St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-05-20
WOOL GROWERS
SO-Called National Convention Held
at Chicago Yesterday.
To Declare That Wool Can't be Grown for a
Free Market.

CHICAGO, May 19.-The national mass meeting
of the wool growrrs Of the United States was
called to order at ten o clock this morning. one
hundred and thirty four delegates being present,
fifty OF whom were from Ohio and thirty eight
from Pennsylvania. Twenty -one states and ter
rltories are represented. j. S. Codding, Kansas,
was elected temporary chairman. committee
on permanent organization was appointed, after
which was recess. The committee on perma-
nent organization reported Columbus Delano of
Ohio, for president and r. T. McCully, of Mis-
souri, secretary, and list of vice presidents from
the wool growing states. The report was ap-
proved.
Mr. Delano in taking the chair, ,sketchedthe i'm
portance of the wool industsy of the
United States and the necessity of
united action for the protection of that interest.
He said the development of wool growing began
with the passage of the wool tariff of 1885, and
the result had been the reduction of the price of
wool to the manufacturer He urged the neces-
sity of constant work until the restoration of that
tariff was secured and politicians brought to
terms He urged the existing danger and finan-
cial ruin pending over the nation, and held that
tariff for revenue was free trade, and was dan
gerous to the country.
The committee on resolutions made a report,
which, after speaking of the injustice inflicted by
the act of congress of March 1888, went on to de-
clare that even by the census returns
returns for 1880 were 1920, 200
flock masters and that there is no state
where this industry is not pursued, that the pro-
duct of wool for 1883 reached $780, O0O 900 pounds,
and in value more than S1O0, 600, 900, and that
the value of mutton resulting from the sheep
slaughtered for food over S5O,OOO,OOO. That
sheep husbandry is an important factor in the
prosperity of other agricultural pursuits, be-
cause of the utility of sheep in fertizing the
soil and replenishng exhausted lands; SO that
If abandoned or seriously diminished, our entire
system of agriculture will be embarrassed Our
capacity for the production of meats, bread and
other articles required by our civilization would
be seriously diminished, and our great prosper
1ty impaired. We cannot afford to en-
danger great agricultural pursuit
which adds each year S15O,OO0,OOO to the ma
tional wealth, having invested in real estate not
less than 500 millions of capital and which con-
tributes so extensively to the nations prosperity
That the act of 1888 in reducing the duties on
foreign woods, has seriously injured, and if con-
tinued, will in the future diminish if it does not
destroy the production of wool and sheep in the
United States, and this assertion we sustain by
these facts. The report then goes to show that
the clip of 1888, caused loss of over SIG 900 900
to wool growers compared with 1882, and pre-
diets much greater loss for 1SS3 1t says, the
climate and conditions in Australia will compel
American producers to abandon sheep raising
for pursuits. It-is therefore
ResOtoed, That we will organize as wool grow
ers and sheep breeders, and cooperate bymeans
of our national association, to be aided by state
and county associations, and in this way and all
other legitimate methods, do all in our power to
restore the wool tariff of 1867 or its equivalent
on woods, and cause to be repealed the unjust,
unwise and unequal legislation of 1883, reducing
the duties on wool and woolens.
ReSOI0ed, That in doing this we will, without
any reference to former political ailiation, rec
ognize our friends whenever and wherever we
lind them, and the polls will sustain only such
men and such party organizations are in favor
of protecting and encouraging and sustaining
the sheep husbandry by restoring the wool tariff
of 1867 or its equivalent.
Resolved, That we favor wise and compre
hensive system of economic legislation the best
calculated to foster and develop all American
Industries that can be proftably pursued by the
people. whereby employment may be given to all
laboring classes, not at the prices paid to the
laboring poor of foreign nations, but at such
wages will secure such educational, religious
and social privileges, and such physical comforts
as the free of this free nation are entitled to
and ought to enjoy.
ReSot0ed, That we repudiate the doctrine of
free trade as fallacious and impracticable
theory, sustained largely by the money of foreign
capitalists, who desire the control of our
markets for the sale and consumption of goods
produced where labor is cheap and money
abundant, and we regard as unworthy of re-
spectful consideration the theory of those manu-
facturers who claim that material should be
free, while their fabrics protected. We ask
with emphasis, why the labor required to pro-
duce wool is less worthy of protection than the
labor at spindle and loom, where the fabrics of
wool are nrOdnced