Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-11
THE FREE WOOL BUGBEAR.

A FarcIcai illustration in the Case a
Drury Farmer. Who Couldn't &c
the Price He Wanted.
An article in the morning sheet of to
day is enough to make horse laugh |
he could read 1t. 1t pretends to sho,
the great injury done to the wool inter
ests of Rock Island county by the pas
sage of the Mills bill in the house o
representatives, even without the probs
bility of it ever becoming operative Will
republican senate stands in the way
A farmer from Drury township-said t,
| be democrat-Came to town with tw,
loads of wool, and not being offered tht
price he thought he should receive, tool
it home again. But we quote from tn,
| article:
He is reported as saving in Milan tha
II the mere passage in the democratic
branch OF congress of bill to establish
Tree trade in wool. with moral certainty
that ii would not be agreed to in the re-
publican senate, could so iniure the
trade, he had had enough of democrary
and should vote this fall for Harrison and
proteclion-and for Congressman Gest
to stand by home interests. The story
having been brought to the Union office
inquiry was instituted as to the effect of
The Mills bill on the local wool market
Messrs. J & NJ KOsenfield. our leading
buyers, reported that they were paving
t"enty-three cents pound for standard
wool just previous to the meeting of cOp>
Sress last December, and that six
weeks ago, before the Mills bill had passed
ana 1t was undergoing notifications, the
price was twenty one cents. Since then
wool mas fallen here to seventeen cents
ana the central markets are so dull that
they deem it unwise TO make any sbin>
ments
II the menace of democratic free trade
can thus affect the price of an important
American product what would be the re-
suit OF democratic free trade itself? And
Tree wool means simply bonus to the
manuiacturer-he would not share his
gain on the cheaper raw material with
ms "orkm by increasing wages a sin
gle cent; and the price of the finished
product would BE- held as before. The
only change would be that the farmer
would have less money to buy clothing
and blankets with.
This is the worst bosh we ever saw
printed in defense of the high tariff
allacy. As usual the democratic posi-
Ion Is not truthfully stated. A proposed
ednctIon of the war tariff from an average
II forty >seven to forty per cent. is not
rec trade by good deal, and the people
annot be deluded by such chat. But in
egard to the wool industry and this par
ocular farmer from Drury township:
As before stated the farmer brought |
wo loads of WOO. to town, and endeav.
red TO dispose of them to the local
uyers. Upon investigation the wool |
as found to be in bad condition-full of
nrrs and dirt. He had not even been
aretul enough to cover it up, but carted
mere exposed to the air and dust. Meth
the tariff, the Mills bill nor ANYTHING
III the farmers carelessness was respon>
Ole for It's depreciation in value. If he
Sd cared for it properly and sheared his
leep sooner. he could have realized three
'nts per pound more for it than he WAS
Tered.
But what is the extent of our local
DOL market, that is threatened with such h
re disaster? Probably the whole clip in
ock Island county will not exceed 10
" pounds annually. At 20 cents per
'und this would yield the muniticent
m of $500 to the producers. Great c
ot' Just think of the large and growing
dustry that would be DESTROYED right
re at home by democratic free trade" |
1t admitting for the sake of argument
although statistics will not bear out the
eory-that the adoption of the Mills
i would reduce the wool producers in
lie few cents per pound, what is that a
ltry sum compared with the saving ?
at would accrue to the 10000 inhabi-
MIS- Of the county, who could then buy
sir clothing, blankets, etc, at reduc-
N of $50 on every 800 purchased,