Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-05-22
THE TARIFF DEBATE.
Congressman j. ID. Taylor Takes a Hand and
Makes Strong Appeal for Higher
DUTY on Wool.

Among the speeches that were made in
the House on Friday that of Congress
man Taylor, of this District, was the most
forcible. 1t was an eloquent appeal in
favor of protection to the wool industry,
and was in substance as follows:
This is probably the best tariff billever
presented to Congress, but is objectiOna-
bic in two respects. 1t places hides on
the free list, and does not give adequate
protection to the wool Industry. The
people in this country are destined in
the near future to have as the settled
policy of this country the protection of
all American industries or the protection
of none. The hybrid, half-hearted poll
ticianS who now seek protection for their
own industries and free trade for other
industries will be swept from the arena
of politics as the enemies of trade and
business. Congress has recently apprO-
priated 81, 100000 to find out the amount
of Indebtedness of the farmers, but no
remedy was suggested which would help
them to pay their debts. The great need
of the farmers in this country is 100000,
900 sheep, yielding an annual wool crop
of 6OOOOO,OO0 pounds. 1t is proposed by
the Ways and Means Committee to raise
the duty on tin-plate high enough to in
sure the manufacture in this country to
the extent of home consumption.
WANTS THE SAME FOR WOOL.
This is right, and, although we do not
now produce sheet of tin-plate, | shall
gladly vote to give it this much protec-
ton, and | want to see the same measure
of protection given to wool.
The rock upon which the wool indus
try is about to be wrecked is carpet-woOl.
There was imported into this country last
year nearly 100000 pounds of carpet
wool, One-third of which was used in the
manufacture Of clothing, and as this class
of wool is general secured it was fully
equal to 150OOOOO0 pounds of unwashed
wool, every pound of which could be
raised in this country, and would be rails
ed here if the duty, which is now only 215
cents per pound, was made equal to the
duty on other wool. The duty on all i'm
ported woods should be 12c per pound
and for the present the carpet-manufac-
turers might be allowed a rebate of &c a
pound on wool actually used in the man.
ufacture of carpets.
If we had 100000 coarse wool sheep
and 100000 fne-wOol sheep we could
raised all the carpet-wOOl we need, as well
DIS cill dDulltIdlC6 VI SOOu LnuJGOu. L HIS
would not only enable the farmers to pay
their debts, but it would greatly add to
the general prosperity of the country.
CAUSE OF DEPRESSION.
1t is no wonder that agriculture is de-
pressed when we imported last year S240,
100000 worth of agricultural products,
and when our imports of wool have in
creased from 146, 100000 pounds in 1888 to
2S3, 100000 pounds in 1889, and when our
imports of woOlen goods have increased
from $3S,OO0,OO0 in 1882 to S52 100000 in
1889, while our flocks of sheep have de-
creased from 100000 to 100000 in
the same time. 1t is no wonder that
prices and values are going down every
year when vast sums of money are going
out of the country to purchase what we
ought to produce at home. The quanti-
ty of money i'll the country is the measure
of value, and we can easily increase values
by keeping our money at home, by build
ing up home industries and thus furn-
ished employment to our own people,
The fact that We are and will be for
generation to come debtor Nation, and
the fact that the tide of immigration has
increased from 10000 a year to 10000 a
month, makes it absolutely necessary
that we increase our duties and build up
new industries in order that we may fur
nish employment for our rapidly increas-
ing population.