The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-09-21
Free Wool,

worth more than political theoTlzlng
about wool or anything else. Wool
being now free as the air you breathe,
the effects of its freedom affords a
good study for the false political
economist as we'll as the deluded
home producer. The advanced rates
now offered for home. grown wool is a
puzzler for many a home producer
who is in love with the Mckinley
notion about it. What is most strange
about it is the stubborn fact that the
increased tariff on wool in 1890 dimin-
ished its price, and the farmer knows
it who has tried to sell it in the past
four years. Prices never declined so
much and so rapidly as during these
four years. 1t don't take much memory
to remember that much. How much
has the decline in price been under
the high protection of 1890? Well,
from IS to 90 per cent High duties
on wool, you know, was to have
caused better prices for farmers who
raise sheep. But did the Mckinley
protection of particular few (who
were no doubt benefitted) raise or
lower the price OF wool for the farmer ?
They ought to know which way it
went and so ought the unprotected
buyer of woolen garments. We assert
without fear of successful contradiction
that high duties on wool have been a
snare and cheat, especially so far as
raising prices for the American farmer
is concerned, or as tending to benefit
anybody except few manufacturers.
Under this high tariff delusion it was
conjectured (and in fact believed by
many farmers) that free wool would
be ruinous. We have not suffered the
dreaded calamity Of free wool very
long, but, short as the time is, let us
make comparison between high pro-
lection and no protection. All woods
are now free of any duty whatever for
the first time in IS years. Now let's
see what's the matter with the sheep
industry under free wool.
We have in this country a news
paper called the american Wool
and Cotton Reporter. 1t makes a
specially of looking after the rise and
fail of these particular commodities.
1t has been looking sharp on the wool
question since August 2Sth, when all
wool became free under the operation
of the new tariff bill This paper says
that Ohio and Pennsylvania wool was
worth, just previous to the removal of
the tariff, from I9 to go cts per pound ;
Immediately after the removal of the
tariff it brought the farmer from FL
to g cents. The farmer knows
whether wool is declining or not
since free. Foreign or Australian
wool, the Reporter says, was worth
from 80 to 33 cents pound before
the tariff was removed, after removal
of tariff 1t dropped to nearly Ameri-
can figures after travelling across the
ocean. In other words, and briefly
summarized, the foreign product
| declined about 40 per cent. while
| boihSStiS WOOi auNduSCu 10 pei CSll.
inside of two months. How is that
for the prophecied ruination1 We
rather apprehend that the same kind
of ruination would have occurred had
sugar, coal, and iron been placed on
the free list. The President and few
faithful representatives of the people
sought to have them there for the
masses, but the benefits of the classes
are not SO easily abrogated as some
folks think. 1t is well for the voter to
remember in this connection that oul
protected and fostered industries from
Maine to California are still stronger
than the Republican party, stronger
than the Democratic party and
stronger than all parties combined.
1t remains with the people without
regard to party to say whether thi.
tremendous power shall be Inundated
or made more powerful and arrogant
through special protection.