Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-10-04
THE FREE WOOL rALLAcY.

With bat one dissenting vote, cast by
Democrat, the Ohio Wool Growers asso-
ciation. in thirteenth annual convention
at Columbus, last Tuesday adopted pro-
test against free wool that is replete with
significance. So sharp and keen is it that
we are persuaded to republish it entire.
For over seventy-eight years" it says,
''there have been high tariff duties, more
or less protective, upon wool The Cor
man law not only denies wool growers the
benefit of a tariff for revenue, but places
wool on the free list, though not one citi-
zen by petition to congress, asked it. I'm
til President Cleveland's free wool mes
sage Of December, 1887, all political par
ties favored protection for the wool in
dustry. The price of foreign wool imports
is now so low that without protective
tariffs American wool growers cannot sue
cessfuIly compete with them. Free wool
as a permanent policy would substantially
destroy the American wool industry and
| in large measure annihilate the capital
| invested therein. The threat Of free wool
has reduced the value of our A., 900, 900
sheep nearly so, 900, 600, and reduced the
price Of wool clip of 1894 more than
$50, ,O0o, 900 below the normal under ade-
| quate protection. The German law at
tack on agricultural interests is aggra-
waited by the fact that the odious whisky
trust and the sugar trust and others are
amply provided for and protection pro-
| fessedly if not actually adequate is given
to most of our manufacturing industries,
and free coal, iron ore and other raw ma
| terials. Free wool is an Infamous and
odious discrimination and conspiracy
against all our agricultural industries.
GAS permanent policy it would drive
million of wool growers from sheep hus-
bandry into increased production of hay,
| wheat, corn, oats, cotton and other pro-
| ducts, destroy our sheep, and reduce the
| demand they would make for food and
| thus add to our existing overproduction
| and low prices the ruin of still further
overproduction. This would take from
| all farmers a large measure of their just
| income and render them unable to patron
ize merchants, grocers, mechanics. schools
and churches. All industrial and other
| classes would De involved in common dis
| aster. Free wool is blow to civilization
| and progress. Immense imports of low
| priced woods would supplant to a large
extent the use Of cotton, and thus bring
| disaster to the planters of the south. In
| 1893 the imports for consumption of the
| third class woods were 133, 1877, 55l pounds,
at a valuation of 7.75 cents per pound.
"Why is free wool thrust upon tn
al. 10
voted for the German bill ventured to give
| any reason in support of free wool. Their
silence is confession of its injustice, and
| that it means ruin. 1t is a conspiracy with
| four purposes: O To add to existing
over production of cereals, cotton and
| other farm products, and still further re-
duce prices already ruinously low. (2) To
ALLEVIATE wool growers from the protective
policy and thus enlarge the policy of free
trade. (3) With cheap foreign wool and
protective duties on manufactures, to
limit manufacturing to the eastern cities
and New England states. a. Its political
purpose is to win to the Democratic-Gor-
man party few New England states, and
punish the wool growing states. The pre-
fraudulent. With the destruction of
American fiocks and with manufactures
limited to a narrow section, combinations
and trusts would extort upon the people
with a monopoly Of wool and wooden
goods. The government must have reve-
nue.. III not derived from duties the peo-
pie will pay in some other form. The
wool tariff yielded in 1898 s., 147, ,2l9. The
German bill surrenders the wool tariff
burdens by tariff tax on sugar Of $i0,-
OO0, 900 annually.
1--WE indorse the doctrine announced by
the national grange that while protection
is accorded to any industry, it should also
be to wool. Full and adequate protection
for the wool industry would sooD increase
our As, 600 900 sheep to required ITO, ,00o,-
600, furnishing $50, 900, 900 pounds of wool
annually-all needed. and we would i'm
port none. This would save an annual ex-
port Of gold of sec, 900, 900 or more to buy
foreign wool from countries which take
substantially nothing from us in return
but gold. 1t would keep our finances on
q solid basis. 1t would make such an in
creased demand for pasturage, hay, oats
and corn az to increase these products and
thus secure fair prices Ii would enlarge
the resources OF more than so, ,000, 900 of
the agricultural classes, and thus by their
patronage to other classes give prosperity
to all.
at hos been proved that no foreign
wool Is needed to mix with ours for sue
cessful manufacture. What, then, shall
small wool growers dor The free wool
policy cannot be reversed until after 1896.
In the meantime sheep cannot be made
to pay for the amount OF capital which is
invested and labor in producing wool.
The true policy is: Fatten the wethers and
old ewes; sell them for mutton; keep the
breeding ewes and be ready to rapidly in
crease the focks after 1896. Let all the
people who desire prosperity for Ameri-
cans rather than for foreigners vote for
no candidate for congress who does not
favor protection equally to all American
Industries, which by it's aid can be made
TO furnish all needed supplies at fair
American prices. The free wool infamy
will soon be wiped out, never more to re-
turn, and the people, painfully admon-
ished by the ruin of the last two years,
will not soon demand again n change to
the policy which brought it on"
IL protection IL good for the interests OF
given industry, a given section or a
given party, it is good for the interests Of
all the people. In singing out the agri-
cultural interests for special attack, while
their own cotton growers and sugar plan
ters come in for careful consideration, the
Democratic tariff members displayed the
real animus Of their bogus tariff reform
campaign, and offered to history another
proof OF their unfitness to govern.
-~--------
MR. HILL don't know what he will do
about it. III he hangs on long enough the
people Of New York will convince him
that they knew = hat they were going to
10 about it even when he was In doabt.
A FRAUD, SAYS sIHGERLY
Mr.. Singerly, who was the Democratic
candfdafe for uoyernor I'm pennsvlvanin