The Forrest City times., 1893-11-03
WOOL-PULLING IN OHIO.
old Republican Tricks Still Being Elm
 ployed by Mckinieyites-

 that the republicans are still busy try ing to pull wool over the eyes of the farmers of the Buckeye state 1t real ly reads like a chapter of ancient his tory. this reiteration of the old state ments that free trade will put down the price of wool and ruin the farmer unless he is vigilant enough to get a protectionist elected governor of Ohio, a position that has nothing to do with the tariff whatever. This is the same old dreary stuff which may have been current in those prehistoric times when the megalosaurus was in the waters, the megatherium in the fields and the mylodon browsing on tree-tops in the forests. At all events, the memory of man runs not back to the time when it was not part of political discus slon.
 There is much rational entertainment in hearing republican discuss the wool tariff before an audience of farm CTS. It is study in psychology. The orator has to forget all that he and his party have contended for in other mat ters: he has to put out of view both the lessons of the past and the facts of the existing situation. He feels bound to lay the low price of wool on the demo- crats. because that is necessary to the success of his scheme to get votes; but as this is directly in conflict with all the facts of the case, so much the worse for the facts. There is no case re- ported in the books where facts ever seriously impeded the fuency of re- publican spellbinder.
 In holding the democrats responsible for the decline of wool the republican has first to forget what he has always said is the object and effect of protec- tion, namely, to make commodities cheaper. As soon as he gets before an audience of Ohio farmers the spell binder tells them that the tariff on wool was put there to protect the farmer, and that it has kept up the price. All that has ever been said about the tariff making prices lower is carefully forgotten.
 There are several other things that have equally to be forgotten. A very important one is that the Mckinley bill
 
 bill has not even yet been framed. If it be said, as it has been said, that the bare prospect of change in the tariff disturbs business. the speaker is troubled with another lapse of mem- ory. If changing the tariff is bad for business, how can anyone see his way clear to vote for Mir. Mckinley, who spent all of the summer and half of the fall of 1890 in that same process of tariff tinkerlng,H which is always con sidered as immoral when undertaken by democrats.
 The psychologist object lesson, how ever, does not end here. The gentle man engaged in pulling the wool over the eyes of the Ohio farmers also finds his memory paralyzed with reference 10 the history of the wool industry since 1867, the year when the policy of high duties on foreign wool may be devised for the avowed purpose of keeping up the price, but it has not done it. The price continued going down until 1883, when there was a slight reduction in the rates. It kept on declining. Protectionists went to the farmers and told them that the de- cline after 1883 was due to the reduc- ton of the duties, though they had made the reduction themselves. In 1890, the Mckinley bill increased the rates, but the fall of prices of wool went on. This worried the spell binders a good deal. but when Mr. Cleveland was elected president they saw their opportunity, and have since been saying that the low price of wool IS due to democratic ascendency.
 Wool has declined from sixty cents pound in 1867 to less than half that price now for the corresponding grade The free trader does not assert that the high tariff has caused the decline of price: but logically the protectionist is bound to take the responsibility, since he contends for the general principle that protection always cheapens com modities." It is just as logical to con- tend that protection has cheapened wool as that it has cheapened woolens, or steel rails, or any other articles which, under the memorable law of supply and demand, have suffered great decline in price But when protectionist talks to farmer about wool he always forgets all about the theory that protection causes the fall of prices
 There have been symptoms in recent years that the Ohio farmer, so far as wool Is concerned, has reached the limit of his credulity. In one or two elections lately the democratic gains have been heaviest in the wool-growing counties. It remains to be proved that the old wooi-pulling device retains any of its potency as vote-winner in Ohio. -I ouisrille Conriar-I Iournal