Daily Republican., 1890-05-07
sheep and Wool Growing.

Shoep and wool Growing.
A great deal OF misepprehensior
exists in this country In regard TO The
tariff and the woolgrowers, the general
impression being that this country il
dependent upon foreign wool and thai
the manufacturers must have 1t to en- .
able them to make certain kinds oi
wool products with profit. That there
has been great decline of the num-
ber of sheep In this country Is not de-
nled since 1883, and corresponding
decrease In American wool has been a
natural consequence. The Free Trade
press seizes hold OF this condition OF
the wool trade and uses il for proof
that protection hurts rather than helps
the wool growers. The Manufacturer
journal wide awake to every phase
OF the wool traffic, locks at the causes
OF the decline In a different light and
calls attention to the British Islands.
where condition OF affairs is found
that entirely disproves OF this free
trade theory. II shows that there,
too, under q system which imposes no
duty OF any kind upon wool, The mum.
Der OF sheep has decreased four mil
lion in twenty years. How is this
accounted tory Here are two countries
In which the same result Is shown, one
operating under free trade and the
other under protection. Can 1t be
possible that the decline Of the sheen
industry In both countries is due to
freo trade In one and protection in the
otherf The Manufacturer very truth
fully says:
mo lair mil ded man can have Diff
Guilty in determining the truth respect
lny the matter. Foreign composition,
wholly unobstructed In the case of Eup-
land and partly ohBtructed In the case o.
this country, is the destructive force bot l
here and there. The British farmer, with
his dear land and high taxes, eannot
compete successfully with the cheap land
and cheap labor of Australia and the
Argentine Republic, aud the American
farmer, with his dear labor, is equally
u0able to encounter such rivalry. For
the EnRlshman no remedy Is possible,
because lis country can never, under the
most rigid system of protection, supply
the home demand for wool. Tie gross
product of the British clip In 1880 was
but 1872, III, 200 pounds OF wool; whereas,
the i'm ports amounted to nearly 68J, ,OOO,
oeo pounds. Either England must admit
wool free, or she must shut down her
Woolen mills"
Proceeding, that journal says that
no such alternative presents itself TO
this country, one OF the greatest of all
the wool producing countries, where
We have grown one-sixth OF the
worlds supply, and there ia no reason
why we should not In the future grow
~ much as the present product OF the
whole earth. We cannot do this how
ever II VIC are 10 have free wool, as il
is an undeniable fact that even the
mere reduction OF the wool duties has
decreased the number OF American
sa'sed sheep and increased our Deepen.
pendencc upon foreign countries,
There was no trouble in this country
over the wool question until In 1883,
when the Democrats had large ma
tority in the lower house OF Congress.
As that body originates the approprla-
tlons for carrying Oh the government,
kcc wool for the first time was adyo-
CSted and so hard pressed was the
Senate, barely Republican, that 1t was
compelled TO accept the alternative Of
large reduction In the duty on WOO
or have the wheels OF government
blocked for want Of money 10 keep tn,
machinery in motion. Ever sine,
then the wool production of thi
country has been falling off and In
administrators of the law under Pres.
dent Cleveland so interpreted that la,
as 10 let in souud wool far below III
rates imposed, while millions of pound
were admitted in the shape OF fabric
under the worsted elause which wa
SO interpreted as TO inflct the creates
harm upon the wool domestic interes,
oil this country. ..0..
1t has not been protection but fre
trade that has unsettled and ipiure
sLcep and wool raising in this country
and the same cause has crippled thOs
industries in England. II we keep O.
In this obstructive course the tim
will soon come when our clip will L
Is small as ii is in England. Lookin
al i, in this light the "ManuiaclureI
wisely says:
"Ihs Will mean high prices for wo
spd for woolen fabrics, Tor nothing
better susceptible of proof, as we ha
said, than that low duties ami hi,
prices 60 together. 1t will mean a.
that this country has surrendered
indu.try always OF vital importance o.
rev,r more vtaily important tLhn
tine Of war. When We let 20 we give
the whole protective system. We thIt
span cur doors to all competitors
every line OF trade. We surrender to I
world this. the greatest Of all niarke
Free wool means free goods AZ sure
- sunrise means daylight. Tho 10
who clainors now Tor removal Of t
euties upon this one ilhre is a man "
consciously or unconscIously Is demaI
ing that tho system of protection
home industry shall be completely ov
thrown"
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