Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-27
FOR FREE WOOL.
NSW YORK WOOL GROWERS CON-
DENIM THE WOOL TAX.

In January, 1890. the New York Re
form club commenced its systematic can
vass by tariff reform discussions held in
the villages and hamlets Of such rural
counties OF the state of New York as it
considered most in need Of such treat
| ment-that is, of those which were ap-
parently the most thoroughly welded to
protection The first county canvassed
Was Livingston, the next was Ontario.
These two counties were supposed to be
hopeiessly bigoted in favor OF partisan
Repubhcanism and high protection. They
were the center of the fine wool growing
and the menno sheep breeding industries
OF the state; the Ontario and Livingston
Sheep Breeders and Wool Growers as
ISOLATION was the Oldest and strongest of
the non-political associations of its kind
n the country. 1t had been organized
"A 1865, and had taken leading part in
the Syracuse convention of wool growers,
the committees from which. assisted by
the manufacturers, secured the advance
OF the tariff on wool and woolens to the
exorbitant rates fixed in 1857.
The Reform club thoroughly canyassed
these counties. In Livingston twenty
eight speeches were made by Reform
club Representatives, four Of them being
In JOINT debates. In Ontario thirteen
speeches Were made, two OF them being
IN joint debates; and literature, espe-
ciaily upon wool and farming questions.
was not merely distributed at the
meetings held, but sent through the
mails to every farmer in each OF these
counties. In this section the Democratic
party Is so weak that it is hard 10 get
candidates to stand, and even in this last
campaign no candidate for congress could
be found in the Livingston district to
oppose the Republican leader, Hon.
James W. Wadsworth, a man of i'm
mense wealth, the largest landowner in
the county, and himself reputed to be a
low tariff man; while in Ontario the
county cast its normal vote. and gave
somewhat less than the normal Republic
an majority for the reelection OF one of
It's own citizens to congress. But the
other day the Ontario and Livingston
Sheep Breeders and Wool Growers as
ISOLATION held its twenty-fourth annual
meeting at Honeoye, New York. At
this meeting the most remarkable resolu-
lions were adopted that have ever been
sent forth by a convention of wool
growers. They are as follows:
Whereas, 1t has been the policy in the mast
Tor this association to annually pass stereo-
typed resolutions praying congress 10 restore
the wool duty OF 1861 or its equivalent; and
Whereas, This association finally recognizes
the unsoundness of its past position on this
question, and ever ready to correct any error
into which it may have fallen, we beg leave to
submit the following:
First-We recognize TINT the wool dutv ia y
delnsion and snare to the wool grower. and
that it has largely been instrumental in drivipc.
To the wall an industry Il was calculated TO
benefit
Second-Prior to 1867, under the various
changes OF the wool duties, the price of wool
fuctuated- not In sympathy with the tariff but
by reason of the ever controlling law of de-
mand and supply, the grower having received
high prices and low prices under high tariffs.
and, conversely, low prices and high prices IN
der low tariffs
Third-The success of the wool grower de-
ponds on the success of the wooden Tnanufac.-
urer, while the American manufacturer is
seriously handicapped by reason Of being com
PEELED To pay exorbitant tariff taxes on every
pound of clothing wool imported for necessary
admixture, while all foreign countries of anv
consequence have the benefit of free wool and
thus enabled to underseu our rnanufact-
urers-
Fourth-The great wool tariff Of 1861 resulted
in driving from the eight chief wool producing
states-for whose special benefit said tariff was
conceived and passed-more than 80 per cent of
their sheep in a single decade while the price
of wool declined in a near y correspond ding ratio
fIfth-The importation of foreign wool in
creased from ., 10000 pounds in 1867 to IN, re
than l5iGD,CO0 pounds in 1871. jus: four years
ii -. II.
wool and woJlens.
Sixth-During eight of the past eighteen
years the foreign price of imported clothing
woods al the last port OF export actually ex-
ceeded the price Of our domestic fleece in The
markets Of Boston, New York or PHILADELPHIA
while in no single year did the domestic woods
bring the foreign price, plus the duty
Seventb-England, France and Germany are
the only three countries in the world that ex-
port WOODEN manufactures in excess Of the i'm
ports of raw wool; in other words these c7r1r-
tries, by admitting wool free have created n
demand for their home wool in excess Of al,
woods required to clothe their people and after
giving employment to labor. export more wool
than they have imported. The United States
ON the other hand, by imposing n high duty
on raw wool has not only DESTROYED our exuort
trade, but SO throttled our manufacturers as tn
ruin the market for domestic fleece and give Il,
the English, French and German Inanufact-
urers the cream Of our markets for cloths
I-lShbn ne ITtt lDrlatiOD OF "a wool
into the United States would knock out III.
imports Of wooden goods and would revive the
-esent depressed state Of our own rnanufact
fers. thus giving employment to labor here
md create an increased demand for our strone.
woods for necessary admixture.
Notwithstanding the truth of the aTuvs
facts, therefore, we, the members of the On
tario and Livingston Sheep Breeders and Wool
Growers association, in convention assembled
most respectfully petition congress to irnme-
diately place wool and wooden manufactures
on the free list, in order that their industries
may again thrive and assume that magnitude
commensurate with a nation Of 63.DOO,OD OF
people.
The action of these New York farmers
presents an admirable contrast to that
taken by the Ohio Wool Growers asso-
citation at a recent meeting in Columbus.
They passed resolutions denouncing the
manufacturers for expressing desire for
free wool, and threatening that free wool
shall be followed by free manufactures of
wool.
But the time Tor free wool is near. and