The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-09-05

NOWS every IdTUltT WIN hhpWa
enough to go in when it rains, Knows
this sort of argument to he the silliest
kind of rot, which would not be in
flirted on any class of people not be-
lieved to be born idiots. And as a
remedy for all these imaginary evils
which cannot he explained, the far
mer is invited to reinquish the duty
on his wool, his coal. his timber.
But are the farmers going to have
the wool pulled over their eyes in
this manner? All farmers in Gar
rett County own sheep, nearly all
have more or less timber. and a great
many have land underlaId with coal,
and when we come to think about il,
these three products bring nearly all
tine money in circulation into the
county, and any line of policy tend
ing to cripple these interests would
destroy whatever measures of pros
perity we enjoy, and the farmers
would he involved in the common
ruin which would PROSTATE all sorts
of business.
The only permanent, reliable mar.
kets the farmersyhave for the prod
ucts of their. fields and gardens is to
be found at the mines of Georges
Creek. Elk Garden and Thomas. aud
the lumber camps along the West
Virginia Central, and at other places
in or near our county borders, and
any line of policy that would cripple
the mining, the numbering or the
wool industries, would destroy the
home market for whatever the farm
erS can produce, ana the possibilities
of foreign market for our buck
wheat, our potatoes and cabbage is so
vague and indefinite as to be totally
invisible, except as seen by the Dem
Ocratic eye of faith. The Democratic
editor and statesman is sure he can
see wherein the farmer is to be bene-
fitted by haying his products brought
into sharp competition with the
"cheap and nasty" products of Aus
tralia and South America, Canada
and Novia Scotia.
Not long ago the Democrat asserted
that higher prices were obtained for
wool under Democratic low tariff
than under Republican high tariff.
Do Democrats believe that a reduc-
ton of duty will increase the price of
wool? If they believe it has that
effect they should want the duty
higher so as to bring down the price
to the manufacturers.
The Democrat has said on other
occasions that the placing of wool on
the free list will not effect the price
one cent.
Our opinion about it is that if any
body out of an insane asylum actual.
ly believes in this sort of hocus pocus
it is time their friends were looking
after them. If the duty on wool does
not effect the price then there can he
no reason for wishing to take it off.
But our Democratic guardians are
very careful to not tell us ignorant
farmers all of the truth about it. They
conceal the fact that in Australia and
South America, where it does not
cost anything to raise sheep, the
wool industry is assuming enormous
proportions. Australia is a new
country nearly as large as the United
States, which has hardly been ex-
plored, In 1871 the wool product of
that country was reported at 169, 1855,
1913 lbs. and so rapid has been the in
crease since then that the number of
sheep was reported at over hundred
millions two or three years ago, or
more than double the number in the
United States.
The Democratic idea, as promul-
gated by Grover Cleveland, was to
reduce the cost of wool to the Ameri-
can manufacturer so he could com.
pete with England in TIE markets of
the world. But to do this he would
not only require cheap wool but also
cheap labor as well. To undersell
England and drive her away frCm
the markets she already controls,
would involve too mnch cheapness to
suit the American idea. 1t would
mean not only cheap wool, but cheap
men and women. To the intelligent
farmers of this country i: would not
be desirable cOnsumation.
The farmers of America have too
much respect for American labor and
American manhood to be content to
see them pitted against the degraded
manhood of European countries. The
farmers know that when labor is
poorly paid>there is not much money
to pay for what he may have to sell.
But let us see what we can learn
by recent experience.
In 1883 the duty on wool was ma
terlally reduced. At that time there