Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-12
PROTECTION VS.. FREE TRADE.
Some Scraps Of History Showing the
Effects Of the Two Systems.

As | am resident of this great west
ern city of the plains, and as l am vel
advanced in years and have Travelled
over eleven states of this great unioi
and have been an observer of the pro
ducts, minerals and growth, thought
should like to throw in my mite with the
many. l am a Republican and have
been since its organization in 1856.
see no cause why | should change my
politics as long as the party Of my choict
has done as well as they have for The
last thirty-two years. In the year 1923
under the administration of John Quinc,
Adams, the congress of the United
States passed what was called high
| protective tariff law, or SO amended the
law as to put the duty OF protection on
certain articles of import that competed
with ours. The amended bill gave great
offense to the southern people, as it in
terfered with the cotton trade. But as
the south was Just on the eve of very
heated campaign Andrew Jackson was
elected, and on the second year of his
! administration the discomfort Of the
south with the tariff had greatly in
creased. jackson was man of strong
will power, energetic action, and his
ability was soon called into exercise at a
very critical juncture. The discontinued
portion of South Carolina held con-
vention at Columbia on November 10,
1882. They called themselves the State
Rights Democratic party. They passed
in Il 4 bao rtia Of,
gress unconstitutional and that the tariff
laws should be null and void, and that in
case the national government attempted
to enforce those laws the people of South
Carolina would form an independent
nullifiers was John G.. Calhoun, vice
president of the United States. jackson
issued a proclamation in which he de-
clared the proceedings of the convention
reasonable and announced his deter
mination to execute the laws at what
ever cost, and preparations were prompt
ly made for military operations against
South Carolina. The forts about Charles
ton were put in order and General Scott
was placed in command, and by this
means we averted war in the south in
the year 1893
The South was conciliated by the pas
sage of what was called Henry Clay's
celebrated compromise bill, providing
for the gradual reduction of duties on
certain articles and limiting the opera
ton Of existing tariff laws to ten years.
The latest reports show that there are at
the present time 2,190, 333, 500 invested
in manufacturing interests in the United
States. There are 100000 farmers en-
gagged III the wool interest; there are 112,
1000 acres Of pasture and farm lands
devoted to this industry; they have in
their employ 500, 900 hands engaged in
this product. They sell to the butchers
for mutton annually from $13, 100000 to
$l5, 600, 900 The number of sheep hand
ed is 90 900, 900; their clip of wool $50, 900,
600 pOunds; sale of wool 81. 900, 900. Coun-
ing men, women and children interested
in or dependent upon this industry alone
there are about 4, 000.000
Mr.. S. G. Hall, of Reno, Nevada, who
is the president OF the wool growing as
sociation of the west, has just arrived in
New York from New Orleans. He was
seen by a reporter at Smith & McNeafS
hotel He said Il have been very much
in watching the tariff legisla-
ton of the last few years. We don't know
we will be prosperous or not;
our people are opposed to this continual
with the tariff. 1t has unset
tied every line of American manufac-
ture. We can't tell whether we will be
OF ruined next year. We are
afraid from the present outlook that we |
may be bankrupt by May, 1899. My
opinion is that the tariff should be so
formed as to protect our home industries
and theu let alone, l have been en-
gagged in sheep raising in northwest Ne |
vada for the past eighteen years; | lave
l., 900 sheep and send on an average /
forty tons of wool annually to market |
On March s, 1888, the tariff was re
1uced. Before the reduction / got in |
San Francisco for raw wool 43 cents per |
pound, and for the same class of wool T.
new receive sixteen and a half. l sold |
sold twenty-five tons at that price last |
January. This leaves almost nothing, |
and any further reduction on wool will |
lemoralize the wool trade il America |
The largest wool growers are IN South /
America and Australia. Next comes
he United States. The grass is better in
Australia than in this country. One
lerder, who is paid SO a month, takes
care Of about 5000 sheep in Aus
ralia, while the same number of sheep
lere require four men at $50 per month.
The most of our wool IS sold III San
Francisco; we pay three and one-half
,entS freight to get 1t TO market, while
he Australian gets his TO the same mar
1et for one-half cent pound. Australia
pays cents a head for shearing while we
1ay from to 10 cents a head. South
America can't get their wool 10 market
quite 50 cheap as Australia but they can
inder sell us on our own market if it was
lot for the tariff. But the Mills bill,
which places wool on the free list. Will
Utterly destroy this great American in
lustry. 1t mas passed the house, but our
MY hope is that it will be killed in the
enate. If the Mills bill becomes a law
here will not be sheep left only as a
yet relic. Cleveland has just two thou
and votes IN my state. l am Demo
rat but | can't vote for free trade. Ne
ada is a doubtful state but she will go
traight Republican if this bill should
,ecome a law"
| now make the statement that protec-
ion reduces the price on all our home
consumption. Now taking Clay's com
romiSe. which was 10 be gradual re-
uction for ten wears. On or about the {.
ear 1913 we had got down to the bot
ON of reduction and from 1913 up to {
SOB all our products were worth in {
manner nothing. \ gooi sheep brought 5
rom 81 % % cents head; hogs COM {
handed 1 TO 1-2 cents pound; good l
aeon was 5 cents pound: good work I
orses from % TO 40 dollars: good milk {
ows from to 10 dollars head; good
gvo and three-year-old steers from To 7