Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-04-08

Mrang ON wool.

Mr.. converse, Democrat, Of Ohio, has
tested the sense Of the House on the
tariff issue and has secured demonstra
tion that 1t Is opposed, at least, to any
increase In the duties and the vote by
which the proposition to increase the
duty on wool was defeated was 80 cioss
as to make 1t apparent that decrease
In duties Is not likely to be approved b,
a majority of the House. The vote was
1875 against the increase Of the duty on
wool and l19 In favor.
We confess to good deal OF surprise
at the strength of the Affirmative vote
and at the position of some of the men
who 80 voted. There are forty-one
Democrats in the list, along with seventy
eight Republicans while the one nun,
dred and fourteen Democrats VINO 'o'eu
against an increase of the duty were
accompanied by but twelve kepuoh-
cans.
We consider IL 10 be very clear that
the forty-one Democrats were wrong
and the one hundred and fourteen right,
as would be the natural, though not
indisputable, conclusion from their
respective numbers. We do not believe
that a hundred and fourteen Democratic
congressman should lead forty.one by
the nose on the tariff issue and teach
them just what they shall think and just
how they shall sneezs; but we do
believe that when forty one Democratic
congress men vote upon an important
political question like this against one
hundred and fourteen of their party
associates, they assume a responsibility
of which they can only acquit themselves
by clear demonstration that they were
right and their brethren wrong.
And we unhesitatingly say that they
cannot show that they were right in
voting for an increase in the duty on
wool. We affirm confidently that the
sense of the country will not approve
any increase In duties. There is ground
for a difference of opinion as to whether
the majority of the people demand q
reduction of tariff duties at present, but
there is no doubt at all that they do not
desire an increase Of duties and particu
larry Of the duty on wool, which isaraw
material OF manufacture aud, as such,
one of the things which should as speedi
ly as possible be put upon the free
list. There are some people who grow
wool who desire high duty on it, in
the hope that II will increase its price
but those who use woolen goods, and
those who manufacture them, being th(
great mass of the people, want cheaI
wool and cheap goodl. The growers {
wool do not number one in Thousand
of the whole people, II so many, ant
how wrong it is to consider their inter
ests as paramount to the interests Of III
wool making and consuming people.
We are surprised and mortified to fin
among those who voted for highe
duty ON wool, Mr.. Randall, Mr.. HoE
kins, Mr.. Mutchler, Mr.. Ermentrout an
other Pennsylvania Democrats. W
regret their votes, not only because W
conceive that they We're wrong, but ais
because they put the Democracy Q
Pennsylvania in what, In our judgment
is a false position before the country
namely, as being iD favor OF high pro
tective duties without just discrimlna
tion as to their measure or quality. Tina
is not the position of the Pennsylvania
Democracy, as it is not the position Oi
sensible men and for our represen
tatives to assume it discredits the
Pennsylvania Democracy, putting u:
before the nation as rabid protectionists
who see in protection panacea for al
our ills, aud who hold that duties neve
go wrong when they 90 up. We hav,
not understood that this is the rea
belief of the Democratic congressmel
WHO voted for an Increase in the duty oI
wool, and we cannot understand thei
votes. Certainly, il they really believ
in an increase of duties, on raw material
especially, we cannot sustain them.
Mr.. Randall is candidate for pres
dent and expects the vote of the Penr
sylvauia delegation. But 1t will do hiI
no good, based on a demand for an il
crease in the wool duty for that declar'
tion will never he made in Democrat
national convention. The Allentow
convention, in sustaining Mr., Randall
candidacy as Pennsylvania, shoul
not sustain his position on the wool dut.
1t gives us pleasure to note that WillaI
W. Eaton, of Connecticut, who neye
votes wrong, voted once more on I'll
right side against the increase of II
duty.
A Word to Mayor Rosenmiller.