The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-08
Hon. Jos. r. Mcdonald OH Free Wool.

| Hendricks Club, At Indianapolis, on tue
27th ult. We copy so much of 1t as relates
to the Mills bill touching the free impor.
tation of wool;
First In importance In the changes thus
indicated are those made In the wool and
wooden schedules.
The republican party, having been from
Its organization sectional party, endeav-
ors In eveay measure of public importance
to find some ground Of accusing the dem
ocratic party of being specially favorable
to the South, and among the first and most
prominent objections made to the change
| In the wool tariff Is that II Is a discrimina-
ton against the northern Interests In favor
of the southern interests. So far from this
being true with reference to the wool and
wooden tariffs, and the changes proposed,
II they discriminate against any section OF
the country II is against the southwest and
the Pacific states. There have been chan
ges going on from the very foundation OF
our government In regard to what may be
termed the wool centers, that are irrespec-
tive of tariff provisions. In the early his
tory of our country New England was the
center of wool production; then 1t shifted
TO the middle states, then to the west, and
finally 1t passed the Mississippi river, and
| is located in the south eastern states and
territories, and In the states OF the Pacinc
slope. From 1875 TO 1877, the aggregate
mum Der of sheep In the United States In
creased from 33,0OO,OOO, to 100000 but
that same period, the number fell OH In
the New England, the middle, and the
western states, but increased largely In the
southern states, the Pacific coast and the
territories. In 1887 the state of California
was long way In the lead OF any other
state, having an aggregate OF over 6ooO,
600 head of sheep. Texas came next with
over 4,70O,0O0. Ohio with 45OO,OOO, and
New Mexico almost equal with Ohio In
mum Der. As to our own state, we had lost
In that period of twelve years nearly 300,
OOO head. In 1875 the number accredited
to US was 100000, while In 1887 1t was
| 1,034, 900.
The cause of these changes Is very EVIL
dent, and Is more climatic than anything
else. OF course, cheap lands had much,
also, to do with 1t, particularly In shifting
the centers from the New England and
middle states to the western; but It Is very
evident that sheep cannot be raised In
herds of any considerable number except
in climate in which they can exist with
out shelter the year around, and that a
country that will produce them and sus
tain them, In great numbers ut no other or
reater expense In earring for them than Is
expended In the employment OF shepherd
and his dog, can not be competed with In
the production of cheap wool by any such
countries as ours, where they can only be
raised In hocks of very limited numbers,
and where 1t Is necessary to give them
shelter and provide food for them from
four to six months In the year.
| do not expect the sheep culture In In
diana 10 20 down much below Its present
standard. Our farmers will still retain
their flocks as part of their farm stock,
but the Southdown will eventually take the
place of the merinO, and We In Indiana
will raise sheep hereafter more for the
mutton than for the fleece.
Therefore, It would seem very clear that
the measure under consideration would be
beneficial to the farmers Of Indiana and to
E II other classes of our citizens, as 1t would
undoubtedly reduce the price OF wooden
clothing at least one.third, 80 that those
who now pay from $40 to $l2 for suit
of the cheapest and coarsest wool clothing
would be able to obtain II ut from ~ to w,
and so on in proportion. II Is fact not
appreciated by our people that at present,
on account of the tariff on raw wool and
the tariff on wooden fabrics, we pay tax
on foreign clothes of at least 70 per cent,
and, of course, pay an almost correspond
inlt y enhanced price for the domestic
ar iCle.
But, says the republican speaker, If You
ADOPT this measure, you will ruin the wool.
10 i
terly deny. The wooden manufacturers
would be able to geta much cheaper and
better supply of wool by admitting large
ly increased foreign importation, to be as
sorted and mixed with our own product,
aud even the home production would De-
come more important and more valuao!e
from the necessity Of having 1t to mix with
the foreign article, as 1t Is we'll under
stood fact that 1t requires variety OF nee-
ces produced under different circumstan-
ces to make the proper combination for the
manufacture of wooden goods.
Again the demagogue cry 10 put up that
1t would affect injurlously the wages OF
laborers engaged in that branch OF the
business. There Is no greater faliacy than
to suppose that the price of the article
manufactured In any manner controls the
prlC6 OF the laDOE uSou III lbs ulohuioCtuAo.
In commerce labor Ia but an article OF
commerce, and its value as much depends
upon the law of supply and demand as any
other article that Is TO be found In the mar
ket; but unfortun tely for the American
laborer, while he has to supply himself
with the nacessaries of life the actual pri.
ces of which are enhanced to a very great
extent by the protective tariff, his labor
and the price of II are settled and deter
mined upon the principles of free trade
Any foreigner, without restriction, may
come into our country, sit down by his side,
and take from him the labor upon which
depends the support of himself and his
family. or compete with him in determin-
ing the wages he should receive for that
labor. This condition of things is as open
as the day, and going on constantly, and
yet, In the face of these facts the republi-
can leaders do not scruple to charge that
, the only thing that makes the difference
between wages In this country and in En-
rope Is the tariff that protects the manu-
facturer. Our country is full of the exam
pie of men who have grown enormously
rich by selling at enhanced prices which
the tariff enables them to do, but 1t does
not furnish a single example of an employe
80 an, 10 thooo ,niiliOuairoa ever having