The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-08-06
THE WOOL QUESTION IN ONO.

An unexpected factor Ia rising To
plague tho Republicans In Ohio. The
exposures OF underyaluatiOn and fraud
on the imports OF wOols at the ports Of
Philadelphia and New York during the
last two or three years have assumed
proportions likely to play havoc with
the carefully laid plans OF some of the
ambitious Republican leaders OF Ohio,
The tariff of 1883 as finally passed was
the work OF conference committee on
which there was only one Democrat, Mr..
Carlisle, now Speaker of the House. In
the long and stubborn contest between
the wool producing interests. mainly
resented by Ohio, and the New Eng
land manufacturers of woOlen fabrics,
represented by Senator Morrill,, OF YER
mont, the latter conquered In the end,
Senator Sherman and the Republicans
OF Ohio In Congress voted In favor Of the
manufacturers, aud by 30 doing brought
down upon them the indignation Of
wool growers of Ohio, Sherman and
his followers when cOnfron cd with the
evidence OF their treachery pleaded
Ignorance OF the clauses OF the tariff
relating 10 wool and promised to have
them changed at the next session OF Con-
greas 80 that those members Of their
own patty who suffered from the new
tariff could not complain that they had
been crippled by legislation framed and
passpd by their own political friends.
This promise was never fulfilled,
aid II IA possible that they would never
have heen called TO account had II not
been flr the exposure Of Custom House
frauds consequent upon a change Of
administration, and which showed that
the wool producers had been victim
izei In another direction.
Since the passage Of the tariff Of 1883
the manufacturers of carpets In Phila-
d,lphia have imported vast quantities
of foreign wOols In prime condition,
and which would have paid q duty Of IL
10 10 cents pound. But instead Of
paying the full duty the importers In
collusion with dishonest Government
officials had them classified az Of an In
feriOr grade at the Custom House aud
then paid upon them duty OF 2 to 3
cents o pound II should be added that
this remarkable reduction Of duty was
rendered possible by a decision OF the
Treasury Department, which gave i'm.
porters and those In collusion with
them chance TO place hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars In their pockets
and NJ the same time cheated the Gov
ernment out Of millions OF lawful reVe
nuos Strange TO cay, this decision
while the law distinctly provides that
such things must be made public, waf
never published, 10 that those whom II
most concerned were kept In Ignorance
OF the fact that II had been made. Tht
motive OF those who planned and car
Eried into effect these wholesale frauds
Is thus made plain.
The wool growers Of Ohio, says Q
contemporary, In commenting upon thil
subject now complain that the existing
law was devised by the sharp practicO
Of u conference partially composed o
their own representatives; and that TN
law, bad as II was In the Arst place, ha
been administered TO the still create
injury of their interests by cheating
them out of more than half Of the pro
lection TO which they are entitled. II
ono case u Republican Congress, o
which Ohio Republicans were LEADING
members, Is responsible for the offensIv
legislation. In the other case q Repub
lican administration and u Republican
Secretary Of the Treasury are respOnsl
bic for the frauds committed In IN
Treasuryand IN the Custom House. Thl
matter affects great interests In Obi
and is fur more important TO the WOO
growers than any present question II
politics, They are more likely to dc
mand satisfaction from trusted leader
for these wrongs than to approve Of
platform brlstllng with time wOrl
charges against the South. The WOO
question may yet play much more i'm
portant part In our State election thai
any other question now under discus
sion. .....