The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-12

can get an all WOOL SUIT OF Hgnt WelgnI
as low as $50, and from that up Tor
heavier weights. shoddy cuts a very
small figure in this country. especially
since we have practically excluded for
eign shoddy. And how is that done?
Shoddv under the former tariff was
dutiable at 10 cents pound. Under
the Mckinley tariff the duty is 80 cents
a pound. We have made shoddy dutia-
BILE so that it will be excluded, but the
Springer bill which has just passed the
Democratic house, puts shoddy on the
dutiable list at cents pound, l-l5 OF
tho rate imposed BY the Mckinley bill.
l ask you gentlemen to figure out for
yourselves, or imagine for yourselves,
If you can, how much shoddy would be
impogted at cents pound, since We
imported 100000 pounds when the
duty was 10 cents pound. You know
what shoddy is. It is the refuse rags,
the cast-of garments mostly otthe poor
est, the lowest the most degraded Of
the old world. These rags, coming into
this country for various purposes, have
been been prohibited by reason OF the
cholera abroad.
Nlh FhA-b hbSL baAS'
We have had some experience in free
wool. We had it free from 1916, in the
Walker revenue tariff, a simon.pure
Democratic affair, to 1862, and let us see
what this record shows:
No ofsheep. Wool, lbs. Lbs. pr; fleece.
is5eiis 81 S aS5S S5ss 59
In 1850 the price Of wool was from SO
TO go cents. At 80 cents pound, based
on fine wool prices for it all, the whole
clip OF that year brought the country
S26, 100000. In 1892, at 2S cents
pound, twice as many sheep yielded a
clip worth STl,000,0 600, or nearly three
times as much in money. In 1892 a
little more than twice as many sheep
produced nearly three times as much
wool as in 1850 With free wool con-
fronting them the farmers OF 1850 were
not sure OF their ground, and there was
no such attention to the industry as we
see in this day.
This is logical and complete answer
to the argument that is based on wool
prices on q free wool basis. see
no escape from it. Farmers have ia
creased their hocks, and improved their
fleeces and the weight OF them. They
are interested in the price per pound,
but this is not the last conclusion nor
decisive test Of the prosperity OF the
business. The question with them is
the gross amount OF wool that they can
produce per acre. and the net profits
per acre, and whether the business pays.
This is the application of well-known
business principles to sheep husbandry.
We have seen, take it, what the DEM
ocratic free wool scheme would cost on
this line. 1t would cost S25,0O0,00
year in loss OF revenue, and to make up
that We should have to increase our inn
ports OF wooden manufactures one
hundred millions more. That would
wipe out the wool clip OF the United
States. And then, if wool were to CONF
mand higher price that would not in
terest YOU much, for you would have
been driven out OF the business and
have practically no wool to sell. A
dollar pound for the little wool left
would not pay the difference in your
sugar bill, for our Democratic friends
are going to restore the sugar duties to
make up for thewool and wooden duties.
WHAT FREE WOOL THREATENS.
Let us follow this point a little
further. a conservative estimate is
that the value OF wool stock and wooden
manufactures in this country to-day is
500, 100000. The Springer bill would
depreciate that whole value by not less
than Sl30,OO0OOO; it is thought $780,.
OO0, 900 would be nearer the mark.
ask you gentlemen, and particularly
you older men, to picture if you can.
what would happen TO this county il
$780, 900 in certain industry were
wiped out by one stroke OF the pen OF
Democratic President. What would be
the condition Of the wool-growers
What would be the condition 81 the
WOODEN manufacturers? What would
be the condition in county like this
which exists largely by reason OF the
prosperity OF the wool-growers? What
would become Of the banks? What
would become OF those interested in
the banks? What would become of
those dependent on the banks, ii the
banks were not in condition to carry
them from month TO month? ! shall be
frank enough, Of course, to admit that
in time business conditions would re-
adjust themselves to this much lower
basis, but the readjustment would be
tragedy-something which We young
men in this country have never seen;
and don't think it is fair.to ask any
man to endorse by his vote a PROPOSE
toni was about to say SO brutal as
that will say SO unbusinesslike as
that.
THE COUNTRY MUST INSPIRE CONFIDENCE.
What producer wants in any line
whatsoever is stability. He wants to
know what he can do. and what, with
reasonable assurance, he can figure on
for tomorrow and next month and next
year. But you can't get him. toput forth
his beet effort il he has good reason to
look for evil days. You must inspire
him with confidence that his own gov
ernment will not turn the wolves in on
him. | ask any gentleman here, no
matter OF what political persuasion he
may be, to say frankly what he thinks
is inspiring with confidence the British
manufacturers to-day. Those OF them
who have confidence base it on the hope
OF Democratic triumph in this coun-
try next November. There are not so
many Of these as there were a few
months ago. What condition, think
you, causes the closing down OF the
wooden manufactures OF England?
What struck the great concern at Sal.
taire, that model manufacturing town
in England, aud called together in
haste the board OF directors, to take
into consideration the winding up OF
that whole great industry more than