpose Of Recommending an equit.
able adjustment OF tariff rates, 10 the end
that the revenues Of the government might
be decreased, recommended reduction oil
tsen.y percent in the wool tariff; and the
President, in bis second message to the
Forty.seventh Congress, also mentioned
wool and wooens among tho articles on
which in his opinion the tariff should be
lowered. Right then the Democratic guar
dams Of tho wool,grower rhould have made
their protect, bue they said nothing.
The Ways and Means Committee framed
a bill which seemed to them to be fair
to all intertsts, and in that bill the
duty on wool was reduced about ten per
cent. Officers Of the National Woolgrow'
ers' Association had seen tho bill and
raised no objections TO it, and It was be-
lieved by members Of the committee thai
the farmers and wool.growers were salts
fled with the reduction. No protest Of
petition on the subject had been received
from any farmer or wool.grower or any as
ISOLATION. No Democratic member Of Con
gress bad risen to object to this blow at the
interests Of their constituents, and the
matter was actually going by default.
About this time Col. Taylor took his seat
in Congress, and knowing the wishes Of
his commitments in the matter, he began a
vigorous fight against the reduction, and
sounded the alarm throughout the country.
Their petitions came pouring in, and lob.
bvis!s in tho interest Of wool came to
Washington; but it was too late. The
Ways and Means Committee would not re-
store the tariff Of 1867 without remodeling
the whole wool schedule, and that was a
physical impossibility in tho short time
yet remaining before the close Of the ses.
sion. But the great point in Col. Taylor'a
speech is that no Democrat opposed the re-
duction Of the tariff on wool; and the only
reason why the Democrats voted against
the bill, as they repeatedly said, was that it
did not reduce the tariff enough. A Re.
publican Congress cut down the wool tariff
because the Tariff Commission and the
President recommended it, and no one
protested against it until it was too late.
Colonel Taylor says that the Democrats
pretend that the tariff must come down in
order to reduce the revenues. But expert.
enCe hes shown that the reduction OF the
tariff on wool has increased the revenue
from that article, instead OF decreasing il;
and TO be consistent and at the same time
protect the wool interest, they should 70.
store the old rate OF duty. But that is Just
what they do not propose to do, as their
action on Mr.. Converse's bill shoHs. The
Democrats carried Ohio last year on the
positive promise that they would restore
the old Republican wool tariff Of 1867, and
there is no doubt in the minds OF we'll
informed men that the punic faith OF the
Democrats in this regard will lose them the
State this year.