The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-07-16

tected, but it is shown that while GU
population is increasing at the rate o
about 100000 a year the number .
D sheep in the country is annually decreas
l ing, and, what is quite as strange, WOO
3 is lower today than it has ever been il
the history of the industry in the United
States. So much for protection. Now
what has it done for the wool-grower.
: What is it doing for him? The facts
and figures above given answer the ques.
tions.
Another question. Who fixes the price
of wool? Do the Montana W. l-growers
say to the buyer: "We have fixed such
a price for our wool. We ask so much
for it," Nothing of the kind. They ask
the agent: What are you going to give
us for our wool this year," And they
fix the price only so much above the nat
ural level of prices fixed, regulated, and
controlled by the Mark Lane (London)
and Liverpool buyers as will prevent our
wool-growers from exporting their wool
at a profit over u home prices. A free
wool country fixes the price of the pro.
tected wool sold and bought right here
at Great Falls. A free wool country
fixes the price of every pound of wool
raised in the United States. Where
does protection help the American wool
grower? The question is repeated. Let
protectionists honestly answer and show,
if they can, wherein the wool-grower is
benefited by the wool tariff favored by
the republican party.
The democratic party favors free wool.
1t makes no cOncealment of it's position
upon the question and stands ready to
give reasons for its faith. We have had
no free wool since 1924, but we have had
a world of experience with taxed wool
and can reach very accurate conclusions
from thai experience. The people fur
thermore have before them statistics
concerning the silk, boot and shoe and
q%uinine manufacturing industries under
highly fairfield raw materials, and of the
same industries under free raw material.
1t is reasonable to suppose that the
same agencies which promoted anguish
ing industries under a high tariff to
fiourishing ones under free raw material
would also promote other sickly indus
tries laboring under depressing tariff
conditions to healthy and prosperous
ones. The following is submitted to
what free trade in raw material
will do.
Raw silk was fairfield up to 1870. At
that time there were eighty eight estab-
lishments In the country manufacturing
the staple, with a capital of a little over
invested, employing 1000
hands who received 81, 100000 wages and
produced a product valued at SD, 100000.
In 1880 just ten years of free trade in
were $50 establishments,
with s~l9.1OO,OO0 invested, employing 81
hands. who received 80, 100000 in
wages and produced an output valued at
S4l,OOO,UU. Free trade did this much
Tor silk the industry.
1t is only a few years ago that the
.ariff tax was taken off hides. A great
Try was raised against, but congress
thought the laboring poor should have
boots and shoes. What is the
Today American made boots
md shoes are sold in every market in
he world. A great industry is built up
n the New England states employing
ems of thousands of men. And when
Mckinley put a tariff tax of a cent and
half upon hides he had a swarm of
Massachusetts, shoemakers about his
ars with raised hammers threatening
and his party with defeat and ruin
Inless he took off the tariff. Mr.. Nc
iinley took it off and today the boot
nd shoe industry is one of the first in
he United States
Several years ago all the gray-beards 4;
'ho had the ague when they were kids ;
emember well the time ~quinine sold at
$50 an ounce. Peruvian bark of which f
drug is manufactured was highly
arifIed. Two or three little mills manu- I
%quinine. Congress took off the ,
.uty, but under the protest of the own
RS of those little mills who declared
heir industry would be ruined, their 6
mployes sent a drift upon a cold world G
'ithout bread and themselves bankrupt S
the same old protection argument Z
70 heal today when the question of free v
'ool is preached. What is the result of :
zee Peruvian bark, The mills have in q
to six or seven mammoth con n
ems, q%uinine is sold at As cents an 8
unce and we are exporting tito Europe t
t a profit. il
In 1857 congress substantially relieved !
DOL from a large share of it's tariff tax .
urden. The result was that until 1862, v
tho war tariff mo, ooa.tol Al IL