Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-05-31

less than the intellect.
In the Lust Ditch.
The latest, and what one would think
might be the final founder Of the Demo
Gratis in the mire Of their deadly Grind
stone figures, comes in the shape Of let
ter from W. A. Taylor Of Columbus, Ohio,
the man who sent to the New York World .
its despatch Of Jan. /, 1883, from which
Mr. Childs clipped his wool table verbatim
ct literatim Mr.. Taylor wrote Mr.. Will .
son of the World that he took his figures
"from an old wool circular Our own
Columbus correspondent, whose interest
ing letter about Mr. Taylor we printed in
our issue Of March %, said that the figures
came from a notorious Democratic cam
paign document Of which he (Taylorl was
the expert author In his letter to our To- |
cal Democrats Mr. Taylor admits the COM
pilation Of these figures, and admits it in
way which shows that he got up the table
to fit the purpose for which he wanted it. |
The prices for the years down to 1861 he |
SAYS he took "from the United States treas
ury statistical reports After 1861 he |
made up his figures by taking the prices
telegraphed from Boston to the Cincinnati |
Commercial, using only the quotations in
what he calls the wool year from June
to December How it happens that he did |
not use the treasury figures after 1861, or
after the Morrill, tariff went into effect,
and how it happens that, although he says
he averaged his figures after 1861, he
took for the thirty seven years previous al
most invariably the very highest price
given in the treasury tables at any time
during each year, without regard TO the
"woo year. he does not explain. The ev-
ident explanation is that 10y this method he
gets a set of figures which, before 1861,
are 10 to % per cent higher than the aver
age treasury figures, while since 1861, or
while the Morrill, tariff has been in effect,
he gets prices that are 10 to % per cent
lower than the average treasury prices.
That is to say he fixed up wool table to
suit the fact that he is hired by the Ohio
state Democratic committee to write arti
cles to prove that the country fourshes
under free trade and goes to the dogs un-
der protection. In other words, to use the
language of our Columbus correspondent
already referred to, "He is notorious for
having fl yures suited to his purpose rather
than to have them on a statistical basis"
The attitude in which Mr. Taylor places
himself when he puts his own figures be
fore the treasury tables in point of author
ity, and when he attempts to cast slur on
the reliable" Geo VIM. Bond, is so ride
uous as to make one wonder whether he
has any predomnating quality except an
inflated egotism mingled with a faculty of
romancing with figures and statistics in a
glib and misleading way. If he is really
the one able wool statistician of the coun
try, it is strange that the Cleveland admin
stration did not call him in to compile its
report on wool and manufactures of wool,
instead of depending for facts and infor
nation on inexperienced and unreliable
men like Mr. Bond, Mauger x Avery, and
others, who have been their whole lives in
the wool business.
1t is TO be noticed, however, that he
glides over the way in which he made up
his table. with tine fewest possible words,
and uses the greater part Of his column Of
| space in showing how average prices are
made up and in setting up a claim that all
the wool tables show that the wool industry
thrives under low tariff and suffers under
high tariff. This latter, he oracularly says,
is the only question in controversy In
this he is mistaken The question in contro-
versy is as to the correctness of the Grind
stone wool figures, and Mr.. Taylor shows
his wish to avoid the point over which this
whole controversy arose when he attempts
to lead the discussion away from it. He
also shows either his ignorance or his dis
honesty when he proceeds to argue that "a
high tariff depresses the price of wool and
a low tariff raises it, without taking any
factor into account except the rate of tar
i'll and the price of wool. On this subject
we shall have something to say at some flu
ture time, when the matter properly comes
up for discussion.
Mr. Taylor's letter reads like that of a
man who feels compelled to say something
and so writes against space to say as little
as possible. We do not wonder that he does
this when he finds himself thus compelled
W wv II INV iS up MS ll5 W SUN
himself, and confronted with their falsity
and with their condemnation by the best
Democratic wool authority in Boston. By
contrast there is something refreshing in
Mr.. Wilson's blunt declaration, after full
investigation, that This table is altogether
irrong and Thoroughly intrst,corthg in er-
ery respect" Mr.. Taylor makes vicious
dig at Mr.. Wilson for his frankness, but
the trouble is for Mr. Taylor, as well as for
our local Democrats, that Mr. Wilson
''comprehended" the situation, if he didn't
''the meaning of the figures" and the Dem
ocratic necessity for evasion, and owned
up to it like a man.
Werenew TO Mr. Childs and extend to Mr.
Taylor our challenge to produce one respons-
ible Boston wool dealer, of acknowledged
standing and repute in the trade, who will
endorse the Grindstone figures or the man
ner in which they were made up.