West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-03-09
MONOPOLY POOLING FARMERS

The Wheeling Inteuigencer is the
organ of the tariff. protected million
aires in this State. 1t says
The Webster Protective Tariff
Club, composed of farmers, met at
Pleasant Valley on the 4th, and re-
solved:
We farmers view with alarm the
effort to put wool on the free list.
We call on brother farmers to vote
against candidates for Congress who
are not pledged to protect wool.
Farmers who read Cleveland's
message will not be fooled by the
emissaries of the millionaire manu-
facturers. He said:
The farmer (who manufactures
nothing, but pays the increased pri
ced which the tariff tax imposes,
upon all he wears and upon all he
uses, except the increase of his flocks
and what he produces from the soil. }
is told that a tariff tax on imported
wool is necessary for the benefit of
those who have sheep to shear, in
order 10 increase the price Of the
wool they may have to sell. But
they are not told, that the farmer
who has no sheep is, by this scheme,
obliged in his purchase of clothing
and wooden goods. to pay tribute to
his fellow farmer, who has sheep, as
well as to the manufacturer and
merchant: nor is he told that the
sheep-owners themselves and their
households must wear clothing and
use wooden articles manufactured
from the wool they sell at tariff pri
ces, and thus, as consumers, must
return their share of this increased
price to the tradesman.
The tariff tax on foreign wool is
10 cents if of the value of 30 cents
or less, and II cents per pound ifof
the value of more than 30 cents. AL
lowing six pounds to the fleece, the
tariff profit would be 60 or 70 cents
on fleece. This is the utmost en-
hancement of it's price to the farmer
by reason of the tariff. Hence, $18
would represent the maximum tariff
profit on flock of % sheep. Ieuoon
the sale of his wool the farmer re-
ceives his tariff profit, the wool
leaves his hands charged with pre-
cisely that sum, which in all its
changes will adhere to it until it
reaches the consumer. When man
ufactured into blankets or other ar
ticles used by his family, their cost
is not only increased to the extent
Of the farmers tariff profit, but a
further sum has been added for the
benefit of the manufacturer under
the operation of other tariff laws.
Presently the time comes when the
farmer buys wooden goods When
he faces the tradesman for that pur
pose he discovers that he is obliged
to return in the way of increased
prices his tariff profit on the wool of
% sheep, which then perhaps lies
before him in manufactured form,
but he must add considerable sum
thereto to meet further increase in
cost caused by tariff tax on the
manufacture. Thus in the end he
is aroused to the fact that he has
paid upon a moderate purchase, as a
result of the tariff scheme. which,
when he sold his wool seemed so
profitable, an increase in price more
than sufficient to sweep away all the
tariff profit he received when he sold
his wool.
When the number of sheep owners
is compared with the total number
Of farmers, and the small proportion
they bear to our population is con-
sidered; when it is made apparent
that, in the case of a large part OF
those who own sheep, the benefit of
the present tariff on wool is illusory !;
and, above all, when it must be con-
coded that the increase of the cost
of living caused by such tariff, be-
comes burden upon those of mod
crate means, and that it constitutes
tax which, with relentless grasp, is
fastened upon the clothing of every
man, woman and child, there seems
every reason why the tariff tax on
wool should be reduced.
If the farmers will read this ex-
tract from the Presidents message
carefully, they will not be fooled by
the emissaries of the manufacturers.
Taylor county has only 5000
sheep. Her population is more than
10000. If each fleece be pounds,
the maximum tariff profit would be
$4,000. AS heretofore shown in this
paper, the present tariff costs over
SIC per head Then the tariff costs
Taylor county 16 times 10000, or
| $4,000. The millionaire manufac-
turers tell farmers to pay 1892, 600
in order that sheep owners may get
tariff profit of $4,000. And this
$4,000 is swept away when they
buy wooden fabrics" Truly, farmers
are easily fooled.