Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-02-18
The Wool Question.

are being introduced largely, and
the indications are that both of these
states will become among the largest
wool growers. Prominent republi-
can papers in each of them are dcs-
perately seeking for party purposes
to alarm this industry. They assert
with great emphasis that if the wool
bill now before the house becomes
a law the farmers may as we'll cut
the throats Of all their sheep. On
the other hand, prominent republi-
can III the Massachusetts, legislature
has introduced resolution, which
is expected to pass, urging the SEN
ators from the state to vote for a
bill removing the duties on raw
wool. This is not offered to make
party votes, although there may be
some purpose to check revolt, but
for economic and industrial reasons
mainly. An important line of man
ufacture is hampered and shut out
of the markets of the world by lack
of free raw material. The wool
consumers are willing that the du-
ties on wooden manufactures shall
be materially lowered for the sake
of the free raw material. Henry
Waterson says the wool duties are
the keystone of the protective arch.
1t is certain that the tariff contest
will largely center about this ques-
tion in the coming campaign, and it
is best that the subject should be
considered on it's merits before par
tisan heat renders that difficult. 1t
is important to the Dakota farmers
who are engaging in the sheep busi-
ness to know whether their editors
are speaking as prophets or states
men or partisans not concerned for
the welfare of the people so much
as the success of their party. When
they are asked to show from the ex-
perience of the past what the effect
of tariffs on wool have had on the
industry, they preserve a discreet
silence. The duties of the character
now termed protective were first i'm.
posed in 1867, when all devices to
increase the revenue were sought
They have been continued on the
same line the twenty-five years since
If they serve the object alleged
there should be a very great growth
of the sheep industry and better
prices for wool. The Dakota parti
sans may indulge in assumptions
and advance theories, but when they
look for the figures they find tina
the quarter of a century of alleged
fostering of the wool production ha'
not caused the sheep industry te
grow in excess of the other anima
lines that have no special govern
ment aid. 1t is found that the pric,
of wool is constantly going down
1t is several cents lower than evel
when the last raise of duties was hat
in the Mckinley tariff. In all tn
older sheep states the number o
sheep has been decreasing. Evel
in the western states, with their still
comparatively cheap lands, ther
were last year more than million
fewer sheep than there were fifteel
years ago in the same section. Th
reports Of the department of agr
culture show that in 1891 there wer
about seven million fewer sheep i
the whole country than there wer
in 1884. They have had the nu1
turing arms Of the protective polio
about them all this time. Thes
reports show a different state q
facts with other farm animals
While in the seven years the shee
figures have gone from 5o,ooo,oo
down to 43,ooo,ooo the swine hav
swelled frem 44,ooo,ooo to $4,000
900 and the milch COWS and othe
cattle from AZ, 900, 900 to SO, 100000
Party platforms and developing Les
islation have not been had in thes
other cases as for sheep. The rel
sons have been shown why hig
tariffs have repressed the sheep il