The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-25
The Wool Duty.
cleveland Leader.

COunll1 10 uut W llt ldIln, WIldI WOulu
necessarily follow? Just this That if
the tariff were abolished every suit of
wooden clothes sold for SO would sell
for Sc. With whole suits of all-wool
clothes selling for Sc how much would
the farmer get for his wool, the mill
employees for weaving it and the tailors
of both sexes for making the garments?
When whole suits of all wooden goods
are sold for Sc, which is the object of
the democratic raid on this northern
industry, God help the wool-growers
and the poor creatures who maintain
existence by weaving cloth and making
clothing. Clothing is cheap enough
now. To make it cheaper means to
reduce labor to the European level.
american Cultivator.l
LAST Monday the national house of
representatives struck one of the lead
ing agricultural interests of this country
staggering blow by voting to remove
the duty on foreign wool and thus
place the American farmer in direct
competition with the wool-growers of
Australia, South America and India.
Why this branch of congress should
desire to make American sheep-farming
Improbable, to reduce the value of all
the sheep in the country by one-half =,
to cripple millions of farmers all over
the land, is difficult to see. Why wool
should be made free, while foreign
sugar and iron and coal are to be taxed g,
or why the farmer should bear this ad-
ditional burden, common mortals can
not discern. The only argument seems
to be: " Europe has free wool" Wool
| growers needn't be wholly disheartened
however, for the uncertainty of the
fate of the free-wool clause in the
senate will prevent the vote of the
house from having any present effect
other than stagnation and uncertainty
in the wool trade.
New York Mail and Express
WE are glad that the issue is thus
audaciously made. The northern wool
growers and manufacturers will take in
the full significance of Clevelandism
as revealed in the action of the house
that merely registers his DEGREES, when
they compare the democratic vote in the
house on the question of free wool with
the same vote against the reduction of
the duties on sugar. Between the
threats and influence of the sugar trust
and the demands of the Louisiana
sugar-planters, the democratic majority
opposed the republican proposition for
a large reduction of the 100000 900 of
duties that are paid solely to encourage
these planters to raise a crop amounting
to between SO 100000 and "a 100000 a
year! The cane sugar-growing in
dustry is confined to the " solid South, -
and the sugar trust " has command of
unlimited means that might be useful
in a presidential campaign. So the dis
elimination between the Louisiana
sugar-planters and the northern wool
growers is made so emphatic that il
seems as though any man with tea
spoonful of brains must recognize the
nature of the influences and of the po
litical power which control Mr.. Cleve.
land and his policy. We predict that
the democratic record on free wool, as
made in the house yesterday, will dc
more to insure the election of Harrison
and Morton than all the republican
campaign speeches that will be made
between now and November.
philadelphia Press.l
IN five years of low duties and low
prices combined the country has los
one-eighth of its sheep. Five years Of
free wool will cut off from third to {
half of its flocks. No one can gain by
such a change. English belief il
President Cleveland's free-trade has
already discounted the repeal of oul
duty on wool. Were the duty repealed
and it will not be until the next appea
is taken to the polls, the price of WOO
in the markets of the world, the wilder
ness to which Mr. Mills sends us t.
seek men dressed in free wool, would
rise, and the price of wool in our INLAND
market, where the American farmer
sells it, would fall. He would b(
handicapped by high railroad freight'
in reaching the manufacturer and his
rival wool-grower under the southern
cross and the British colonial flag
: would be helped by cheap ocear
freights. This will not pay. Con
sumner and producer will lose alike
The worlds supply of wool can not bC
cut down by our own share, third OIL
fourth on the list of great wool-growers
without an advance in wool and wooleI
goods. Railroad freights will deprive
our farmer of this advance. He will
lose crop which in new states pave'
the way for costlier and more profitable
crops, and in older states supplements
them. We have had for one decade
QS50 to 1860 something like free
wool, and in that decade our flock,
} stood still, Under protection the,
have increased enormously, This il
the issue before the land. 1t cal
continue policy under which it ha
diversified farming, and therefore
made it safe and profitable, and at tn,
same time made wooden clothing cheap
or it can return to policy under which
while wool is dear, it does not pay thu
American farmer to raise it. We dc
not fear vote on this issue which the
democratic party has raised and b.
which it will fall.