The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1890, 1888-10-13

should be permitted. without any con-
slderatiOn at all. to enter our markets
and compete on an equal basis with our
own people. Healthy home competition
among our producers and manufacturers
has in times gone by, and will in the
future, reduce the price of articles in our
markets to suce price as will secure to
labor a fair and just reward: and by no
dictate of sound judgment or patriotism
can we subscribe to any doctrine hy
which our mechanics, farmers, miners
and wool growers will be placed in
direct competition will,
CHEAPER LABOR OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
This tariff proposition, in so far Us it
refers to Montana, is Il question of vital
moment. In pursuance of the Presidents s
directions, the speaker of the house of
} representatives, Mr.. Carlisle. an anliable
and pleasant gentleman, but pro-
nounced free trader, appointed the Ways
and Means committee with special
| reference to the preparation of a
, tariff law which has become known
; to the country us the Mills hill.
He selected for the majority of that
committee
PRONOUNCED FREE TRADERS,
to-wit: Mr.. Mills of Texas, of whom no
one had ever heard until Mr.. Carlisle
) tishcd him up. lie was made chairman
OF the committee. Then came the
, breckenridge family, and other reliable
free traders, sufficient in number to make
up the majority. The ostcnsblc purpose
Of the committee in drafting the Mills
; bill was to prevent the accumulation of 4,
surplus in the United States treasury;
, but the real purpose, as shown by the
bill itself. was to shoulder free trade
upon this country as rapidly as possible
This bill is but the
ENTERING WEDGE IN THAT DIRECTION,
and the point of the wedge is exceeding
ly blunt. As l have heretofore stated
the article of sugar is probably rs largely
consumed and more extensively inn
ported in proportion to the consumption
than any other article which we attempt
to produce in this country. The pro-
duction of sugar is confined to small
!, area in the Southern states, principal,
along the edges Of the swamps and cane
brakes, and IL few parishes in the state o
Louisiana. On that commodity. from
l which about x45O,O 900 is received III tho
, treasury annually from importations, tho
reduction made by the Mills bill il
practically unimportant; as, according tt
n the committees figures. %46,OOO.0OO PEI
' annunl would flow to the treasury from
sugar importations, under the operations
Of the bill; whereas wool, the product @
: all the states and territories, and one 0
$ the elements necessary to national growtl
i and prosperity, is -, go
..,&s.,.. '.,s.; acss's '--,.. *. :
! ''.'t's1'' .Ifts fs4l5sTs l.1$y : -
Tor the purpose of reducing the income
only about $7,0Oo.0OO. In this particular
the Mills bill strikes ut one of the sub-
stantlal elements upon which Montana
does at present depend for an income.
and upon which she must in the future
rely as one OF her important sources Of
wealth. We are informed bv the adyo
Gates of this Mills bill, that the removal
OF the tariff will result in an extension
rather than ,limin,ltion of sheen hus-
iamly. On this proposition let us an
peal t" the facts and figures. Under
practical free trad" between 1850 AM,
1860 the number of sheep in the United
States increased only 3is per cent. In
1861 some protection was given to wool.
but the perfect wool tariff was instituted
III 1867. Note the fact, that the number
OF sheep in tn" United States increased
UNDER pKoTEtTIuN
~ per cent. between 1850 and 1870,
nlrr tn" operations of the tariff law of
1867, the number of sheep in the Unitcd
States increased between 1870 and 1SSO
about "A per cent. In 1888 and 1887, the
number Of sheep in the United States he.
came reduced about GOOO0OO, whereas
IN the basis Of increase under the moro
thorough protection of the law Of 1867.
n" number OF sheep should have in $
reused since 1883 over G,OOOW)O head. +
Now, il Il partial reduction If tariff in ,
SS:, has resulted in II ,
DECREASE OF THE NUMBER OF SHEEP. +,
y what law or logic can any individual
'r=r that the entire removal OF protcc- ,
ion would result in an increase. of bros :,
'crity to sheep hushandry: Further u
till: we were importing less wool prior \
o the tariff reduction Of 1883, than we :,
in 1887 Our imports in 1882 :,
mounted to about GS,OOO,UOO lbs: \
'h"rcas in 1887 we imported about 114.
100000 lbs. when according to the scale I
reduction Of imports under the ctfc,.- "
vc tariff law of 1867, we should only \
itv" imported, in 1887, about 4O,OOOUOO "
s. "f wool. Again: let us inquire wha, II;
lass nf competition we are to NEE, :,
On II!t. FREE TRADE: LIST H..
! the wool industry In Montana We. i,
re compelled to provide hay to feed our q,
mks ab"', three months in each wear: i;
AZ sheep h"rdcrs are paid about $40 NJ
~ month and furnished with rood ,I
III wholesome foot: whereas, | am re- Il
ih!v Informed that Il sheep hrrrr in ~
"iV receive, two cents per ,lav, with y,
l,nb, ,ii,n.. 1r lr,,.,, ,,,,.,,;