The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-16
The Wool Schedule.

The republican senators are making a
determined attack upon the wool sched-
ule. They do not intend to have wool on
the free list if they can in any way pre-
vent IT. In discussing this schedule the
republican senators are charging that the
democrats were influenced in making it
by a desire to discriminate against the
north. The republican newspapers are
making the same charges. The Philadel-
/ phia Press, for instance, says: THE sed-
| ulous care with which the southern brig
adiers have protected the southern cot
ton interest only hightens by contrast
their destructive blow at. the northern
wool and wooden interest. The cotton
schedule was the one schedule of the tar
if bill which could be accepted without
opposition. Its ten pages passed in thirty
minutes. No objection was raised in any
quarter. The statesmen from Arkansas,
Missouri and Texas who are making the
fiscal and industrial policy of the nation
had looked out for their own. Cotton
manufacturers were defended because
the south grows the cotton and is
beginning to run the spindles. Incident
ally the northern cotton mills shared the
benefit.
"But the south is not specially in
terested in wool and wooden manufactures.
That is distinctively northern interest.
And hence, while cotton industries are
generously shielded and everything that
concerns the welfare of the cotton pro-
ducer is assiduously studied, the wool
grower is ruthlessly sacrificed, and if
some classes of wooden manufactures are
saved, like brands from the burning, it is
only because of some particular bargain"
The foregoing is so conspicuously unjust
that it cannot have much influence with
intelligent men. Throughout the whole
of the campaign Of 1892 the question of
cheaper clothing was kept conspicuously
before the people of the whole country by
the democratic papers and campaign
orators. The question of making wool
free was presented to the people fully and
frankly, and it was clearly understood
that if the democrats gained control of
congress and the presidency wool would
be put on the free list and great reduc-
ton in the duties on wooden goods would
be made. The people Endorsed this pro-
gramme of the democrats by an over
whelming majority. 1t was indorsed in
the north as well as in the south. What
excuse, therefore, is there for saying that
the southern congressman in putting wool
on the free list are influenced by desire
to injure the northl
Those who make this charge must
know it is not true. The wool schedule
was framed in harmony with the desire
of the people expressed at the polls
1t is strange that the republican con-
gressmen and republican newspapers are
continually asserting that it is apparent
all through the tariff bill that the south
is aiming to cripple the industries of the
north. 1t is true that the tariff bill is not
satisfactory to the republicans, but all
the people of the north are not repubIi-
cans. If they were Mr.. Cleveland would
not be President, nor would the Senate
and House be democratic. This charge
of sectionalism, which the republicans are
making, is virtually an admission that
their party no longer has the support of a
majority of the people.