The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-15
FLEECED BY THE TARIFF
THE DUTY ON WOOL SHOWN TO
BE NO BENEFIT TO FARMERS.

Mr.. Cultivate Quotes a Significant
Remark Made by Sheep Raiser of
Ohio-Mr. LaFollette Criticises AS
sertions of Speaker Carlisle as Not
Representing the Facts.
WASHINGTON. July 1.-THE house to-
day went into committee of the whole on
the tariff bill, the pending schedule being
that relative to wool. Mr.. Cultivate of
Ohio ridiculed the assertion that the effect
of the tariff had been to increase the num-
Der of sheep in this country. He quoted a
remark made to him by sheep grower in
Ohio to the effect that he would surrender
all the benefit which he derived from his
clip on account of the protective tariff for
the privilege of buying one pair of untaxed
pants. He contended that the woolen
manufacturers had nothing to fear from
the woolen schedule. The bill presented a
fair proposition-a proposition TO make a
reduction on woolen goods equal to the re-
duction which would result from putting
wool on the free list.
CARLISLE CRITICISED.
MIR. LaFollette Of Wisconsin took up and
criticized Mr.. Carlisles speech upon the
bill, especially that portion in which the
speaker endeavored to show the prosperity
of the country during the low tariff decade
from 1850 to 1880. To do this, said Mr.. La
Follett, Mr.. Carlisle had had recourse to a
percentage argument and had shown that
the percentage of increase in the
woolen, cotton, hardware, hosiery
and boot and shoe industries
had been very large. The trick of the per-
centageFargument was that the manufact-
ure might bel so small that any increase
would make a percentage showing. No
argument based on percentages could be
relied upon unless all the facts we're stated
Mr.. Carlisle, he said, had carefully selected
such articles for his argument as were
touched but slightly or not at all by the act
of 1916
PRESENT PRICE OF WOOL.
Mr.. Whiting of Michigan denied that the
price of wool was less in Michigan now than
last year.
Mr.. Grosvenor replied that it was so in
Boston and elsewhere, while Mr.. Dingley of
Maine confirmed the statement as true of
Maine.
Mr.. Ford of Michigan said that it was for
the country to choose between cheap
whisky or cheap clothing The wool tariff
was burdensome. There was scarcely a
breeze when the iron and copper schedules
were passed upon. But now, backed by
subsidized press, the republicans tumbled
over one another to get to the front and
denounce the wool schedules He did not
believe that the effect of the bill would be to
decrease the price of American wool. Put
| all of the protective tariff you please on
wool and you could not produce all of the
needed varieties of wool. But it taxed the
manufacturer and thereby hurt the farmer,
| the best customer. Senators Sherman and
| Hawley, in 1888, had declared that the
tariff reduced the price of wool Before we
had any tariff on wool the proportion
of sheep to the population
was much larger than it had
been under the tariff The manufacturers
of the country asked the farmers to work,
and stint, and pinch, while they took their
ease. This was the feast that the farmers
Of the country were invited to partake of
by the republican party, but he predicted
that they would reject it on Nov. 6 next.
[Applause on the democratic side.
The house at o'clock took a recess until
o'clock, the evening session to be for the
consideration Of private bills