St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-06
WOOL.
The Tariff On That Fraud That
RObS


Twice in my life there has been a
scarcity of potatoes, and when they
We're 81 and upwards barrel, they have
been imported and sold in our markets,
thereby preventing famine and suffer
ing with the poor. An appeal has been
made to farmers to vote against the
Democratic party with it's proposed
modified tariff on this account-this ap-
peal aScribeS such mercenary and un-
KIND spirit to the laboring classes. who
cannot stand starvation prices for pota-
toes, that to me it is simply disgusting,
as it must be to every farmer of any
heart. / hope the day is far hence when
my class will allow such narrow and
cruel selfshness to guide their votes.
The talk about protection" for pota-
toes is, however. not necessary, as the
tariff of Is cents a bushel is not taken
off nor is it proposed to take it off.
The one single item next to potatoes
which has been used to prejudice farm
ers against any change in the tariff has
been the repeal of the duties On wool.
Nothing is said about the reduction of
the duties on the wooden fabrics to be
made at the same time, that the farmer
must buy; which in most instances
would be an offset to whatever he might
get in the way of tariff on his wool.
This question of wool protection is
largely sham and a fraud on the
farmer.
/ am, and always have been. a wool
grower. Now, What are the facts? Be-
fore the present tariff was put On, which
was done in order to raise more money
to carry on the war, and which has been
the foundation of more frauds on the
people than they dream of, and is also
the foundation for most of the trusts
and combinations and monopolies which
now suck out our very life's blood and
are crushing the people, wool brought
better price than it does now.
1t then averaged about 80 cents a
pound, and now, with the protection of
the present tariff, it does not average
80 cents, and has not been but a trife
more for two or three years. The price
in the world. The astonishing increase
of the flocks in Australia and the ada
cent islands has been simply marvellous.
These wool growers have but to pay
the duty on such wool and then get, ac-
cording to its value, the market price.
So long as our farmers do not produce
all the wool required in this country.
foreign wool will come in. We must
raise a kind of sheep suited to our
wants, COMBINING DOln WOOL and NUT
ton, and then we can defy the world to
outbid US, for our sheep will have two
values.
Let US look further into this wool bus
mess. The present tariff. nominally,
gives me protection on my wool, ac-
cording to its grade of 10 to IL cents
pound. do not get this 10 or II cents
pound. My wool is sold according to
the price of wool in Liverpool, and the
Liverpool dealer can get as much for
his wool in Boston and New York as
| can, with this difference in his net re-
suits: He has to take out of his price
the amount he had to pay to get his
wool into our market. l get the full
market price. and he does the same.
with the duty out. This is as it would
be if the law was carried out fully. Ac-
eording to the intent of the law l am
entitled to 10 or IL cents a
pound protection" on my comb
| ing woods, but the truth is the i'm
porter and manufacturer manage to i'm
| port large share of the combing woods
under the classification of carpet and
similar woods, and only pay a duty of
211S to cents per pound.
Here / am defrauded by this smart
dealing, and so are the people, who pay