Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-02-09
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
The Wool-Growers' Reply to the Pres
ldent's Message.


The following manifesto was issued
by conference of wool-growers and
dealers Of the United States. as re-
ply to the Presidents message:
The wool dealers and wool-growers Of the
United States, representing capital OF over
f5C0,000,00o and constituency OF a million
wool-growers and wool dealers, assembled in
conference in the city of Washington the 9TH
lay of December. 1887, having read the first
annual message of the President to the Fiftieth
Congress, declare that the sentiments Of the
message are direct attack upon their indus
try, one OF the most important of the country
and In positive violation of the National Dem
ocratic platform Of 1884, as interpreted by the
party leaders and accepted by the rank and
die OF the party; that the argument made by
the President for the removal of our protection
against foreign competition Is the old one, re.
peatedly made by the enemies of our industrial
progress, and effectively answered in nearly
every school district of our land. and so thor
1ughly disproved by the logic OF facts and dem.
onstrat!on OF experience and history as to
need no answer from us. We acknowledge
that our ''small holdings" our scattered and
unorganized condition makes us the easy prey
Of the free trader, but we had right to expect
Of the Nation at once the most happy prosper.
ous, and contented of any of the world, made
so by policy of protection and development
which he now seeks to destroy. chad right
to expect our President would favor the wool
growers OF the United States, and confess ouI
1eep disappointment that instead he favors the
interests of our foreign competitors. Justly
alarmed at his position we make an appeal
from his recommendations to all the people, to
the seven and three-fourths millions OF our fell
ow-citizens engaged in agricultural pur
suits, to the millions engaged0in manufact
urning, to tho army of wage earners, whose
wages are maintained by the protective sys-
tenn, to the tradesmen and merchants whose
prosperity depends upon ours, confident that
the judgement and decision will be based upon
Justice and patriotism, and therefore for the
maintenance Of the American policy OF pro.
lection to which the country is indebted for its
unexampled development and prosperity. TIC
demonstrate the injustice of the Presidents
policy and the fallacv of the remedy he pro-
poses for the reduction of the surplus we
point to the fact that II the whole amount OF
the revenue derived from wool was abolished
1t would reduce the surplus only about five
millions or less than ten cents per capita OF
the population, which Is paid by foreigners,
while the old war taxes he recommends re-
tanned yield over one hundred and nineteen
millions and is direct tax per capita OF two
dollars each, and is what makes up the great
bulk of the surplus of one hundred and forty
millions. and which fosters q most dangerous
monopoly. We would further add the follow
ing statistics in regard to the wool industry
The annual revenue derived from imports Of
wool under the tariff of 1867 was less than ST.
10000. Under the reduced tariff of 1888 the rev
enue last year was over IS, 100000. The number
Of sheep in the county in 1884 was 5o626,696, in
1887. 44,759,314, q decrease Of nearly 60O,OOO
and dimnution of the annual wool product o.
over 81, 600, COO pounds, thus showing that reduc
Ing the tariff by the act of 1883 has increased
the revenue from imported woods and dimin
ished the number Of sheep in the United States
about II per cent, and the annual product il
the same proportion. The Presidents policy
would bring about the destruction of this in
1ustry, and the same policy of reduction o.
abolition of the tariff would end IN disaster Il
all the other industrial productive enterprises
Of the country.