San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-11-01
WHY'S WOOL ON THE LIST?

WHYI is WOOL ON THE LIST?
The Times says: 1.-THE voters of
the Tenth district will expect from
Col. Belknap,) full explanation as
to how the tariff affects the price of
WOOL"
All we can say to any such inquirer,
is, that anyone who can not see that
the tariff does add to the price of wool,
is so blind as to be unable to see that
ten is greater than seven. There is
little hope for one who demands proof
of the plainest axioms. But even at
the risk of seeming puerile we will
try to meet the absurd demands of
the blind free trader. We must assume
that no business can be carried on
long at loss; and that any business
that fails to produce profit must
soon cease. Now suppose A. b. buys
wool in Australia or South America,
which costs him, warehoused in any
of our wool markets, Boston, New
York or Philadelphia, IA cents per
pound, United States money. But he
is there met with a tariff we will say
of cents per pound, making the
actual cost on our American market 20
cents per pound. If he sells at 20 cents
he makes nothing; if at less than 70
he loses; and if over 20, he realizes
profit. Our American wool men
must conform TO these figures,
as the bulk of the WOOL
consumed by us is yet foreign. Now
suppose this tariff OF s cents were re-
moved, we can easily see that a. b.
can sell his wool at 10 cents and make
a fair profit, whereas if he had sold
his tariff paid wool at 10 cents he
would have lost. Would not this guar
antee the American wool man mar
ket for his wool at 10 cents? AS be-
fore assumed the foreign wool can
not long come here to be sold at
loss. Every sheep man in Texas
knows this and so does every herder.
1t is as plain as that the price
of American wool is protected by
tariff. and its price increased by the
amount of tariff. If the demand be
great and supply short, these cOndi- !
lnCISdSc lIlO pllSC' IDuO II WV
demand be limited, and the supply
great all lose and yet there remains
that 6 cents tariff paid on foreign |
wool that measures the difference i'll
losses of foreign and home wool. In
fact with that cents on our side we
may make profit, while our for
eign wool suffers a loss. If the
tariff does not benefit wool or !
any other article protected, how
is it that high tariff stimulates |
the sheep industry and any reduction
of tariff depresses it? Are the sheep |
men set of ignOramuseS, who do not |
understand their own interests?
What was the effect of the slight re-
duction of the tariff on wool in 1888 ? |
Did not the price of wool tumble and |
90 down; down from 24c to lie? Did |
not sheep that sold in 1882 from $3.50
to 81, drop to l.50 and 81? The same |
reasoning applies to other stock.
Will the free traders tell us why wool
was put on the free list, if it was to
benefit no one but the foreign inn
porter and iniure no one but our |
treasury? Why this legislation for
the foreign importer and against our
treasury? We could take the money
and pay off our debts and save inter-
est, couldn't We? Answer these
questions. Why legislate for for
eigners and against ourselves? For
it resolves itself into this. Is he a
patriot who would thus advise, or
vote? Could England ask more? Is
anyone who votes that way, a real
American?