Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-01-10

We give few of his points: 1 do not
suppose am conhned to the question as
stated. but intend a general discussion
of the tariff. and especially as laid upon
wool. The phase; of this subject are So
numerous, that must select ONLY some
of them. | do not want to be like the
young minister, when he preached his
trial sermon, who said. Il know ear
never preach another sermon, tor have
covered the whole ground, from the
creation to the general judgment in this
one" We get this word tariff from the
little town of Tari1fI, SaoIt distance
south of Gibraltar, where the Muors, in
the 18th century, levied a tax on all
ships passing through The straits. A
tariff then, Is tax al somebody, and
like boil,is alwaye better. on somebody
else. Tariffs are of two kinds-specific
and ad valorem. As to the amount of
tariff that should Dc levied on any arti-
Gle starts discussion. and three different
parties are clamorous for the adoption
of their views. The first of these is the
high prOtectiOniSt class, that would
have duties laid so high as to limit or
prohibit importations. The objection to
by enhancing the cost of the article
protected, aid produces no revenue. for
without imports there can be no reve
nue.. This class is small. The second
class is the freetraderS. THIS class
would place foreign products on an
equal footing with home products. This
class is larger than the tirst mentioned.
The third class, and 10y far the largest
class, are those who favor tariff for
revenue, so laid as to give protection.
This class differs as to the amount of
duty requisite. Among the industries
that minister to the comfort, support
and happiness of the individual, there
is one that Is second to nOue-from the
fact that it is the base of all Others-I
refer to Agriculture. Whilst millions
are cheerfully given for other purposes,
thousands are grudsingly given to agri-
culture. Some of you will remember
the scathihg speech of the iamented
Updegraff of two years ago. II he were
living to-day, believe | would be talk
ing on another subject. The average
law maker thinks ali the agr;cultu:alist
needs is to be let alone; that is what
Congress thought when 1t repealed the
agricultural productions. ask and need
no other protection excerpt II the grow
ing wool. No protection means annihi-
latiOn to the industry; inadequate pro-
lection means a depressed industry. The
action of the last Congress reduced the
price of every pound of wool produced
in the U. s, cents. If they had redu-
ced the manufactured wool, there would
have been some excuse. Belmont coun-
ty produced $50, ,0)0 p JuniS Of HoJI from
172,000 sheep; at cents per pound on
her wool, her loss was $4,000; that of
the State Sl,OOO,O0O. aud the Uni
ted States, S12,000,000. Who got
this? The manufacturer of wooleo
goods of the United States. Such legis-
latiOn | characterize as wanton, wicked
robbery. The tariff of 1867 Was passed
when the industry was oppressed, and
there were less than 23,00OO0U sheep in
the .. ). In 1870. the number of sheep
mad increa ed To 2S.J00,00O, or II per
cent. The practical question is, can we
grow wool protitably under the tariff of
1888? think not; follow me in this
calculatiOn,and We will find that on wool
alone the sheep is in debt to the owner
at OLu VI CdCu w OOl RIUWNTS
can only hope for d restoration of the
tariff by showing that 1t was needed to
make 1t aS remuneratiye as other indus
tries.as the following carefully prepared
table will show it is not: 100 SHEEP will
consume 221a tons hay 10 d year, at ST
per ton, which is Sl35; corn, $50; past-
ure, so; salt, 81; washing.lshearing,& sc,
So; interest on capital at 81 per head,
S24 deduct per cent. for disease, SC,
$50; Il total cost of S2S9. Count wool
under the tariff of 1861, aad puaadS as
the average per head, we have So for
each sheep, or counting wool alone, the
sheep is iii debt to the owner, 80 cents.
BY similar process, we lind that each
sheep owes 81 p under the tariff of
1888. The conclusion we arrive at is
that we sold the hay, Nc, to the sheep
at cents per head, less than market
price. L have given all prices in favor
of the sheep. This shows that wool
growing will be abandoned as unproliCa-
BILE unless the tariff is changed. Mr.
Cowden continued for some time to
speak of the unlimited area of Austria
liza, and its wool producing advantages,
and of the fatal effect it would have on
our home production, if the tariff re-
manned unchanged. He closed his re-
marks with, while don't want to play
dog in the manger, yet if protection or
tariff comes to mean protection for a few
industries, and no protection for the
farmer, then | will return the cup To
their own lips that they have so gener-
ously held to ours, and say free tIade
for everybody and every industry"
Mr.. Cowden's address was followed
by duet entitled Beautiful SEA-" by
Judge Cochran and Miss Nellie Ander-
soR.
Secretary Chamberlain came next,
and his appearance was greeted with
applause, and he delivered al interest
ing address on the topic "A few Mis-
takes" full of good thoughts, inter
spersed with choice anecdotes such as
only Mr.. Chamberlain can tell. His
audience part of the time was conVulsed
with laughter, and again listening at
tentively to his good points. He divided
his theme into four distinct parts-agri-
cultural, intellectual, social and moral.
AS ne characterized the man AS bore,
who couldn't perpetrate pun, or repeat
one, and gave several ludIcrouS exam-
pies of this genas homo, we Will not at
tempt to repeat any of his real good
stories, but will merely give some of
the mistakes he pointed out, without the
explanations in full. 1t is mistake
for farmer to divide his energies, scat
ter fire as it were, illustrated by the
man who rented all the land he could,
run a brick yard, &C., &c, worked hard,
early and late, but accomplished little;
and the other farmer who run his little
farm, concentrated his energies and fire,
and only worked certain hours and then
gave his brain a chance. concentrating