Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-07-28
FREE WOOL.

years tli. Congress of the United
States has voted to put wool on thu
free list. In all the vicissitudes that
have from time to time oyertaken
our protective tariff, this is the bod
est and NEST decided move toward
free.trade ever taken By the Hons.
of Representatives. Revenue tar.
iff We have bad: but they Recognized
the rights OF the wool growers to
share in the protective system, and
though The duty was reduced no
statesman until the day of Grover
Cleveland ever proposed the total
abolition of the duty on the product
of this most important Amer.
can industry.
The meaning of this step cannot
be understood or under estimated
1t is u tremendous blow at the whole
protective system aud declaration
of war that win be carried on with
all the force the Democratic party
can muster, until one after another
our industries are smitten down and
the American laborer is at the mer.
cy Of the foreigner. The argument
which applies to the duty on wool
applies with equal force to the duty
on wOolens, on iron aud steel, on cot.
tons and on any other product of
American industry. If the duty on
wool is g illogical, Ubiquitous and vic.
ious," then the duty on woolens is
equally bad and ought to be repeal
ed. The argument that sustains
one sustains the other. Ia the same
way both tall to the ground togeth.
The facts 10 regard to the produc.
ton OF wool in tins country are
simply these: When the present
duty was placed upon wool we pro.
duced in this country about 6O,OOO,.
600 pounds annually, and that of the
inferior grade. What did protection
accomplish In less than twenty
years the home product had increas.
ed to 1926, 600, 900 pounds, the breeds
OF sheep had been greatly
improved, and the weight
of the fleece had increased
from something under two pounds
to almost five pounds. This pro.
gress is almost wholly traceable to
the tariff on wool.
And the benefit did not cease here.
Under this system a wooden industry
has been developed in this country
in brief period which in annual
output almost rivals the WOODEN aud
worstec industry Of England. From
a dependence on Great Britain for
WOODEN goods we have developed our
own manufactures until to-day our
blankets, one fiannels, our worsteds,
woolens and our dress goods com
pare favorably in quality and price
with those made in Yorkshire. The
prices OF these goods land The Press
has the samples and the price for
series OF years. have steadily declin.
ed and the consumer has been great.
ly benefited.
Great as are these results, the stO.
~ has not yet been told. A carpet
industry has been founded and de-
yeloped here that has no equal IN
the civilized world. There was a
time when England and France
prided themselves on this industry;
today those two great manufactur.
ing countries combined cannot equal
the United States either in quality,
design or quantity of product. In
price, too, we eau beat the world,
and The Press has it on the word
Of the Dobsons and Stones and Big.
lows that carpets sell 10 this county
as cheaply as anywhere on earth.
And all this has been accomplish.
ed with duty on wool. TO repeal
this duty in the interests and at the
behests of foreigners Is an net that
should consign the party responsible
to political death. It is cruel,
senseless, unpatriotlc blow at one
million wool growers. It is more
than this. 1t is a mean, contempt
ble, underhand trick to deceive the
manufacturers, while pretending to
reduce the duty on wool for their
benefit. 1t takes from them rela.
lively greater percentage of pro.
lection, and thereby nuIlifies any
advantages that free wool might
give them.
The men who voted to destroy our
wool Industries are enemies to all in.
dustrial progress in this country.
Nay, more, they are cowardIy enc.
mics. for had they the courage
and the power they would as will
ingly cast the vote to strike down
any other American industry. 1t rs
the beginning of the great fight be.
fore rs. Those who have the inter.