The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-09-29
FREE WOOL.

/ There does not appear to be any doubt
that the interests of those American sheep
herders who produce what is called
primitive" wool lie with the American
manufacturers who advocate the abolition
Of the tax on the imported article. This
would be an anomalous statement but for
the fact that the foreign product is neces-
sary to give increased value TO the home
clip. since the latter alone cannot be made
TO answer the wants of the weavers. The
wool thai is thus needed cannot be, or at
least is rot, produced n this country.
Thus as strong protectionist as Senator
DAWES, of Massachusetts, advocates the
free admission of certain grades not raised
in this country, declaring:
Whenever raw material entering into manu-
featuring here cannot be produced here in
sufficient quantities and at such cost as to make
its use in manufacturing here profitable, it
should be admitted free OF duty.
Applying this to carpets for instance.
prominent manufacturers say that practi-
cally there Is no carpet wool grown in the
United States. A small amount, chiefly
derived from the western states and terri
tories, can be used for filing, but 1t is
worth more for other purposes, and as i'm
proved breeds are being introduced the
quantity OF the class referred to is decreas-
ing constantly.
MIR. MCKINLEY predicted that in every
case OF higher duty importations would
decline, but Notwithstanding the levy by
his bill Of 80 per cent. ad valorem, raise
of per cent. on carpet wool, there was an
Increase of nearly ten million pounds III
the first fiscal year of the MCKINLEY law.
In view of facts like this Senator DAWES
was lately asked if he adhered to his for
mer opinion in respect to free wool or, on
the other hand, sustained that clause in
the MCKINLEY bill which fixes duty of 80
per cent. Answering the question in a
rather indirect manner, the senator said:
Permit me to add that do not think that the
MCKINLEY bill can be best judged by piece
meal. any more than q house can be best
judged by testing here and there brick In it.
No law is perfect, and that law is no exception
1t was this regard for the harmony" of
the various parts of the tariff bill which
induced the Republicans of the F'ifty-first
Congress with their brutal majority TO re-
sort to the gag law to put it through But
the good builder when he sees an imper-
feet brick in the structure he is erecting
will, before it is too late, remove it and
substitute perfect one. Such was the
endeRvor of the Democrats of the House
at the last session, but it awaited nothing,
because the Republicans Of the Senate
would rather go on piling weight upon the
tariff walls notwithstanding apparent and
glazing defects in the material supporting
them
One of Senator Dawes colleagues. Sena-
tor SHERMAN, who represents state in
which some of tile improved grades of wool
are raised, has of late years been almost
coerced into the advocacy of the policy of
high tariff on foreign clips, but the sheep
raisers of Ohio are beginning, or have, we
should say, begun, to consider that SHEER
MAN was right In his earlier notions on the
subject. 1t was June 9, 1868. that JOHN
SHERMAN, IN a speech in the Senate, said:
Every advance toward a free exchange OF
commodities is an advance OF civilization;
every obstruction TO free exchange is born of
the same narrow, despotic spirit which planted
castles upon the Rhine 10 plumber peaceful
commerce; every facility 10 a free exchange
cheapens commodities. increases trade and
production and promotes civilization. Nothing
Is worse than sectionaiism within a nation, and
nothing is better for the peace of nations than
unrestricted freedom of commerce and inter-
course with each other.