The Russellville Democrat., 1890-08-21
STILL PULLING WOOL.


 meSxiniey's Higs Wool Duties. Mir Louis Windmueller 6 large wool ! importer of New York. wrote recently to Senator Plumb protesting against g dnty on Russian camel's hair and against increased rates on coarse and mixed wool, such as are used in carpet making. It was shown by Air. Windmneller that, as we hare no eanels. it would Ese fool ish to place protective duties on camel $ hair 70 build up 8 new Industry, and that the same is true or coarse carpet wool, since next to none is produced in America. The only effect Of these duties therefore. would be to increase Che price of carpets to our own people.
 In reply Co this letter Mr. Windmnclier received the following letter from the Kansas Senator.
 UNITED STATES eEEAIK,
 WAsBIsGToS, D C., Jniy U. iss9. Louis WinaFnuelier, Esq New York:
 Dear Sir I hare read what you say about the duty on Russian caBers hair VIII give this matter fEli consideration, and except for something which do not nov Ioresee vii, support The p0sitfoa which you take- ] oo not ob5ect 10 the rectincgtion of fhe in equalities Of the far I bat have not been able 10 convince myself. nor have ! been convinced by the reasoning of others that there should be any general increase of the duties now imposed especially upon articles which go into general con sumption among our people. fouia truy
 PEEsTos B. PIUMR.
 It was Senator Plumb who introduced the resolution in the Senate to require the Finance Committee to give reasons for changes in the tariff. But this reso- lution called out such rigmarole of glittering generalitles about creating new industries, protecting American interests" meeting increased pcti- ton abroad, and 60 on, that it would have been as well fl Senator Plumb had never introduced the resolution at all With regard 10 the wool duties, for ex- ample, the committee said: The de- ruand iron. the representative wool growers of the country that the rates upon wool should be largely increased, has led the committee 10 recommend the adoption of the classification herein suggested, which 1t is hoped will result in uniform and honest classification of wool
 That is funny. The gool-growers "de- manded" largely increased rates upon wool, and tho committee gave them "a new justification. But this was by no means giving stone instead Of bread, for the thew classification" results Tn a large increase of duties, though the committee neglected to assign any reason for that increase beyond the demand from the representative wool growers of the country"
 This affords another example of how the protected interest of the country are allowed 10 write their demands" into our tariff laws. The theory of protection is that the lawmakers exam ne the con dition of the country and then decide that protection is needed, and this Is accordingly given. In point of fact, the thing is never done in this way; but the hungry interests come locking to Con gress to impose their demands" upon 8 committee that usually knows very little about trade and industry and is only too willing to have it's action guided by men who know what they want Tins Is the way tariff bills to defend ''Ameri- can interests" arc coneocted. IL is tho men who want to fill their own pockets who rush before committees Of Congress and prate about protecting American labor from disastrous foreign compe- tition.
 As the Senate committee had no req son to give Senator Plumb further than the demand of the representative wool growers of the country" Mir. Wind mueller undertook to show tho Senator that there was no good reason to in crease the duties on camels hair and coarse wool; and he undertook to show up also the iniquity of the uniform and honest class Gcation" which the committee said it had given at the ''de- mand Of the representative wool-grow- CTS of the country"
 The present rates and the increases are as follows on coarse wools: On wool valued at l2 cents a pound or less the duty is 2JE cents pound, which is equivalent 10 2460 per cent ad valorem, and this is changed by the committee to g per cent for wools valued at 13 cents 8 pound or less; on coarse wool worth more than t2 cents pound the duty is : cents, which is equivalent to 90. 45 per cent, this being raised in the present bill to 50 per cent on wool above l9 cents a pound.
 So much for the dut es; but here is where the uniform and honest classif- cation" comes in and effects doubling up of duties in way to delight the po- litical shepherds of Ohio who made the demand The bill provides that if any bale of wool of one class contains any portion Of wool of a higher class the whole bale must pay the duty of that higher class; and further that if any sorting of the wool has taken place the duty shall be doubled.
 Tn B is what the political shepherds demanded" and what they got Mr Windmueller shows that, inasmuoh as all carpet wools are sorted before im- portation, the rates put down in the bill will have to be doubled; that is to say, on wools worth i3 cents or less the duty will be G4 per cent ;on the higher grades 100 per cent Oar political shepherds know how to make demands" for their own interests. The plea that the l,olit- ieal shepherds make is, not they have any carpet wools to sell, but that these imported carpet wools are sonnet mes ' clothing from the shepherds standpoint is a thing to be stamped out by the iron heel Of a Mckinley Tariff bill. Carpet wools must be made 50 expensive that the wicked manu- lecturers shall not be able 10 put them into our clothing, in order that the political shepherds may get higher prices for their wool This will mean dearer carpets Tor the people. but what do the shepherds care for that? They are looking out for number one!
 Meanwhile it Is highly instructive to note that shoddy men are clamoring for the Mckinley Rool duties They want to leather their nests too. They see that high prices on wool will cause larger demand for their hRmbug stuff, and Therefore they have taken great liking to Mckinley, and nobody Is now support ng the Mckinley bill with more srdor than tho shoddy men.