The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-09-28
Bad Logic.

Commenting on the new tariff, The
Nation, On y says that the impetus
given to the manufacture of wooden
goods in this country, by reason of the
removal of the duties on the raw mate
rial, is already manifest. The Nation
declares that the wooden manufacturers
are preparing for better business than
they have known before in years Here
tofore the manufacturers, so argues
The Nation, have been hampered by the
prohibitory duties imposed by our gov
eminent on the wool necessary to make
the goods. The manufacturers are
obtaining and are assured of the con
tinuance of this alleged advantage of
getting free wool from abroad, and thus
they can produce cheaper cloths.
At the same time, says The Nation,
American wool is advancing; and the
argument is made that by reason of the
removal of duties on wool the farmer
will, in future, buy his cloth cheaper
and receive Il better price for his wool.
TO quote precisely Il passage from
the article in The Nation: Z" But at last
the wooden manufacturers have tariff
which is actually going to enable them
to make wooden goods, and the demand
for raw material at once springs up and
the price of wool advances all over the
world. The Ohio wool-growers will
be likely to put uglier questions than
ever to Mckinley this fall. 1t will take
all the resources of his great intellect
to explain to them how it is that while
his increased duties knocked down the
price of wool, free wool instantly means
money in their pockets"
1t is 10y such specious arguments as
this that the free traders are endeavor-
ing to befog the farmers of the country.
No doubt there has been in the last
thirty days an increased elasticity in
the wool market, owing to the final
passage of the tariff measure, which
placed wool, irrevocably, for two years
at least on the free list. And whenever
there is an increased demand in any
thing there is invariably an increment
in price added. Thus it has been with
wool. The manufacturers have re-
manned, in whole or in part, idle for
the entire time since the result of the
election in 1892 became known, await
ing the final outcome of the declared
purposes of the party in power. 1t is
well known that the wool clip of 1894
was bought of the producers W toto
on the free trade basis. The buyers
were assured of the ultimate removal
of1ll protection on wool by the Demo
Gratis, and thus knew that they would
have to sell on the basis of free trade
They therefore regulated the purchase
prices accordingly, and the farmers sold
their wool at the corresponding low
price they would have been compelled
to have taken if the Wilson bill had
passed several months earlier. This
fact is measurably true of the wool pro-
duction in 1893 as well. The farmers
received several cents less per pound
for their wool in that year than they
would had it not been for the impend.
ing free trade legislation of the Demo
crat party.
But how was it during the last year
of President Harrison's administration,
under the Mckinley law, when there
was no apprehension of the dire
calamity that overwhelmed the Nation
by reason of the great change in the
control of its affairs which took place
The farmers received double the price
for their wool that year-1Se2-than
they did in 1894, or are likely to get
in 1895.
The Australian and South American