The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-12


e and thus provide her with cheap raw
materials. and above all with the cheap
food she could not raise, with view TO
maintaining her manufacturing su'
premacy. ;,
chief OF the bureau OF statistics, from
which have already quoted, strikinRiY
illustrates these two points and cliuches
this part OF the argument. The rude
manufacture OF woolens introduced
into England by the Romans at the
time OF the conquest formed the basis
of an industry which soon became the
most valuable Of all her industries, and
as such was guarded with jealous care
until early in the nineteenth century,
when English wool manufacturers had
attained such perfection that she threw
down her wooden gauntlet and pro-
claimed free wool and free woolens to
the world"
GROWTH OF THE AMERICAN INDUSTRY.
1t is true that the wool industry has
had it ups and downs the same as
other kinds OF business. think the
ups and downs OF the wool industry are
to be attributed chiefly to tinkeriug at
the tariff. In my judgment the Repub-
lican party in 1883, impressed by the
Democratic cry that went up for lower
duties, made mistake in consenting to
lower wool duties. That mistake has
been remedied.
Let us see what is said on this subject
in this same Democratic wool report
from which have read:
"The most rapid increase ever at
tanned in this country began in 1869
and continued until 1884, both in mum.
Der Of sheep and weight Of clip. Since
1884 there has been an annual decrease
in the number Of sheep and an annual
decrease in the wool clip"
The gain was under the tariff OF 1867.
The loss was under the lower tariff OF
1883. The wool duties do protect II
you increase them you improve by that
much the home market for wool. II
you decrease them, you decrease by
that much the selling price Of Ameri-
can wool. II YOU take off all the duty
nothing stands between you and foreign
competition. The Mckinley act would
have been still better for the WOOL
grower If it were not for undervalua-
tons, and other devices to evade the
law. The importer is an enterprising
ingenious man, who studies our tariff
schedules and cudgels his brain TO get
around or break through them.
GAr%rSe IN WEST VIRGINIA.
Owing to the Mckinley tariff act OF
1890 we are gaining something in our
sheep and wool in West Virginia
quote the figures for 1889 and 1890 from
the last report OF the auditor, Demo-
crat.
SUNBEs OF SHEEP IN WEST viRGISIA.
.i6l 7Os 1891 s27
lss9.... 49, 6S lS9O......- .........i6lI OS
,,..,.,o * "a r,c-s,,o 50I9
s,,,,,-, -, ~ ,.,sr.,S,,,
,..o soo. 40
$50 ~ 06
-.
inefease ''''''''''''''
Observe that year alter the pass
age OF the MCKINLEY, Wool taEii the
rate OF increase was double, whlch IS
certainly very gratifying; vi course
We ought to have IN west virginia IN
Brooke county, all over these nlils; very
many more sheep. 1t IS great folly 70
let SO much oil this good soil WASH down
to the Gull OF Mexico. 1t would be IN;
finitely better to Keep II IN grass ana
clothe these hills with sheep.
AN "ovEsPRoDucrIoN" OF SHEEP.
7, watzoi county recentlv I talked
,.1... i. :. - ..o,,o-
WIN seii'leinan m"o 70 s''"e''
Speaking resretiuliy oil the COMPARE
lively small number OF sheep in that
county, so we'll adapted to the industry,
ne said the explanation is that lambs
are ready sale and when farmer
wants ready money he goes into his
flock, thus preventing the natural in
crease and OF course having less wool to
sell. He added that he could pay S.
head for ewes and make more money on
them than on ANYTHING else he could
raise on his farm. He thought also
that the Mckinley wool duty would
stimulate the industry. We are not
raising in West Virginia the quantity
OF wool that should be grown in state
OF this character, which, by reason OF
us SLOPES, us m"o pr,,; Sau .' ;ntanS.
e e to h he p ! Great sheen nastuTe There
should be more sheep in the United
States. Yet you are told in the same
pemoefaac au'nof4y winch WIN. 1ec ! . hase
~, g ,,or ovs,n[odnction ~ sheen caused
bv the bigb wool tariff Ne were
then GENERATING under the tariff OF 1883,
aga;nst which every vool.grower pro-
testad as mot bein0 bigb enongh. This
Democratic authority nnder the adj
ministration OF President Cleveland,