Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-09-24

Compensation" duty of A cents per
pound on the cloth would be cut of,
and the manufacturer would collect
only his own % cents from the people
instead Of the "a cents. He would be
relieved ofthe trouble he now willing
~ undertakes Of collecting the extra
"A cents and turning them over TO the
farmer from whom he buys his wool.
The farmer cannot collect the A
cents. If he could combine and fix
the price of the wool, he might. With
out combination there can be no pro-
lection when the local competition
makes the market price, and the COM
petition of 10000 brings it as low as the
competition of l0,OOO,OOO The wool
growers number over 900, 900; they
are engaged in cut-throat competition
to sell; and they must take what they
can get.
The manufacturers are combined in
league having nine branches. 1t is a
private trust governing nine smaller
trusts. The smaller trusts fix their
monthly scale of prices, and collect the
ga cents in the prices they charge the
people. AS the farmer cannot collect
even one cent of the protection bounty,
they collect his share when they col
lect their own. They even advance it
out of their own pockets when they
buy his wool, although they are under
no obligations to do so, and although
they might even make him wait until
they had collected it if they were in
business to make money and not for
benevolence alone.
Now l do not wish to say one word
against these wooden manufacturers,
or TO cast the slightest suspicion upon
their integrity. But do wish to call
the attention of the wool growers to
the fact that If they are not honest, if
their benevOlence were not beyond
question, their motives might possibly
be impugned. Suppose, just for the
moment, that the same opportunity
for stealing which these honest men
enjoy should be given to pack of
rogues. Suppose that to protect the
farmers, who could not combine to
protect themselves, their protection
should be turned over to a gang of
confederate thieves, with instructions
to collect A cents for the farmers and
20 cents for themselves, hut that there
ShOulu Oc uO SupcENlSIOu over lU6lT
accounts, no reports required, and
everything left entirely to their good
nature. Would they net howl at any
proposition to remove the A cents?
Would they not contribute large sums
to retain the collection of the farmers
protection? Would they not steal
every cent, yet do all that these honest
men are now doing to make the
farmer believe that his protection is a
good thing? Do the honest men now
collecting the tax after advancing it to
the farmer do or say one thing which
thieves in their place would not do or
say?
So much for question of motive. I
do not impute any. 1 ask the wool
grower to take up the question as a
business man. in business way, and
apply to it the same rule of common
sense that he would apply when ac-
costed in New York by stranger, if a
citizen should stop and say to him:
II advise you not to cash any checks
for this man. He is Long Pete, the
The wool grower
might not thank the citizen for the
information, but if he were wise he
would certainly listen with attention
to the proofand keep his money in his
pockets until he learned more. That
attention to my proof and suspension
Of judgment are all ask from the wool
grower in the tolls of the protection |
huDoO-atooror 2 n WTrTcoN