Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-05-29

which they are engaged from the present
depressed condition. and impending
dangers of a still more serious nature.
The undersigned members of the COM
m1ttee firmly believe that the existing
sad condition of the interest you repre-
sent has been brought about largely II
not altogether by adverse Congressional
! legislation, and that IL will not again be
! prosperous until Congress shall reverse
its action at the last session, and restore
the rate OF duty to that which prevailed
under the tariff of 1867, by which for the
/ first time IN the history of this country
equitable relations were established in
/ this industry between the duties on wool
and those on wooden goods. It can be
conclusively shown that the tariff act of
that year gave to American producers of
both wool and wooden goods steady mar
kets, secure expansion of production,
and through this expanded production
| 1t gave consumers cheaper woods and
woolens than were ever before known in
America and brought the prices for all
| goods of ordinary wear, and of many for
dne 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 by any
considerable number of the American
people. It was brought about wholly
through the efforts of importers and
others interested in securing in the Unit
ed States market for foreign woods, aid
ed by few parties who desired to make
use of the foreign product as whip with
which to subdue the American mark ct
and menace the American producers,
upon whom they were necessarily COM
PEELED to rely for nine-tenths of the wool
required in this business. These COM
bined influences, unpatriotic and I'M
American as they were, led to the passage
of the unWise, abOrtiVe and suicidal tariff
act of 1882 to which we firmly believe may
be attributed the present depressed
condition of the wooden industry. You
have, doubtless, gentlemen, heard much
of late touching the soundness of the
policy of putting raw materials of manu-
facture including wool on the free list
We trust that you will resent such prop
Osition whenever and by whoever it is
made with Indignation which it greatly
merits. Wool is the finished product OF
a million focks whose owners have by
years of intelligent and patient labor
and the expenditure of large sums OF
money brought their product to the
present too high standard of excellence
to class 1t simply as raw material" as
something that has been produced al
most without cost or expenditure, time
andlabor and it is an injustice against
!, which we trust you will enter an effect
i've protest. Arguments used in the de-
Tense Of the principle of protection apply
as least as forcibly to wool as to any ar
ticle on the tariff schedule. The growing
of wool is equally the same with growing
of food and forests and with the manu-
facture of iron and steel, and the main
tenance of the Commercial marine and
navy, also Of the national militia, which
is the primary element of national
defence in war and of financial security
and independence, which, if placed al
neglect or loss, would derange our entire
monetary system and place the entire
J country and all its interests in condi
ton of industrial and colonial vassalage
to foreign producers, which will be
equally fatal to the happiness and unbe
coming to the dignity and honor of the
, nation, whose annual increase in wealth
is now three fold more than any othel
nation and whose population now give
it the second rank among civilized en-
pires and first among the self, free
governoring and enlightened people,
The appeal finally declares tina
the wool-groWers have a perfect RICH
to ask Congress for a restoration
of the failure of protection, and con
cludes in the following terms: eve es
pecially ask you to sustain at the polls
for legislative offices only such candi
dates as are in favor of adequately pro
: tecting and encouraging the great indus
try of sheep husbandry by voting tt
restore the wool tariff of 1867, or rates
of duties, at least, as protective as those
embodied in that act y
: The report was unanimously adopted
The remaining session was taken up by
discussing the methods for united actor
in the pending National Presidential
canvass in making the power of the WOO
growing industry felt Adjourned.
PRETTY Girl, AND MAsBER