The Republican journal., 1888-08-09
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Wool and the Tariff.

10 lliE Ei)lloR OF HE tbt ENAI. W e sec
in print. and hear argued by some of our Demo-
cratic free traders, that the wool imported INTO
this country does not come in competition with
the home product as it is of Il different grade
and moi produced here. | wish to explain that
there are three grades of wool known to the
trade and to manufacturers Clothing wool,
which is of short. fine fibre. and is prepared
for manufacture by cardng. rather than CONT
ing, which forms a telling surface on the cloth
Such wool is produced from Merino sheep aud
their grades, and these sheep have been bred
to their greatest perfection in Vermont and
from this State have been exported for breed
ing purposes to Australia. South America, the
Western plains and the islands of the ocean.
The second class is combing wool Years ago
no wool would do to comb with fibre less than
four inches long. while now with new nyen-
tons and improved machinery fibre one and a
half inch in length will do, so that clothing
and combing wool are much nearer alike and
IN price than formerly. Much OF the fine
Merino wool from well bred sheep. with good
length of fibre. i spun into worstel yarn.
Combing wool is produced from all the English
the various families of the Downs. which are
better known as mutton breeds.
Nearly all the wool grown in Kentucky,
Tennessee and Pennsylvania i, high grade Of
combinS wool. These sections. known As the
Blue Grass belt, produce the finest mutton aud
lambs on the continent. In many sections of
the New England States where farmers eater
~, H.
grown.
The third class, known as carpet wool, is IF
very coarse fibre, all lengths, and of low price.
This wool is produced largely in the Gulf
States, Texas being the largest producing
State of carpet wool. The breeds of sheep
from which this wool is produced are of McNi-
can origin and are found largely in the South
ern territories and in the mountainous sections
where il has been found impossible to cross
| with other breeds.
| Now we can state as a fact that there is no
| fibre or quality of wool produced on the globe
| that cannot be duplicated in the United States;
| and if the protective duty could be placed at
fifty cents per pound, instead of being remoy-
ed. it would have two distinct effects III less
duce its own wool. This would also check the
| accumulation of money in the National Treas
ury as it would naturally shut out foreign
| wool. No doubt the clergyman, doctor, law
yer, merchant and mechanic would have TO
pay more for their coat; but the farmer, who
would be stimulated to greater activity by re-
muneratiye prices. could contribute more lib
wholly dependent on the prosperity of the az
riculture Of the section in which they are
placed. The entire business of this country is
comprehendcd by three general terms-A gri-
| culture, Manufactures and Comnerce-and
the two latter would become extinct without
the farm. We hear it asserted that only one
in every twenty-five of the inhabitants of the
United States are interested iii the production
| of wool, and that our protective tariff taxes
the twenty-four for the benefit of the one. We
suggest that our rulers should take thought as
to who this twenty-tifth fellow is. lie is the
sun-burned, horney-hanled, hroa,I-shouldereI
farmer on whom the other twcnty-four mcr-
| chants. mechanics and professional men must
depend for their support. We warn them to
take care of and protect that twenty -tifth fol
low, and we hope in the coming elections to
see these twenty-tifth fellows rally and break
away from old names and affiliations and vote
| for their own interests.
There are but two distinct issues on whicI,
to vote at the coming election. The Rcpubli-
can party is distinctly in favor of protecting
American homes. American industries and
American labor, while it cannot be denied tina
the Democratic party, if not wholly cOmDOSe1
of free traders is clearly in favor of reduc-
ton of the tariff, which history shows has al
ways been curse to the American people.
/. c. LIBBY.
CONGRESS Condensed. The Senate Thurs