The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-09-05
Shecp Snteresf.
Address 10 WOOl-GrOWers.

adopted by the National Wool-Grow-
ers' association at its Chicago meeting:
TO the Wool GroWerS and Sheep
Breeders ofthe United States Gentle
mem AT the National convention of
the Wool-Growers and Sheep-Breeders
of the United States, held at Chicago
the 10Th of May, 1881, and which was
attended by delegates from twenty-five
States, including all the principal wool
growing States and territories of the
union, committee was appointed TO
draw up an address to the wool-grow-
ers of the country, supplementary to
the resolutions passed by the conven-
ton, for the purpose of arousing them
to proper realization of the II cessity
that exists for immediate and energetic
action, if they would rescue the great
industry in which they are engaged
from its present depressed conditioner
from impending dangers of a still more
serious nature. The undersigned MEM
bers OF the committee firmly believe
that the existing sad condition of the
interest Won represent has been brought
about largely, if not altogether, by adj
verse congressional legislation, and that
it will not again be prosperous until
congress shall reverse its action at its
last session and restore the rates of duty
to those which prevailed under the tar.
i'll of 1867, by which, for the first time
III the industrial history of the country,
equitable relations were established
between the duties Oh wool and those
on wooden goods. Ii can be conclu
sively shown that the tariff act of that
year gave to American producers both
of wool and those on wooden goods
steady markets, secure expansion Of
production, and that through this cX-
banded production it gave consumers
cheaper woods and woolens than were
ever before known in America, and
brought prices for ali goods for ordin-
airy wear, and of many for fine and
luxurious wear, lower, or as low, as
are known in Europe or elsewhere.
The repeal of the tariff of 1867 on wool
and woolens was not asked for, as has
been alleged, by the conservative bust
ness sentiment of the country or 10y any
considerable number of the American
people. 1t was brought about wholly
through the efforts of importers and
others interested in securing in the
United States a market for foreign
woods, aided by few parties who de-
sired to make use of the foreign pro-
duct as a whip with which to subdue
the American markets and to menace
American producers, upon whom they
were necessarily compelled to rely tor
rine-lenths of the wool required in
their business. These combined iutlu-
ences, unpatriotic and un-American,
led to the passage of the unwise, abor-
tive and suicidal tariff act of 1888, TO
which we firmly believe may be attri-
buted the present depressed condition
of the wool industry. You have doubt
less, gentlemen, heard much OF late
touching the sOundness OF the policy Of
putting "raw materials of manutac-
ture," including wool, upon the free
list. We trust that you will resent
such a proposition whenever and
wherever made, with the Indignation
which it Justly merits. Wool is the
finished product of a million flock own
ers, who have, by years of intelligent
and patient labor, and the expenditure
of large sums of money, brought their
product to its present. high standard of
excellence. TO class it simply as a
raw" material, as something that has
been produced almost without cost or
the expenditure of time and labor,is an
injustice against which we trust you
will enter an effective protest.
The arguments that are used in de-
Tense of the principle of protection ap-
ply at least as torcibly to wool as to any
article Oh the tariff schedule. The
growing of wool is, equally with the
growing of food and forests. and with
the manufacture of iron and steel, the
maintenance of commercial marine
and navy, and OF "a national militia, a
primary element of national defense in
war, and of financial security and indie
peudence i'll peace, the loss or neglect
of which would derange our entire
monetary system, and place the entire
country in all its interests in cOndi-
tien of industrial and colonial vassalage
to foreign producers, equally fatal to
the happiness and unbecoming to the
dignity and honor OF a nation whose
annual increase in wealth is now three
fold that of any other nation, and
whose population gives it the second
rank among civilized empires, and the
first among free, selt-governing and Ell.
lightened peoples. The growing OF
wool in the United States is not in any
sense hot-house industry, or forced
or unnatural production, but, ON the
contrary, the United States has soil
and climate better adapted naturally tc
the highest development of the sheep
as an animal, and to the growth of the
finest, strongest, most diversified, and
most serviceable woods for common and
fine cloths, wOrstedS and dress goods
than any other country on earth. L il
great interest, unlike many of the ma
tive industries, has no local habitation
1t is all important pursuit in every
State and territory in the union. In
1888 it yielded product of $40 900 200
pounds of wool, worth 100000, 900
while the value of mutton resulting
from sheep slaughtered for food wa,
S5O,0O0,0 900. This industry representa-
capital of SjOO,OO0,OOO invested il
real estate alone.
In view of these facts, we believe
that the wool.grOwers Of the countr!
haN 40 a. 4,