Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-08-09

1otal nroFlls for kiIh nTIn psrioi. i............l7
The sum lest 10 The fsrmers ol The count ~ by
high tariff eEsn BY the above figures in seven.
ten ysafu amounted 10 he Valus Of the whois
wool crop Of the c0uut-y for one year. II ths
currency values we're considered during the var
period ths di1srenos would be much greater.
For instances In 1854 when wool EDld Al 3i-08 In
grssnbaeks, We have Il IN the tables at l5 cent?
gold being at very Aish premium for several
yean.
The above tsbIes are the most favorable 70
the high proteotiouist Of any authoritative tables.
occasiou for that reason. Nevertheless thuY
fully establish our proposilion that the average
price Of wool has been higher under low tarihs
than under high tariffs. Il would be we'll for
gentlemen who meet aud pass resolutions in
favor Of the tariff Of 1867 70 pause aud consider
the faafa
In regard to the reduction Of the tariff ON wool
In 1883 Il can be clearly demonstrated that wool
has not been harmed thereby. Since that date
wool has been essentially more valuable than II
was at that date. pound Of wool will buy to-
day moro Of the necessAries Of life than II would
IN 1854 Ths Minneapolis Farm, Stock and
Home. the leading sgriculture paper Of that SEQ
ton, recently said:
"Whils protsOtIonists are bewaillng the ruin
Gus decline in the prics Of wool, and aitributIug
Il to the tariff legislation Of 1883, what have
they got to say about other farm products which
were not affected by iegtsIation, but which have
declined from % to almost 90 per cent, while
wool has declined only 10 per cent?" 'ic'
The report Of the Cincinnati board Of trade on
the prices ct farm products in that market for
the year ended August !, 1886, notes decline
inprices ~ follows:
Creamery butter. 20.z per cent; cotton, 11.9
per cent; dried apples, ia per cent; shelled
corn, 14.6 per cent; mess pork, 21.1; lard, 1917;
tsilow, %, and hax.sed, 1874 per cent In wool
there was 9 slight advance"
Under date Of August I, 1886, tho same board
reports decline in the prices Of farm products
in that market since 1883, giving percentage, ~
follows: ~, Nsl
"Mess pork, 4s.5; hrd, 4s; hams, 24.4; corn,
4S; oats, s9.4; rye, 32.6; butter, 46.9; tallow,
ala; -four, 4S.3; cheese, III; cattle, 18.2; bar
ley, 1875, and wool l5 per cent"
One reason that has been given is the compe-
tition of the wool growers Of the west and south
west. A Texan writingto the Boston Cnltiva-
tor . few yean ago said: "The cost Of produc-
tion here 10 generally estimated at oents .
pound" OF course that 10 at . much lower rate
than wool can be produced in Ohio; and the
wool grown in Texas cannot be prevented from
entering our markets by the imposition of tariff
duties. But while this competition, under the
crcumstances. has had an influence in lowering
prices, stlI We do not impute to it the impor
tance that some people do. We believe that IL
the manufacturers Of America were unham-
percd by artificial restrictions the demand for
wool grown in the United States would
far exceed the supply, and prices of wool
would be forced upward. The present capacity
pounds per annum, whilethe wool production in
1880 was only 240, ,0O0, 600 pounds. IL the Amer
lean manufacturer could buy his foreign grown
wools, to mix with our domestic wools, at the
same prices as the foreign manufacturer pays
then he could compete with foreign manufac-
- Al
make use OF that much more homegrown wool.
We have before US q little pamphlet issued
several years ago in criticism OF q speech Of
Major Mckinley It is In the form of q dialogue
and treats on this subject. We will condense in
paragraph the opinions Of the writer:
ga duty on wool has always caused
the price of domestic wool to 60
cost Of foreign wool; 90 that the woolen manu-
facturer ID deprived of proper selection Of
crude material; wooden goods cost more than
they ought 70 do; the farmers pay so per cent.
more for their clothes than they should pay.
The reason why duty puts the price of wool
down 10 that duty on foreign wool prevents
the woolen manufacturers of America from mix
ing foreign and domestic wools as freely (and 90
using more Of domestic woody, as they would IL
foreign wool was admitted free of duty. II
drives the wooden manufacturers Of America
| into the use Of shoddy and cotton upon an
| enormous scale, 90 that they use very nearly IL
| not quite as much Of these sham substitutes for
wool - they do of woolitself. It prevents them
/ from making as large variety Of go0dsas f0reign
manufacturers having free wool can do; and
| thus the whole result 10 10 make the demand for
| domestic wool less than, and the price lower
| than 1t would naturally be. But il foreign
| wool were admitted free of duty American
| manufacturers would be enabled TO compete
| with the manufacturers of other countries and
a -. \ n.
| mestic wool TO mix with the foreign WOOL"
/ TO PARTIcULARIzE.
In order to understand the situation more
| fully we will enter into details. At the pres
ent time, In consequence of the wool Tariff the
foreign manufacturers can buy the wools Of
Australia, South Africa, South America, Silesia,
Thibet and other exporting countries as one
half to twothirds Of the cest to American manu-
facturers. These wools do not come into COM
petition with the wools of the United States.
They each differ from the sothers and from our
domestic wool In fiber and grade. They vary
according to the country and the civilization
and each has its individual use. In Thlbit and
other semi-barbarous countries the wool pro.
duced 10 the ooarse carpet wool which Ameri-
cans have NO inclination to produce even
were they able. In Siiesia we find woel with
. delicacy Of texture unlike anything known
here. Not only il there this great. .dissimilitude
4 Y
variation in the wools OF dissiniiar sections oi
the same country, There are certain manufac
tories that have gained . reputation for particu.
lar fabrics BY using proportion Of eastern
Ohio wool. Those manufacturers always look
out for the wool clip Of eastern Ohio. A Judge
Of fabrics can tell instantly by touch the differ
ence between q cloth made Of merino WOO
grown In Vermont and cloth made Of merins
wool grown in Maine. Climate, soil, food, at
tention, natural selection, methOdical SELECTION
ak these exertan influence in determining til,
quality, texture and length Of fiber
These principles were recognized as fal
back in the dim past as the date ST the
most ancient records of ancient China. In ever,
country the breeder selects for some dsEinit
object, and that obiect a. modified by climate
food, etc., is never the same exactly a. that Of
breeder in q country Of different physical an,
social attributes Darwin has told ua how th
peculiar excellence Of the wool OF Saxony ha
been maintained. He says:
In Saxony the Importance Of the principl
Of selection in regard to msfino sheep il 30 full,
recognized that men follow it az q trade; til
aheep are placed on . table aud are studied lii
q picture by connoissenr; this is done thre
times at intervals Of months, and the, sheep ar
each time marked and classed, 60 that the YER
best may ultimately he selected for breeding,