The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-30
VS.. WOOL.

A feature III the discussion on WOO
which is always most significant anc
cannot be misunderstood is the re.
markable growth of the shoddy indus
try under a tariff which, we are told, is
designed to increase the manufacture Of
wooden goods and hold the price of the
home product. In this big, free and
prosperous country whore the inventive
genius of the world may almost be said
to be centered and where the native re-
sources are SO enormous, it certainly
seems as though every American man
woman and child should be clothed in
good WOODEN garments whenever these
are needed. The high protective tariff
is supposed to bring this about, and, as
Col. Sanders told us the other night
that wooden goods are sold to-day as
cheap in the United States as in Eng
land; 1t seems as though there could be
no excuse for any other situation.
But the facts in the case show that
instead of the good old-fashioned all
wool garments used in the days of our
forefathers, we are to-day wearing a
mixture Of all sorts of cheap refuse
worked over and over again and finally
ground up into what is given the ap-
pearance of wooden cloth. 1t is a fraud
and an imposition on every one who
buys it. 1t deprives the wool grower of
an honest market and yet the manufac-
turer tells us that he must use it be-
cause he cannot get the woods necessary
to mix with the American product.
The increase of this sboddy industry
is very we'll shown in the figures pre-
sented by the committee on ways and
means. In 1860 there were in this
country thirty shoddy Establishments,
with an annual product of $402, $50. In
1870 the total product of shoddy was
19,372,000 pounds. In 1880 it had in
creased to 80, 126,926 pounds, and accord
ing to the last census it was more than
61,Ooo00o pounds. And of this only
about 100000 pounds were used for the
manufacture of carpets. The rest of it
went into clothing. The deduction,
therefore, is very plain that the Ameri-
can people are forced to the wearing of
these cheap adulterants because of the
will of the republican party.
The natural result of this is injury to
the consumer, the manufacturer and
wool grower. With freer access to the
woods which are needed for mixing pur-
poses, the demand for domestic wool
would be necessarily increased, thus af-
fording a better and steadier market,
because the consumption Of WOODEN
clothing would be necessarily increased
also, and the shoddy industry would fall
into a decline. All wool clothing would
again become the fashion and tbs Bone
fits, vastly increased, would be dis
tributed in several directions. Under
the present system all are suffering from
the ill effects. The wool grower has
peen told that he is indebted to the high
tariff for his prosperity, and yet he has
seen the price of wool fall steadily from
the very inception Of this protective
system; The manufacturer has been
forced TO the use of waste adulterants
which are dangerous, as we'll as all but
worthless, and the consumer in turn
has been deluded and robbed of what
justly belongs to him by being com
PEELED to buy this class of goods.
Of all products of vicioue republican
legislation the tariff on wool is the
worst, because it Injuries more and
interests. 1t is the acme of folly,
and will be first treated when the de M
ocrats come into the control of the gov
ernment's affairs.