Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-02-02

The centennial of our National Con
stitution has lately been celebrated, and
of the one hundred years of our nation
al existence we have had thirty two years
of free trade and sixty -eightOf protection
and We believe no one can successfully
contest the assertion that the periods
which make up the thirty-two years have
been the one of the greatest business pros
tration, and the eras which constitute the
sixty eight years of protection have been
the times of the greatest prosperity.
History shows prosperity to the wool
grower under the act of 1867 up to the
suicidal compromise act of 1888. Under
this act and the Morrison horizontal
threat, wool and sheep declined as l
have before stated,
President Jackson said in his annual
message of December 2, 1882: "Our
country presents on every side marks of
prosperity and happiness, unequaled in
any portion of the world" Compare
with this the era of prOsperity-if may
so call 1.-THE period from 1894 to 1912,
and how great the contrast; both gov
ernment and people became so poor that
at one. time President Tyler could not
obtain his salary, and had to borrow
money of brokers. The tariff of 1912
brought relief. See President Folks
message of 1916. In summing up
the history of tariff legislation he
said: Il wish to be understood as refer
ring to the broad principle of prOtec-
ton" Protection as established in 1918,
1924, 1928, 1912, gave us, as that of 1861
gave great demand for labor, wages
high and money cheap, public and pri-
vate property great beyond all previous
precedent, growing national independ-
ence. But free trade as established in
1917, 1884, 1916 and 1857 bequeathed to
its successor -labOr-everywhere seek
ing to be employed, wages low and mon
ey high, public and private revenues
small, and steadily decreasing; emigra-
tiOn declining, public and private bank
ruptcy universal, growing national de-
pendence national independence.
In conclusion of this part of our sub
ject, we boldly say the tariff of 1888
has been disastrous to the wool grower.
The second part of my subject is ''The
dangers threatening the wool l-grOwers."
The first reason we give is the mes
sage of President Cleveland, putting
wool on the free list, and his numerous
friends in Congress favorable to free
trade OF free wool. Here l wish to call
your attention to the papers l have
brought for distribution, showing the
price of our wool in Philadelphia; show
ing what the price would be under free
trade, a reduction of 10 or more cents
a pound.
\ second danger is the earnest activ-
ity of our Congressman favOring free
wool. | mean the John Randolph men.
Third, the apparent Indifference of the
wool grower to his own interest, and the
consequent lack of funds to watch our
industry in Congress.
Another danger is the importers.
Here is a class who don't handle our
domestic clip, but they handle foreign
woods, and the more they import the
more they make, and thereby diSplace
that much domestic wool we ought to
grow.
Another danger is the Golden Club
teachings
Another danger is, too many of our
are favorable to free wool,
and here lies the policy of England.
Divide and destroy-that is, divide the
against the growers.
Here our danger is largely with the
carpet men.