Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1892-04-29

drive us out of business or compel us to
adopt their habits and methods.
1 fully agree with our democratic
brethren thatth laboring and producing
classes of our country are able to meet
and share with all humanity on equal
terms the toll the suffering, and the pri-
vation of the world; but while the pres
ent standard of intelligence is maintain.
ed among them there is not the slight
est occasion to fear that they will ever
either voluntarily put themselves or
allow the visionary doctrinaires of a
democratic traiff- reform party to put
them into such deplorable situation.
1t is not likely that if this bill to put
wool upon the free list became a law
our flock masters would at ohce dis.
charge their fairly paid help now en-
ployed in sheep husbandry and take
their children out Of school and put
them to herding sheep, and in other
respects put their establishments upon
the cheap footing of their semi barbar-
GUS competitors just for the pride they
would take i'll proving to the world that
Americans could in case of necessity
compete on equal terms with people
whose wants are few and simple, like
the Australian, the Cahir, and the
PatagoGian.
Experience shows that every increase
III the tariff on wool has been followed
by increase in the number and improve
mcnt in the quality of our tlocks, while
every decrease in the tariff has been
followed by a decline in the number
OF sheep. Ii the protection which our
wool-growcrs have always enjoyed, in
agreate' or less degree, ever since the
tariff act of 1916, were to be swept
away at a single blow, as is proposed
in this bill, our tlocks would be driven
to the sharnbles as rapidly as they
could be disposed of.
We now own one sixth of the sheep
and consume one third of the wool of
the world.
+ For time the promises of "cheap
and nasty" clothing held out to the con-
sumcr by this free wool and free rags
legislation might be realized; but the
cheapness at least would only be tenn
porary.
Surely no democratic statesman on
this floor is so childlike as 10 suppose
for one moment that the people who
are now clamorlng for the free admls
sion of their cheap wool into our good
markets would not have sense enough,
to raise the price of their wares when
one-sixth of all the sheep in the world
had been slaughtered and the people
who consume one-third of all the wool
of the world had placed themselves in a
position of absolute dependence for one
of the commonest necessaries of life.
Three years of free wool would prac.
tically exterminate our ffocks and
thirty years of protection would he
necessary to replace them; and in the
mean time there would be no escape
from sending annually millions Of oul
good American gold and silver, money
that ought to have gone into the pock-
cts of American wool-growers, as 8
tribute to these people to whom dem
ocratic free-trade policy had surrender
ed our industrial independence.
Sheep husbandry, like every other in
dustry, has its natural and unnatura
enemies, against which it must be sue
cessfully defended before it can thrive
and prosper. Sheep are constantly ex
posed to the danger of injury from
vicious dogs, and wolvas, and scab, ant
foot rot, and democracy.
The most destructive of all these i.
democracy.
The enactment of this law would b,
fatal to more sheep in single season
than have been destroyed by the com
bined depreciation of dogs, and wolves
and scab, and foot rot for twenty
years.
Mr.. Chairman, was surprised the
other day when the gentleman fren
Nebraska MR. BRYAN], with evident
pride, made the statement that though
there had been in his state time when
according to population, there was one
sheep per capita, sheep raising had now
dwinelled until there was not pet
lamb for every woman named Mary in
that state. And the statement was
greeted with tremendous applause by
this great democratic majority. Now,
I am proud of two things: first. that /
belong to a party which cannot, either
in congress or out of congress, either
feel or express delight at the destruct-
ion of any American industry, and least
of all such an innocent and beneficent
industry as that of keeping sheep, an
employment which from tilue im'mem-
orial has furnished our forefathers in
this country, in Europe, and in Asia
with food and raiment.