The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-10-20

= cent Tree. just lOuT HuEc SuCbl Auuui
l. tons to the free list and reductions il
i duties as the Mills bill makes will en-
v all duties, destroy protection and brin
us to absolute free trade. The entir
4 expense OF the Government would thei
have to be raised by direct or interna
/ taxes, and il by direct taxes, then, nc
r cording to the Constitution, they woui'
) be levied per capita, and not property
. This is not all; in addition to THU
/ great increase in the free list, according
! to the majority report OF the Senate Fl
, nance Committee, the Mills bill, exclu
, sive ofsugar, makes q reduction of du
ties upon all articles named in the bill
OF 49.37 per cent instead OF the seven pei
cent reduction claimed by the friends o.
the bill. This is
A LONG STEP IN TIE DIRECTION OF FREE
TRADE,
the longest ever taken in the history o.
the Government.
The greatest blow given by the Mills
bill to u single industry, however, Is
against wool.
OF the 2,4O0 counties in the United
States, all but thirty-six produce wool.
Putting wool on the free list means free
trade TO farmers in 1904 counties OF the
United States out OF 2,40O. Could any.
thing be more radical or far-Teaching il
the way OF free trade? The United
States is the third producing wool coun.
try in the world and wool stands sey.
enth in value in the list OF her products.
Wool has been on the list OF protected
industries since 1916, and was put on
this list then partly because in the war
OF 1872 the Government not being able
to get wool from other countries, had TO
pay to clOthe her soldiers, 81 90 per
pound for wool. Andrew Jackson said
this ought not to occur again, and in one
OF his messages mentioned wool, rs
necessary to our independence in time
OF war and urged its production and en-.
couragement by ievying duty on for.
eign wool. In 1883 the tariff on wool
was reduced, and since then the produc.
ton has fallen off cighty.six millions OF
pounds and the number OF sheep de.
creased more than six millions. The
consequence WAS that last year We i'm.
ported ll4,0O0,000 pounds OF wool, val
ued ut Sl5,0O0,009. Since 1888 our i'm.
| ports oil WOODEN goods made abroad have
increased Sl2,5O0,O00. All OF this in
creased wool and wooden products could
have been raised and made in the
United States, but for the reduction OF
the duty in 1888. Last year We paid
for foreign wool and wooden goods more
than Sb3,OOO000. What we lost, foreign
countries gained.
If WOOL SHOULD lie rUT on TIE FREE LIST
it is estimated at the end OF five years
the United States would not produce n
pound for each inhabitant, whereas six
pounds, at least, are required. A nation
should be able to produce its own food
and clothing, and the United States arc,
beyond any country in the world I'M
less forced by the Democratic party to
depend upon other countries. In many
respects sheep husbandry is the most
important industry in the United States
rs it is the most universal. 1t furnishes
both food and clothing and WOODEN cloth
ing is fast becoming aneCessity. Putting
wool on the free list will not only break
down the wooden industry in the United
States but make meat dearer. We are
not exempt from the chances Of war, and
should war come and the wool industry
he Frustrated, the Government could
not get wool to Clothe its soldiers and for
the use of the people. In South Amer
lea and Mexico shepherds are generally
poems and work for l2l to % cents day.
Ther6are hundreds OF millions OF acres
OF land on which sheep Craze free OF
charge. 1t is estimated that flock OF
5000 sheep can be raised for less than
500 per annum. These conditions are
true largely rs to Australia.
In the United States the farmer has to
pay in most cases from SIS to $50 for
land on which to pasture sheep, and
more than 81 a day wages TO his farm
hand. In the face OF these conditions
and competition If wool is put on the
free list il will be impossible for Ameri
cans to continue sheep husbandry in the
thickly populated States OF the Union.
a REDUCTION of TIE TARIFF MEANS ne
DucroN OF WAGES.
The tendency of wages in Europe and
the United States is toward an equilib-
rum. II the United States did not
charge the European manufacturer a
license in the form of duty or tax on
what he brings hero for sale, in time
wages in the two countries would be-
come equal. The tariff binders, more
than any other cause, wages being the
same in the United States and in Eu-
rope. The Atlantic Ocean is, in effect,
only wide river. Tho time to cross it
is being gradually reduced. 1t takes a
little over six days now to bring Euro
pean goods to New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, Boston and other cities. If
the duties or taxes on these goods should
be taken Off or greatly reduced, partic-
ularly on iron, steel rails, glass, clothing,
carpets and all competing articles made
here, then the effect would be TO make
European goods cheaper in the United
States than American goods. Merchants
could, in that event, order goods by
cable from Liverpool and Paris, and in
eight or ten days have them delivered
and distributed in all the cities along
the Atlantic seahoard. 1t takes now
| from SIX 10 teu uAIs W geI kOOuo ulstIAD.
uted from our factories in the large
cities. Practically there is no diff
ference in time. Freight can be
brought from Europe to the Atlantic
coast cities in n shorter time and for one
third less than from California or States
and Territories west OF the Missouri
river TO the East. Europe is, in effect,
at our door, aud for freight purposes
much nearer than the Pacific coast
States and Territories. Abandoning
Protection or largely reducing the tariff
would lead to one OF two results. Either
wages on this side would have to be re-
duced from one-third to one.hali, or to
the level OF European wages, SO that the
cost OF production would be the same, or
our manufacturing establishments large
" close. Tho wage-earner would have
to choose ut once between reduced
wages aud little orno employment. This
is the tendency OF the Democratic posi-
ton and il followed to its legitimate end,
sooner or later this is the alternative
that will be presented to the American
, wage.earner and manufacturer. There
10 No osronn from IL. All things being