The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-08
THE pEmoCKArIo PARTY.

cnange OF political latin. Let US see
what that change of political faith would
mean. 1t would mean that Seattle favors
the congressional policy of the Democratic
party as expressed by the Democratic ma
jority OF the national House of Repre-
sentatives. What is that policy2 1t is
expressed in pending measures which pro-
vide for free wool, free silver, free lumber,
and ultimate free trade.
The Democratic party in congress has
declared for free wool in face of the almost
unanimous petition from both WOOL
growers and wool manufacturers that the
law may be permitted to stand as it is.
Within the year that has passed since the
Mckinley tariff was enacted the fiocks of
the United States have increased by more
than 1,500, 900 sheep, and with the assur-
ance that the wool tariff will not be dis
turbed this increase is sure to gain
rapidly. The number of wooden mills has
also increased; idle machinery has been
set in motion to supply the new market
created by the reduction of $50. 500, 900 in
the imports of foreign wooden goods, an in
creased number of operatives have secured
employment and the people are able to OBJ
tain all the woolens they require at
smaller cost than ever before.
The Democratic free wool bill proposes
to rob the wool growers of the United
States of the entire tariff protection they
have enjoyed since 1916, tariff enacted by
the Democratic administration of Presi-
dent Madison, tariff policy urged by
ex-President Jefferson in a public letter
at the conclusion of the war of 1S12-14,
and approved by him when enacted. Free
wool means the abandonment of the effort
to produce in the United States the wool
needed for the clothing of our people
The extraordinary production of wool in
Australia, South Africa and South Amer
lea has so glutted the European
market that the price of foreign wool
has rapidly fallen. Under this universal
decline American wool has yielded in
price, but our wool tariff has kept the
price of domestic wool above the level of
foreign wool by nearly the full amount of
the duty, and has protected our wool clip
from the unrestricted influx of the surplus
foreign supply. Free wool would wipe
out American wool-growing, which today
produces some S25, 900, 600 pounds and en-
cages the labor of from 100000 to 10000
agriculturists.
These Democratic revenue reformers
argue in the same breath that the wool
tariff makes wool cheaper for the farmer
and dearer for. the manufacturer. The
Democrats have no logical leg to rest
upon in urging free wool; for if they
would remove the duty to cheaper the
wool to the manufacturer, then they iniure
the farmer. If they would remove the
duty to increase the price to the farmer,
then they iniure the manufacturer. Under
the Springer Democratic free wool law a
double discrimination is proposed against
the domestic wool grower by making
secured wool free, and thus letting in a
wool ON which ocean freight rates will
give a great advantage to the foreigner
over the American.
The wool manufacturing industry has
grown in thirty years 375 per cent. in the
United States to 81 per cent. in Great Brit
ain, and it is estimated that single addi-
tional year under the Mckinley tariff will
make US the greatest wool manufacturing
people on the globe. This is the situation
of the wool growing and wool manufact-
uring industry of the United States that
the Democratic party is anxious to de-
stroy. What do the voters of the wool
growing state of Washington think of
this modern Democracy that proposes to
deprive the wool grower of the protection
he first received with the approval of
Thomas Jefferson?
Democratic representatives from Ne
braska and Kentucky have bills before
congress placing lumber on the free list.
What does the state of Washington,
whose mills are likely to cut this year
100000 feet of lumber, think of a
party that Is ready to enact free lumber :?
The price of lumber is exceptionally low
today; free lumber would mean the
further forcing down of prices, and bring
British Columbia into competition with
Washington. Lower prices for lumber
would mean the paralysis or ruin of the
Washington lumber manufacturers, and
consequent idleness for loggers and
mill men generally. Do the people
Of any part of Washington feel
that they have any further use for poll
teal party that proposes TO withdraw pro-
lection from both wool and lumber? The
lumber interest of the United States repre-
sents an investment of $3.50 Oo0, 600 and
furnishes support to at least 100000 of
people. and yet under the Democratic
Bryan bill it is proposed to improve the
favorable conditions under which the
Canadian manufacturer is enabled to COM
pete with Americans in the markets of the
world.
The majority Of the Democratic party
In congress favor the free coinage of silver.
What does that meant 1t means the pas
sage of law giving to what costs the
average miner only IL cents, and the
miners at Creede, Col, about Is cents,
full legal tender value Of loo cents.
What the consequence would be TO the
American wage-earner and the American