The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-10-28
THE SHEEP MEN SEE IT.

Most Americans. except the ordinar,
run of republican editors. are fair-mind
ell and Just in their dealings: but the
tariff legislation of the republican part,
has had IA tendency to warp the iudg
ment of the classes who are beneticiaries
under it until it is now extremely diff
cult for them to see or understand the
truth where their immediate interests
seem to be affected by it.
Whenever a democratic newspaper. in
the pursuit of its duty as an exponent of
popular evils and political chicanery,
makes d fair and logical statement of a
case. it is the habitual policy of the re-
publican press to scout the point at is
sue, and by twisting and evasion. gar
bling and downright falsehood. to seek
to deceive the people wEo are striving to
come at the facts.
Fortunately. there is now no large por.
ton of the public that is misled by the
mental acrobats who are turning them
selves inside out. swallowing swords. and
eating fire, to say nothing OF feats still
more extraordinary. in the vain hope of
doing something to aid in pcrpetuating
the power of a party doomed to destruc-
ton by its own unjust acts and manifold
eXcesses.
'fhe sheep men. for instance, compose
one Of the solid classes of Montana bust
ness men, who are an important element
in the substantial growth Of the state.
AMI who are counted on to carry a
weighty influence at election time. Tn.
like the hardened tariff barons of the
east who have fattened and grown sleek
and despotic on protection. these sheep
men are studying the question. and
whenever d ray of light breaks through
to show them the real conditions on
which ID protection" on wool is granted
them they are quick to avail themselves
of it. They are not the blind and sordid
fools that the republican press takes
them for. and most of them in this part
Of the state are reading the TRIBUNE
rather than the republican papers be
cause they know that by SO doing they
will learn the truth instead of having
dinned into their ears a lot Of sophistries
made to suit the purposes of the corrupt
and Enthusiastically party now in power.
Owing to this disposition on the part
of GhDnt. man 10 et,,I,, ~. ,aaI t,,tl g.
themselves. they are now familiar with
the fact that when the high tariff on
wool was inaugurated in 1867 the wool
supply was almost twice as great in pro-
portion to the population as it is at the
present time, which would seem to in
dictate that so far as the volume of pro
duction is concerned the tariff has been
an absolute detriment to the industry.
The population Of the United States in
1861 was, in round numbers. 3J,OOU.OO0.
and the official figures show that there
were then about @,3e5,OO0 sheep in the
coyntry. producing about 23O.OOO.OU
pounds of wool annually.
Twenty three years of high protection
on wool have interviewed. and where do
we stand today: The census OF 1890
shows that there are now approximately
i3.4ij,OOO sheep in the entire country,
an increase in almost IA quarter
Of a century of but 100000, while the
of population for the same pc
Rod was -, 100000.
These startling facts the sheep men
are becoming familiar with. because
democratic speakers and newspapers are
above pandering to their prejudices or
appealing only to their selfish interests,
and instead invite them to a sober con
of figures that are not of less
or interest to them than tn
the consumer from whom their revenues
ultimately come.
And, on closer scrutiny, what do these
disclose: They show that the
sheep men are as badly deceived and as
seriously injured by the tariff robbery
as any other class Of citizens. Examine
the subject for one moment: To supply
our present population at least 100000.
300 pounds Of wool is annually de
handed. and we are producing only 3D.
10000, a deficit Of 42j,OOO.OOO pounds.
n we do not buy o trade for this wool
rom our foreign friends what are we
to do: The people must have
clothing, bedding, and house furnishings,
and this monstrous tariff. ranging from