The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-08-09

it's amendments in 1867 the increase in
the humber of sheep between 1860 to
1870 was q per cent, and between 1870
and 1880 was A per cent. The increase
in pounds of wool was great deal
faster than in number of sheep, rising
from q pounds in 1850 to six and a
| fraction pounds in 1888 The duty on
wool and woolens was reduced 20 per
cent. in 1888. The effect of this reduc
ton on our wool industry has been to
| reduce the number of sheep about 6 =
600 900 in the four years from 1883 to
1887, while on the basis of increase
under the tariff of 1867 the increase
should have been 5000, 900, making a
loss in number of eep of 10000, 900
and in pounds of wool of over ~ 900, 000
While our product in sheep and wool
has decreased about II per cent. In the
four years, the imports of wool have in
creased 100 per cent. In the same time
our imports of wooden goods have in
creased from $40, 295, G3l in 1888 to $44 =
9O2, 7lS in 1887.
Edward A. Green of Philadelphia,
says that on account of undervaluatiOns
OF imported woolens, the real value Of
our imports of wooden goods at the pres
ent time would be $50 ,000, 900. In 1880
the consumption of wooden goods at
wholesale prices was about 1903, 900, of
which IS 3 per cent. were produced in
this country. Under the 20 per cent.
reduction in the tariff in 1888 the foreign
product of our consumption of wooden
goods has increased from IL 7 per cent.
To oyer 30 per cent, Under the tariff OF
ma a IL, L.. F..
years have raised all the sheep and pro-
duced all the wool of every description
we need, What folly, then, to put wool
on the free list
In 1880, 100000 men were engaged
as employers or employed in producing
wool. As fast as the wool industry de
clines these people must crowd them
selves into some other industry. Putting
wool on the free list will only accelerate
the destruction of this industry and
greatly injure the labor of the country,
without single compensating benefit
to any portion of our people.
Tariff retOrmers want free wool. The y
mean n5t only free wool. but free trade
| They mean the destruction Of all our in
duSlries or the destruction of American
| homes. Our wOrkingInen must he pro
| tected, farmers, miners and mechanics
or our wages M st be leveled to the
wages of the farmers, miners and me-
hanics Of other countries. The Ameri
can farmer can fully supply the Ameri-
can market with every product of OuI
soil and climate. The American miner
and mechanic can fully supply the
American people with all they want
with the products of our mines and fac
tories, The first duty of a Government
il to protect its own people, not only in
person and property, but in earning a
living; to care for and build up their in.
dustries. The whole animus of the
tariff refOrmers is free trade, CHEAP
labor. The London Times says of Cleve
lands late letter to Tammany Hall: ut
would be hardly possible to put the free
trade case more clearly or more strongly.
1t is certain that the arguments which
he uses are those used by Golden forty
five years ago, and which any English
free trader would employ now. AS such
we are very glad to see President Cleve
land using them
The London News says: president
Cleveland shows that he is the free trade
candidate in everything but name. The
reservation is an important one for
American party purposes, but for all
hat the electoral conflict now in pro-
gress is conflict between free trade and
protection and nothing else"
English statesmen. editors, manufac-
turers and people hope for, pray for and
contribute their money for the success
of the democratic free trade party.
American workingmen, dependent on
American industries for whatever goes
to make comfortable home. hope for
the defeat of the free trade candidate
and party. We do not want England g
ecOnmy nor her poverty. Already we
send out of the country five or six hun
dred millions of dollars annually for
goods that we might better make our
selves. This money, if we produced the
goods here, would keep more than one
million men employed the entire year at
two dollars day. This would support
five millions OF our people in good
homes, with all the comforts of life and
many Of the luXuries. There is no other
way that wages can be raised so much
as they can be raised by keeping this
money at home and doing this work
ourselves. 1t seems as though any one
might see what the result of free trade
or revenue duties will be.
In looking over the Boston Pilot last
week in the "notes from Ireland" it was
stated that new fresh milk was delivered
at the creameries for three and one half
pence per gallon q cents). Eggs sold
for nine cents az pence) and hay for
ten shillinga, two and One-half dollars
per ton. How do these prices strike the
American farmer ? Is it any wonder
that the 'rascally' Irish farmers cannot
pay their rents. and that eviction fol-
lows3 The home market of Ireland is
destroyed. Her industries are destroy
ed by English free trade What does
cheapness amount to for the Irish peo-
plel Are they any better fed, clothed
or housed because of itI IL they are
why do they not stay there and not get
outf Cheap milk, cheap eggs, cheap
hay in Ireland means cheap labor. Cheap
wool means cheap labor in this country,
because cheap wool will not come alone
The building up and charging our in
dustries should he the first care Of our
Government and our people. II we pro
duce what we want to consume of agTi-
cultural, mineral and manufactured
products, everything will be cheap
enough because every one can get
enough, A matters stood in 1880, the
working people in this county could
buy more of the articles in common use,
agricultural, mineral and manufactured,
for a weeks labor than any other peo-
pie on earth. II this is so, and no intel
ligent person will question il, these
goods, agricultural, mineral and manu-
featured, were cheaper for working
people in this country than in any other
country. 1t is this ability to buy more
of the necessaries and luxuries of life
with the product Of years labor than
can be bought by any other people with
a years labor that makes the condition
of the masses Of our people from two to
ten times better than the condition OF
any other people in the world. Why
can't we use little common sense about
this matter and let this state of things
continuoi Why do we want 10 vote for
cheap when lie r"ult will be 30 very