Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-01-06
The Wool Mems Protest.

AT the recent conference OF the
wool growers and wool dealers of the
United States, which was held at
Washington, d c., under the Call
issued by the president of the Nation
al Association Of " ool Growers, the
following address to the country was
unanimously adopted:
"The wool dealers aud wool grow
ers of the United States, representing
capital of over $500, 600 600 aud a
constituency of over million wool
growers and wool dealers, having
read the first annual message of the
President to the Fiftieth Congress,
declares that the sentiments of the
message are q direct attack upon
their industry, one of the most impor-
tant Of the country, and in positive
violation Of the national Democratic
pie torn, 1884. as interpreted by
the party leaders and accepted
by the rank and file Of the party;
that the argument made by the Pres
ident for the removal of our protec-
tion against foreign competition is
the cid one repeatedly made by the
enemies of our industrial progress
and so effectively answered in pearl y
every school district Of our land, and
so thoroughly d;sproved by the logic
of facts and the demonstrations of
experience and history as to need no
answer from us. We acknowledge
that our "small holdings" our scat
| tered and unorganizod condition,
makes US the easy prey of the Free
trader, but we have right to expect
something different from the Chief
Executive of the nation at once the
most happy, prosperous and content
ed Of any of the world, made so by
policy of Protection and develop
ment, which he now seeks to destroy.
We had right to expect our Presi-
dent would favor the wool growers of
the United States. and confess our
deep disappointment that instead he
favors the interests of our foreign
competitors
Justly alarmed at his position we
make an appeal from his recommend
a,ions to the people, to all the people,
to the seven and three-fourth millions
of our fellow citizens engaged in agri-
culture, to the millions engaged in
manufacturing. to the army of wage
earners whose wages are maintained
by the Protective system; to the
tradesmen aud merchants, whose
prosperity depends upon ours, conf
dent that their Judgment and decision
will be be based upon justice and pa
triotisrn, and therefore for the main
tenance of the American policy OF
Protection to which the country is
indebted for It's unexampled develop
ment anc prosperity.
"To demonstrate the injustice OF
the Presidents policy and the fallacy
OF the remedy he proposes for the re-
duction of the surplus, we point to the
fact that il the whole amount of the
revenue derived from wool was abol
ished it would reduce the surplus on
ly about $5 coo, 600, or less than ten
cents per capita of the popula-
tion, which is paid by foreigners,
while the old war taxes he recon-
mends retained yield over $ll9 600,
600 and are o direct tax per capita of
50 each, and are what make up the
great bulk Of the surplus of $40, 600
600. and which foster u most danger
Gus monopoly.
eve would further add the follow
ing statistics in regard to the wool
industry: The annual revenue de-
rived from imports of wool
under the tariff Of 1867
was less than $l,700,000 Under the
reduced tariff of 1888 the revenue last
year was over s., 600, 900 The num-
ber of sheep in the country in 1884
was, 5O,626. .G26;in 1887, "A .759.324,
a decrease of nearly 5000, 600 and
diminution of the annual wool pro-
duet of over 35.000,000 pounds, thus
showing that reducing the tariff by
the act Of 1888 has increased the rev.
enue from imported woods and dimin-
ished the number of sheep in the IN
tied States about II per cent. and the
annual product in the same proper
ton. The President'e policy would
bring about the destruction of this in
dustry, and the same policy of reduc'
tion or abolition OF the tariI would
end in disaster to all the other indus
trial productive enterprises of the
country"