The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-07-15
MoNoPoLIsr WOOL GROWERS.

The Chicago Herald 4,I-sloses the Real Pur-
pose of the Free Wool BIZ Passed By Con-
gress.
The course of the free trade party on
the wool question has not been such
one as should fill the high-minded mug
wump's soul with intense qualification.
However enthusiastic free trade re-
former a man may be. if he be impair
tial. he cannot but admit that Unwill-
ing 70 put themselves on record as bc-
ing definitely in favor either of higher
or of lower prices for the farmers wool,
and yet desiring TO gain votes by the
hypocritical plea for cheaper clothing
for the masses" the ''rcformersh have
attempted to help themselves out of the
difficulty by adopting a sophistical and
contradictory argument, the absurdity
of which appears on its face. 1T is not
lower prices for the farmers wool that
we want" they say, but cheaper wool
for the manufacturer. Our bill will
lower the price to the woolen manufae-
turer. while at the same time it will
raise it to the farmer" And by such an
argument they think to convert sane
people 20 their doctrines,
! We have been expecting all along,
however. that some careless Cobdenite
would let the cat out of the bag, for the
old prOverb that truth will not down"
holds just as good in tariff discussion
as it does in any other case where false
hood and abuse are substituted for fair
and honest argument. This time it is
Al l.. v,r-lr~
exposes the hypocrisy of the reform
ers." In its issue of April IA the Herald
says: -
The passage Of the free wool bill is well cal
culated 20 81 the souls OF the Ohio shepherds
, with some exceedingly painful apprehensions
They may undoubtedly rely upon its being killed
il the senate but it portends the doom Of the
wool tax nevertheless. For years these "a
DdcioE7 r00l gro'csTs have set up the impudent
> re.ensiOn that they have the right 70 compel
I the people of the country to pay higher prices
Tor their clothing in order that they may raise
o few sheep on land where sheep raising Is nat
urallv Improbable. They have always been
the E0sies' Of az JeasfciGriss Of re tGT1 IL de
naEG.2c increasing duties on their products
But the temper Of the country. as expressed BY
its cons'essmen, shows Enthusiastically hat the
wool tax must 20. \ democratic house has just
passed free wool bill. and in no great time
through democratic senate and a democratic
president such q measure will become law
So, after all. it isn't the poor. farmer
whom the wool duty has cheated by
lowering the price Of his wool. that you
are so solicitious for, gentleman OF the
free trade party. You are out cunning
for the robber barons. the tariff nOnop-
olists, and you think it best to begin
with the farmer. that 'Goisiest of all
the bcnefciaries of the tariff. as our
friend, the Herald expert" says
Where are ali the protestatiOns of love
for the farmer who is being made
poorer by our iniquitous protection sys-
TEN? Is he no longer the poor, deluded
victim of the ''spoliatiOnists?" Has he
suddenly been transformed into the
sleek. well-fcd monopolist, who stands
by and laughs in his sleeve, while the
shekels wrung from the hard-earned
savings of the poor keep pouring into
his capacious pockets? And SO the
wool duty has actually succeeded IN
raising the price of the farmers wool?
We thought it had lowered the price.
Did not Messrs. Springer, Mcmillan &
Co. spend hours and hours in congress
trying to prove it? Were not figures
twisted and statistics garbled to bring
about that much-desired result? And
now we are suddenly told that the
whole object and purpose of the free
wool bill is to lower the price of wool.
is to prevent the wool grower from
reaping any more dishonest profits. is
to say o the people of the United
States: ''The wicked farmers have been
taxing you long enough
Farmers of Ohio and other states,
how do you like the prospect?