Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-12-20
Sheep Jnterest.
THE FREE WOOL QUESTION.

wool tending? If they are in reality free
traders, then their actionis consistent, and
they are doing the best for the good of
their cause, but if they think they can
wrest the protective system to secure all
the benefits of that system to a few thou
sand manufacturers at the expense of two
or three million people more or less inter-
ested in the production of wool, they are
advocating policy that directly proves
the truth of the argument used by free
traders, that the protective system favors
monopoly for the benefit of the few at
the expense of the larger proportion of
the community.
The advocates of free wool talk about
a tax on raw material. If this term is
just, how much more is it burden to the
consumers of cloth to pay tax to enable
all the money and accumulate all the
wealth?
One paper characterizes the PROPOSE
ton that free wool means free cloth a
spook. We shall see how easily and
quickly the spook will become a lively,
active reality. The same bill that con-
tains provision for free wool, or, for
that matter, any material reduction in
the amount of protection on wool,
whether by direct reduction or hocus-
pocus process as ad valorem duties, will
also provide for free cloth. The last
presidential and congressional campaign
was won on a platform promising "full
and adequate protection to WOOL" and a
majority supposed to be in favor of the
protective system elected to the House
of Representatives. That majority is
small. a change of only five votes to the
other side will oblterate it. Such a
change has already reversed one of the
plans of majority of that party's caucus.
Does any same man believe that the
dominant party in that House of Repre-
sentatives will deliberately 90 back on
the promises made to the people by their
party at the petition of few manufac-
turers and give them free wool instead of
full and adequate protection to the wool
grower as promised? 1t requires neither
Il prophet nor a son of a prophet to pre-
diet that that party will not organize the
next House of Representative or elect a
speaker for that House from their party
if they do.
DO these manufacturers suppose the
people cannot discern the shoddy in their
proposition that free raw material, with
lower prices for wool, is a necessity to
enable them to compete with manufac-
turers abroad and at the same time con-
tend such a provision will benefit the
grower of domestic wool? The people
have had too much shoddy in the
cheap O. clothing they have been wear
ing lately to banker after any of that
material in political economy.
They tell the people they must take the
same price foreigners can raise and sell
their wool for, or we cannot buy it: with
their dual voice say to the same people
we must have protection on our products
and free raw materials to enable us to
compete with capital and cheap labor
abroad
DO these gentlemen realize they go too
far when they presume the wool grow
els can or will grow wool for them at a
loss. or will enjoy being made hewers
of wood and drawers of water for those
who by this shoddy political economy
are to be the only benefciaries under
the protective system:
1t would be well for our farmers not
engaged in growing wool to consider
how long it will be after these gentle
men have procured free wool before
they will require free wheat, free flour
free vegetables, free everything raised
by our farmers in this country and
consumed by their employees, so they
can get them to exist cheaper and be
willing to take as low wages as the
same class of laborers are obliged tC
where manufacturers have the advan
tage of free raw materials. And per
haps it would be wise for those employ
ees who are signing the petition for free
wool to consider whittier this tendency
to cheaper everything below the cos
of production is tending, and whether
1t will not most seriously strike labor
as the price of all our products &C
down.
England has arrived at such poin
in this low price business that she cal
manufacture fair looking cloth with
out raw material entirely of old shoddy
that has been through the wooden mills
more than once. How long will it b,
before our manufacturers will be driver
to the same extremity, and be obliged
to screw their labor employed in tn
manufacture of such goods down to a
low condition as they have forcet
them abroad?
Would it not be best for us all to TAX
time to reflect whether this eyerlastin!
effort to cheaper everything is the hes
A.a.a tho. L