The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-07-13
FOR FARMERS TO PONDER
HOW JOHN E. RUSSELL ANSWERS
THOSE TARIFF QUERIES.
Changed Conditions Make CIay's ArSu-
ments ObsoIete-Why the Price of Wool
Has Declined Under PrOtection-WOOi
Tariff Worse than Similar Taxes.

Tlrlr ri am in receipt OF series of questions
about the wool tariff from former constituents of
mine in the tenth congressional district and other
citizens of Massachusetts. The request is made by
each club or group of inqurers that my answers be
forwarded to you. For convenience | will append
replies to the interrogatores in order
question l. Is it, or is it not the object of what is
called protection to promote domestic industry in
such way that after the protection has been kept
on for few years the price Of the protected article
will be greatly reduced?
Answer. The argument for incidental protection
in taxation began in the First Congress. The
phrase the fostering hand of government" ex-
tended 10 assist infant industries was then first
heard from Mr. Hartley, a Pennsylvania. About
thirty years later Henry Clay the founder Of what
he called the American system" proposed taxes
for the sake of protection, the money accumulated
above government wants to be used in payment Of
debts not due, or in internal Improvements. Mr.,
Clay held that we needed temporary taxes upon i'm
portAtionS to assist manufactures upon ground
where they could maintain themselves in competi-
ton with Europe He held that the taxes upon
agriculture would be compensated by the enlarge
mcnt OF the home market, This he urged was
necessary because we had already reached the limit
Of foreign capacity to consume our products, This
was In lSal Twelve years after. in speech in de-
fence ofthe American system, he declared that
the competition created by the tariff would have the
effect OF lowering all prices in the country 50 near
the foreign standard that taxes for protection would
no longer be necessary
Mr.. Clay did not sec the possibility Of combua
ton the consolidation capital and the increase
means OF communication. lie was lcgiSlating for
>guttarei communities for vast regions whose agr-
cultural products would not bear the Gust Of carriage
to the scGhaard for conditions different fFon ours
thst ths value Of bushcl OF corn exhausted by
a haul Of a hundred miles. Mr., Clay wanted to
bring the plough the loom aud the anvil together
not In our country. bui iu the same county, and
even in the same village. thus making local market
for unstable harycsts
Now the pgice Of farm produce Is made la the
markets OF the world. the exchanges II the earth
work in harmony. the visible supply j. known
every day credits are transferred BY the electric
wire. minute Of issg is OF more value than month
Of lSsa. all conditions arr changed and Mr Ciays
Arguments are as obsolete the spinning wheel
aud ,hc hand loom
Question ?. Has the price Of American wool teeR
reduced under the prrscnt laTff
Answer The price % WOOL has greatly declined
uutsr The highest Of protection and has proved
The corrvctaeSs of Henry clay opiaian that high
tarif would result in los prices thoagh his afSn-
iacui intended b Prove iha, the low Ffec would T.
accompanied by prosperity. Fron iS'S % ls5e wool
costing - cents OF less was free Wool rose IN PEcc
under this tariff aud IL Is significant FAC, thai the
uo5llcn business vas highly prusperous. proving
that the tun industries are dependent upon each
other. one cannot Hoarish while The o;hsr is de-
pr,..sei iurtnz and Ancr iae vAr there vas a
moderate duty on woal which uss raised - lhe
81. ofl>7 TO The rates that coHtrHc uutii The iht
regari5ou Of fssL The cfcc, Of ic Aes Or iss5 was
safv dfsapFaFn'racn2 b aock Esasters Their husi-
ness 81 once became depressed IN viocus aucsaa.
tans 10 psifys Wool tnsg sold fag - ceuts IN Jana
an hroaEbi % arafs to AFsii Ia laly. = cens In
ussish~r. - eeats The average annual loss - the
vooi srsuerz sr tbs alssvu year srcclyiux is7 IL
the ralue % wool s sccsoucf Al ssosahp'-
question & j. hAs. shat sod hss prussctian
done O. the fEFaacrs asti w,ssi srowers'
Ansusr Tho fact ttat sNccssivc p-oiecti9n dos
ual pro,eCt rsy ~ proved b The statistics q The
aocks lu lsss The aHmlef of shccp cas- Of Inc Nj
s.asPss F.ivcf Was ta r5gaa nuubcrs a.tsnpsH. teo
yoass lsics Is aas q l5Ce as iE i>e7 sfes iuss5g
years % hizh pF1iecfien. e bad fauk - tsi92fs@.
{ asy ADJ ihai shery have declined IN value aAd
wool - to There has tu since is15 An incrcase IL
he aauabcs Of ocp Ia the liia.t % iac cOaalfy q
~ pr ccat Bat tis has hssn Wcssof ths Ilssisslfpi
slnz n1s g. The sAss eag 81 ghr rxtcasion oT rail-
r,,ais aud conse,sag Clearing sway q Indians sud
ud ANIMALS SiyiaE lands Sc ;hr Iosi pan Irs q
rent taxes aaf al TIE eSrensos y e,,icg clfiiisS
fi1a Thrse Er1zf usnirTinS aacss, bsi9usiaS %
Ai.sutsss And ln maay casls ASi3e rgvFfirtorS ar
Jcusc,i b Clsauae aad Mexican A-~lvfs, Ssa hAFe
% more iatc1sity ui;h AmcgleAa eiG..usaiP thza
The EAalr shrsaeraa og saaih AFRICA Srsu ial'
noaasfic ssho-l II waol srrslnE = esapaaisins q
Toss assi irsllnaax tlss g ekan0s b. sid Ass Ssa
yrctIon has rrachssi suy ~ oar uoai growers
Question Isses -, tR1 o. ilfeigu ue-l isagafs
vi pas thg Triee % thai up much that Altsease
ts- pries e Ameriosz upai Is lower thaa H svei
va. t-sfsre ys gss domestic uuallra MANUFACTURES
arr pot as errsf q saslYaniagu villa faFeiEu aAHs
sarsusas - l,sag ae cznnat sake gods sl - ias
cus % % 10 sod quality except ssieA k4s,2s g
sossss A. can ps maae v,soly % ia'ses'le uoal
Answer. he cuss 81 ksfvtsu w9'oi IS lursrsssd .
DE haie zmoaal q br TAX and sso IS ne ntefss
ani psfgcalarc ca gha srealer Aaeuui ~ capital
cmpIoyel THIS skcs Is Fevcsaiari In 'hr taFi8 &C.
~ sgT whieh in sxprass terms aaposls a. Tvs wpe
len alsaufsssurrs an iucresset duiy ga sssvlsn
einss.- g. eaaayess4ss alsa or The enhsrc eass o.
his Imported uasg Thts is specisc duty. vhsea
90 sanpei. valae.i - above 81 crae pouni, y s
cents po,iad Ia aisiaa g. - pr ceut 81 tsioscsa
This puts The Ansefieaa manufactures 81 ano Esai'
AZ q ~ dssaaIvAutasc. flr IL eou1Ges hig g III
BONE usarkei aud SIS high qrioo be Is eouaFiiei 3
eAaYvU gof rosas nAFraas had restricts BIS m2Esei
MaRers u ase aannels shsi sold Ia oonpcilis4a
With she nsss Ens3ssh aad Frunch sacds tmpsof'
south American so1i Thai has beru seuE d FE&acs
and there rleansusl - disg and burFs aud sooaFvd
Tbs duiy oa this uSal d ghirty cents Youad
Thesc = 90 wecl raised this couusry that a u
answer the same pnFposs. Il b ibs result OF sol
aud climate dEeseut fruIs eurs- Il soes 70 frsoe
lucczuse though FrGBee {. pso;ecscf country, they
Do nol ihink q economy 70 tax the raw material Of
manufacturing. and thcy consider Il Siso - -
fsw he liae Of pfosecgi1a Is b preserve romuerve
with Ba,ious psoslaoiss raW mAisrisl rhsy e1'
change gods sos weol. they saake The fFsighis,
commissions and prOdts Of saipPins and We pay
thern f1r manipulation Of sar Wooi
Question s. tfthe essss % the tax or hsrgigu wool
has hapn 10 pus down she pgicc % domestic wool
and 10 pat Up the co,a u wooliea gusds, DO seis
any braenl from its Is q the iarer ~ 10 sets les
alr his go5l aud pays more Cor his clothing
Answer The benefit Of this tax Rcctaes % the
politicians and a. other enormously Protested later
ests The tariff on woni Is The keystone Of the vide
arch % pro,eetoa because q binds the farmer 10 the
supper. % the whole system. Without his support
the ,afif would Be reduced to that v0ad raise
only What Is required by the government eoono1ai-
oany administered with Incidental protection.
How the farmer Is deceived may b. further e1.
planned by calculation Of what he gets even II he
makes all that Is promised him. The duty upon
auwashed wool that CONES in composition with ours
Is 10 cents pouad The average number Of shecp IN
a dock upon the Older Western farms Is not over
thirty aud the average product u wool on such
farm would b. about ts} pounds. II the duty in
creased the price II this wool 10 cents pound Il
would be but SIS TO each dock, less than the en-
HANGED cost OF the clothes OF bis family u gives
him nothing 10 pay the increased cost Of lumber,
salt tin. croekery implements fence wire. sc. The
fact IS that has protection fails 10 protect aud he gets
nothing but the privilege OF carrying the load Tie
is a victim Of those who straps out OF the hides
of the poor to make siirrup feathers for the rich
Question G. What is the value OF the domestic clip
OF WOODS
Answer The sEatisticiau Of The Department Of
Agriculture estimated the value OF domestic wool
In lSs6 at Sos IO10o0,
Question :. How much foreign wool do we i'm
port either in the state in the goods that
import
Answer. In isS6 we imported 4OSS. 400 pounds,
Of which nearly four.hfths was carpet wool. 1t IS
dificult 10 estimate the weight Of wool in al inn
ported goods 1t cannot be less than 100000
pounds.
Question 5 Does the wool clip come to more than
81 50 or s. in each 500 worth Of farm products
Answer The value of wool raised on farms would
not be 81 in 500 of farm produce In 1857 there
ii 6s0 Ogs sheep on farms and ranches west of the
Mississippi and IsO99.22l the farms east Of it.
The sheep kept in small ocks OF Is 10 So as in Mich
san and similar states, are larger and yield much
heavier heeces than ranch sheep. Calculating their
proportion OF the product at sS9.OOlooO would not
give sl5O in the hundred Of farm products,