The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-02-14
SUMTER. S. c.. WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY H. 1884,

The free admission of wool is the
most important political change 10 the
bill. For many years the duty on wool
has been made to do service in States
like Ohio and Michigan as bringing te
the: farmer his share of the benefits ol
protection 1t required the courage oI
President Cleveland to face the situa.
tion boldly. and to declare for free
wool even though Ohio was doubtful
State. This be did in his message,
DOW passed into history, of December,
1887, when he took that updinchin gat.
titude the tariff question which has
brought his party to the position in
which it DOW is. If there is any one
part of their programme to which the
Democrats are committed it is the free
admission Of wool and this part Of the
bill may be expected to reach the stage
Of enactment if any of it does. Once
made the change unquestionably will
be found a beneficial one. The grea,
mass of wool-growers will find them.
selves injured to no appreciable de-
gree: the manufacturers will have
their material cheaper; and the con-
sumers will have better and cheaper
clothes.
Next in political importance to the
free admission of wool is the free ad-
mission of iron ore and the reduction
Of duty on pig iron. If anthing is raw
material, iron ore certainly is, and if a
beginning is to be made anywhere in
the direction of cheapening materials.
this is the most appropriate point that
could be found The duty on pig iron
is reduced to 22a per cent. the exist
ing duty is equivalent to between 90
and 10 per cent. The reduction is thus
considerable. It must be remembered,
however, that the pig iron duty has
for many years been virtually prohibit
tory, except for small lots Of special
qualities Of iron and except along the
Eastern sea-coast it is doubtful if any
considerably greater use Of imported
iron will ensue. Along the Eastern
sea-hoard the change, if carried to the
point Of enactment, will make iron
somewhat cheaper. and will aid all
iron-usiug establishm ents-and this
means all manufactures of every
sort
So far as the manufactures are con-
cerned, most of the changes are from
duties that were prohibitory to duties
that will be somewhat less prohibitory.
Such is the case with most silk goods,
cotton goods, glassware and china
ware. On woollens there is more
important change. They are admitted
at the simple duty Of 40 per cent,
which is to be reduced one per cent.
each year for five years. until finally
the duty on them reaches the deinitive
rate Of IS per cent. This change is
the counterpart of the free admission
Of wool, which entailed complete re-
moyal of the present high and compli-
Gated duties on woollen goods, and the
substitution Of simple aud compare
lively moderate ad valorem duty. In
ALMOST any other country duties of 35
and 40 per cent, coupled with free raw
material, would be thought to give
more than adequate protection We
are confident that they will be found
to give all the protection tha, the
woolen industry of the United States
nov needs, and they will cheaper
goods to the mass of the consumers
without seriously endangering the
prosperity Of the manufacturers.
On the whole, the bill is carefully
and couscientiously drafted. 1t. faces
the situation boldly, applies the knife
sharply to some excrescences Of pro-
tective growth, and redeems in sub
stantial way the promises under which
the Democratic party came into power.
Yet it makes no such radical or far
reaching changes as will disturb the
great mass Of the manufacturing in
dustries. The country can easily ac-
commodate itself to such changes. and
within few months after its enact
ment, few will advocate return to
the existing order Of things.-Harper's
Weekly