The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-01-13

From 1928 to about 1879 sheep cut no
figure for wool was admitted free. sheep
came in with our first tariffs, and rose
and fell IN volume, with every tariff
change. Nothing raised by the farmer
. has proven 80 sensitive to change in
tariffs, either in value or numbers, a.
sheep. The temporary fall in the prices
of wool following the increased tariff Of
1857. was referable TO other causes than
those quoted by the Pioneer Press. A
yery-- remarkable change in the fashion
OF goods at that time all over the
world, the rage for cheyiots, threw out
of line most Of the American woods.
Then great quantities of wool had been
shipped TO the Z. s., in anticipation Of
the high tariff Of 81; and the farmers
themselves, anticipating its operation,
increased their focks from Maine TO
i Texas in a most wonderful manner.
These were the true causes of the de-
cline in the price of wool following the
tariff Of 1857. But the conditions soon
re-adjusted themselves, and sheep cul-
ture prospered all over the land. The
history preceding the tariff Of 1867, now
aggrayates the situation. As a prelude
to that tariff, the manufacturers and pro-
ducers met in convention at Svracuse, in
1854. and solemDly agreed to stand to-
getherin protecting JOINT interests. They
were to have equal protection, and the
result was the tariff of 1857, which con-
tanned the elements of permanently and
stability in the matter of equality in the
tariff. Now the President seeks to
ALLEVIATE the manufacturers from the
compact, and turns the farmers out to
shift for themselves. Sympathy for the
wooden manufacturer is invoked. The
facts are, that by the census, from de-
cade to decade, they have multiplied.
According to the census OF 1880, they
have outstripped, in numbers, many
other lines of manufacturing which for
merry outnumbered them. They are
manifestly doing well, or the business
would not be pursued and constantly in
crease in numbers and product. The
productive power of wool machinery has
recently increased so greatly, that even
the number of mills is no longer an in
dex to the condition of the business. In
1880 there were 1859 mills, with q COM
bined product of 500, 100000. They are
protected by specific duty of IS cts. per
H.. and also an Gd Udtorem duty of 81 cts.
This makes their situation quite comfor-
table. The duty on raw wool is but 10
cts. per II. 1t is therefore manifest that
with such protection the mills are work
ing on a basis of free wool and are more
than compensated for the duty on raw
materials. Remember also, that the
duty on raw wool was reduced greatly
by the act of 1888, and the duty on the
manufactured article, in some instances
increased. As to prices of wooden goods,
the whole line of wooden clothing and
blankets were never so cheap as at this
very time. And relatively they are
cheaper now with wheat at 20 cts. than
they were ten or fifteen wears ago, with
wheat at $l.25 per bushel There is
consequently nothing in the sit
uation justifying this war on the farmer
and his fiocks.
If the reduction on raw wool by the
tariff of 1888, is not sufficient, then let
the dyestuffs, oils. etc., which are not
produced in this country, be admitted
free. They produce no material reve-
nue., and the arrangement will hurt no
one, but be productive of general goods
If it be said that many wooden mills are
closed part of the time, by reason of the
high price of the raw material, as the
Pioneer Press alleges, SO very many more
farmers are mortgaged by reason of the
fact that the raw material they raise, is
too low in price. If the farmers are
coolly told to take care of themselves
with wool free, then let the wooden man
ufacturers take care of themselves with
the tariff on. That sort of logic is cheap.
AS to the equities of the case, there are
very many more farmers than WOODEN
manufacturers, therefore let us have the
greatest good to the greatest number.
We even presume to say that if wool
should be admitted free, that the manu-
facturer would get all the benefit, and
neither the farmer nor the laborer IN
the mill would find any apprec-
liable difference in the result to
them. 1t is notorious, too, that the
use of cotton and shoddy in the
mills of New England, is one great cause
! of the less consumption of American
WOODEN goods, compelling the patronage
of German, French and English goods of
purer quality. Let the New England
manufacturer reform his nefarious meth
DDS and he will find better market for
his fabrics
The PIP correctly states that the
Minnesota wheat grower is compelled to
sell his wheat on the basis of Liverpool
prices, and then asks why ''the Ohio
farmer should be protected by duty on
wool collected from the whole country ?"
We fail to see why the Ohio or Minneso-
ia farmer should, for that reason, be
compelled to sell his wool also on the
basis of foreign market, that is on Aus
tralian or Argentine Republic prices. 1t
certainly would be death to our wool in
dustry.
i Our tariff laws have wisely encouraged
sheep industry and wool growing, and
by 1t the WOODEN manufacturer now Sc
cures his pound of wool at least 35 per
cent. cheaper than he did twenty-five or
thirty years ago, and yet he is not hap
py. The advance in improved condi,
tons is far more favorable to the manu-
facturer than to the wool grower.
i If tariffs are to exist, they must be
made equal in their burthens and not
built for class, and thus make
government ''trusts" out Of the favored
ones. Remember, also, that we should
seek more to protect labor than capital,
and wool represents the labor of the
farmer. Capital will take care of itself.
Let MS reduce the surplus by correcting
the Inequalities of the tariff, not one of
which is the tariff on wool, it having al
ready been reduced in the revision of
the commission of 1888. Sugar, coal,
lumber, salt, and such ike necessi-
ties of life, all get rocked in the cradle of
protection. The farmer will be greatly
benefited by reduction on them, and
greatly hurt by removal of the tariff ON
wool. which is about the most item LEFT in
the tariff schedules for his benefit.