Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-10-05

pounds be allowed for each fleece, the
duty thereon would be sixty or seventy
two cents, and this may be taken as the
utmost enhancement of its price to the
farmer by reason of this duty. Eighteen
dollars would thus represent the increased
price of the wool for twenty-five sheep
and thirty-six dollars that from the wool
of fifty sheep and at the present values
this addition would amount to about one
third of its price. If upon its sale the
farmer receives this or less tariff profit,
the wool leaves his hands charged with
precisely that sum which i'll all its changes
will adhere to it, until it reaches the con-
sumner. When manufactured into cloth
and other goods and material for use, its
cost is not only increased to the extent of
the farmers tariff profit, but further sums
has been added for the benefit of the
manufacturer under the operation of other
tariff laws. In the meantime the day
arrives when the farmer finds it necessary
to purchase wooden goods and material to
cloth himself and family for the winter.
When he faces the tradesman for that
purpose he discovers that he is obliged not
only to return i'll the way of increased
prices his tariff profit on the wool he
sold and which then perhaps lie before
him in manufactured form, but then he
must add considerable sum thereto to
meet further increase i'll cost caused by
a tariff duty on the manufacture. Thus, in
the end he is aroused to the fact that he
has paid upon a moderate purchase, as a
result of the tariff scheme which, when he
sold his wool seemed so profitable, an III
crease i'll price more than sufficient to
sweep away all the tariff profit he received
upon the wool he produced and sold.
WHY THE WOOL. TAX SHOULD GO.
When the number of farmers engaged
in wool raising is compared with all the
farmers i'll the country and the small pro-
portion they bear to our population is
considered; when it is made apparent
that i'll the case of large part of those
who own sheep the benefit Of the present
tariff on wool is illusory; and above all,
when it must be conceded that the in
crease of the cost of living caused by such
tariff becomes a burden upon those with
moderate means and the poor, the en-
ployed and the unemployed, the sick and
the well, and the young and the old, and
that 1t constitutes a tax which, with re-
lentness grasp, is fastened upon the cloth
ing OF every man, woman and child in the
land, reasons are suggested why the re-
moval or reduction of this duty should be
included i'll a revision of our tariff laws.
TRUSTS.
In speaking of the increased cost to the
consumer of our home manufactures, re-
sultng from a duty laid upon imported
articles of the same ription, the fact is
not overlooked that competition among
domestic rNrnIY,car-S hoe
the effect of keeping the price of their
products below the highest limit allowed
by such duty. But it is notorious that
this competition is too often strangled by
combinations quite prevalent at this time
and frequently called trusts" which
have for their object the regulation of the
supply and price of commodities made
and sold by members of the combination.
The people can hardly hope for any con-
slderatlon i'll the operation of these selfish
schemes. If, however, in the absence of
such combination healthy and free COM
petition reduces the price of any particu-
lar dutiable article of home production
below the limit which it might otherwise
reach under our tariff laws and if, with
such reduced price, its manufacture CON
tinues to thrive, it is entirely evident that
one thing has been discovered which
should be carefully scruitinized i'll an
effort to reduce taxation.
The necessity of combination to main
tain the price of any commodity to the
tariff point furnished proof that some one
is willing to accept lower prices for such
commodity and that such prices are re-
munerative and lower prices produced by
competition prove the same thing Thus
where off her Of tbeSa conditions
case would seem to be presented for an
easy reduction of taxation
CUSTOMS DUTIES SHOULD BE REDUCED.
The considerations which have been
presented touching our tariff laws are in
tended only to enforce an earnest recon-
mendatiOn that the surplus revenues of
the government be prevented by the re-
duCtlon of our customs duties, and at the
same time TO emphasize a suggestion that
in accomplishing this purpose we may
discharge a double duty to our people by
granting to them a measure of relief from
taxation IN quarters where 1t is most
needed and from sources where it can be
most fairly and justly accorded.
Nor can the presentation made of such
consideration be, with any degree of fair
lSSdluCu DIS GNlutIlCt OF u1lIrlcuuIl-
ness toward our manufacturing interests,
or of any lack of appreciation of their
value and Importance. These interests
constitute leading and most substantial
element of our national greatness and
furnish the proud proof of our country's
progress. But if i'll the emergency that
presses upon us our manufacturers are
asked to surrender something for the
public good and to avert disaster, their
patriotism, as well as a grateful recog-
milton of advantages already afforded,
should lead them to willing cooperation
No demand is made that they shall forego
all the benefits of governmental regard,
but they cannot fail to be admonished of
their duty, as well as their enlightened
and safety, when they are re
minded of the fact that financial panic
and collapse to which the present CON
dition tends afford no greater shelter or
protection to our manufactures than to
other important enterprises. Opportunity
for safe, careful and deliberate reform is
now offered, and none of us should be
of time when an abused and
irritated people, needless of those who
have resisted timely and reasonable relief,
may insist upon radical and sweeping
rectiication of their wrongs.
The difficulty attending a wise and fair
revision of our tariff laws is not under
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