Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-04-06
HIGH WOOL DUTIES.
THEY ENERVATE INSTEAD OF Fos-
TER THE INDUSTRY.

full Admission of the Wooden Men.
The protected manufacturers, who, Il
put it mildly, have had a "soft snap" fo1
30 years, are already beginning TO plead
for mercy from the new administration
They realize that to keep its pledges thu
administration must reduce protective
duties considerably, and they of course
are unwilling to part with their privilege
to charge the American people, "the deal
American people" two prices for manu-.
factured goods. By dickering and threat.
ening and by pleading the "baby act
they hope to make a compromise on a
price and half.
One would naturally suppose that with
free wool and chemicals our woolen
manufacturers ought to compete with
foreign manufacturers If the latter were
handicapped by a duty of 35 per cent.
This especially since Labor Commissions
er Wright's recent report shows that
there is practically no difference in the
percentage Of labor cost of producing a
yard Of cloth here or in Europe. Notso.
Says The Wool and Cotton Reporter:
"The woolen industry would just as soon
try conclusions with the foreign manufac-
turers on basis of 25 per cent as on So
per cent. The agony of the struggle for
existence would be over the sooner if the
lower rate was adopted"
Then The Wool Reporter makes a
threat. "From a political standpoint, ("
it says, zone would be as bad as the
other. 1t would be a toboggan slide to
destruction for any party that adopted
such an extreme measure. The Demo
cratic party does not dare formulate a
bill that will menace the woolen in
dustry."
This is simply frightfull To think that
in attempting to give the people cheap
clothes we must go to destruction on a
toboggan slide if we approach within
So per cent of European prices of cloth
ing. Shades of protection! What would
Madison have said in 1890 when he ad-
vocated duties on woolens of from to
u per cent If he had known that when
the woolen infant was 100 years older it
would cry so hard that its foster parents
would give it 9S per cent protection, and
that it would threaten to throw up its
monopoly arms and expire if given only
80 per cent rations 103 years later-not,
however, before making a great scene
by causing the destruction of the new
foster parents who would reduce the sup
ply of pap3
Madison little guessed the insatiate
greed and the pentup spunk, wickedness
and power of the brood Of monopoly in
fants to which he gave birth, with du-
ties of 8 to 10 per cent at the time that
he said "the duties on the great mass of
imported articles have reached point
which it would not be expedient to ex-
ceed," or he would have been tempted to
spank the life out Of the whole lot of en-
bryonic cormorants.
But the woolen men intend to get as
much as they can, and they are not
of the most shameful pretexts.
They say, for instance, in The Wool Re-
porter of Feb. 20, that the 40 per cent
duties of the Mills bill, though it might
have been ample in 1858, would not suffice
now, because conditions have changed
considerably during the past four years,
md the foreign manufacturer because Of
higher duties has been forced to lower
plane of economy, while the domestic
with a wider market than
to cater to, has had less incen-
i've to restrict and economize."
Thus is admitted that high duties ener-
vate and demoralize an industry instead
Of stimulating and fostering it so that it |
,an stand alone and produce goods as
,heaply as they are produced in unpro-
Iected countries. And then we are asked |
70 continue, only on a slightly reduced
scale, this demoralizing system Of pro-
5ection.
81 have been drunk, off and on, for 80
years" says the man in the ditch as his
friends are about to rescue and reform"
lin for the tenth time. "Three years
lgo, when was accustomed to only seven
'r eight glasses of liquor day, I could
lave stood reforming down to two
glasses. But now, since / have become
accustomed to 10 and 10 glasses, it would
mean death on toboggan slide to try to
eform me even down to three glasses"
There is but one way to deal with these
manufacturers They constitute less
han 1 per cent of our population, even
fter including their employees. They
re sellers of what the other 90 per cent
re buyers. AS they have for 30 years
lad everything their own way and have
ntirely disregarded the rights of the 90
'er cent, it is only fair that the latter
hould have their say and pay no atten-
ion to "the largest and most powerful
rowd" of woolen men which the manu-
acturers threaten to send to Washington
o protest against duties as low as 35 per
ent. This gang will learn when it goes
0 Washington that it does not own con-
ress as it did in 1890. 1t invested in a
Of of representatives elected to stay at
ONE.
The Chicago platform declared protec-
ion to be an unconstitutional fraud.
he manufacturers need not expect and
hould not ask the Democrats to disre-
ard their platform and make protect
re tariff. To tighten the burdens of the
eople as much as possible and at the
ame time to obtain sufficient revenue it
likely that duties of about 25 per cent
ill be left on woolen goods. Mills that
ave become SO slovenly in their meth
Is that they cannot exist under % per
snt protection ought to die, and the
,oner "the agony of the struggle for
Sistence" is over the better it will be for
le country and the party. 1t is, how
yer, quite certain that by far the great
: portion of our woolen mills would re-
lain with us even with 20 per cent du-
es, though of course they are now after
II thew oar oat ond xuoI,Id mt oJ,o;t |