The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-02-20

Tho following lcttcr from Mr.; Theo.
dore Justice, Of Philadelphia, in answer
to Mr.. W. .. WelleS. OF Parkorsburg, is
Uclf.explanatory:
JUSTICE, BATEMAH < Co.,
&. Wool COMMISSION MERCHANTS,
l22 SOuTu FRONT STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. Feb. 10, 1894.
caot. Rurddt Hart, Es7., Editor h.clligeacer,
WhcrlinJ, UG! Yirllatd:
DEAR SIK:-My attention has been
called 10 letter from W. G. Woles in
tho Wheeling Register OF February u,
endcavoring 10 prove that protection
does not protect aud that wool in free
trade London has not boon for years
worth less than half Of its value under
protection in the United States. Mr..
Welles disprovcs his own statement
by showing that after wool IS imported
and the 10 cents per pound duty paid,
It costs but little moro horc than it did
In London befor tho 10 cents per pound
duty was added. Like Prof. Wilson, he
goes back TO ancient history for figures
to provo his case. The majority OF his
hearers have no records within easy
reach by which his dislngenuous state
ments can DO instantly exposed. Mr..
Welles' figures are rs wrong as were
those OF Prof. Wilson at tho hearings
before the ways and means committee,
where with ample foreign and domestic
samples and foreign wool circulars and
letters it was proved that protection
had more than doubled tho price OF
American wool to the American wool
grower ever since we had protective
tariff. 1t was also there proven 10 Prof.
Wilson and his committeet that during tho
period when We had the highest protec.
ton, viz, undor thelaw OF 1867, the wool
clip OF the United States, owing to
adequate protection, had increased
faster than the wool clip OF any other
nation in the world. Under the last
twelve years OF tho tariff law OF 1867,
tho clip Of the United States doubled.
In 1873 We had l700O0,OO0 pounds OF
American wool, and in 1884 We had
double that quantity, or S40,0O0,OO
pounds OF wool. Great Britain, with
free wool. fell of in nor wool crop 10
per cent during the came period, and
even Australia, with its great advan-
tages OF perennial pasture and tho
cheapest lands in the world, increased
only 81 per cent during tho years when,
under protective tariff, the United
States increased its wool crop 100 per
cent. In NIL this period tho price of
wool in London, taking woods OF the
Same diameter OF fibre and in the same
condition. averaged less than hall the
price OF wool in the United States; and
if the wool grower Of West Virginia
had shipped his wool to London every
year for the past thirty years, ho would
have received less than half OF the
price which he obtained for it under
protection In the United States. These
facts were shown to Prof. Wilson's com.
lnittee and proved conclusively BY un-
limited evidence. Having no facts to
justify taking protection from tho
American wool grower, he made
the remark that anyway in
1857 wool was free OF duty and
we then had prosperity" which con.
illusions were about rs far from the
truth as those now arrived at by Mr..
Welles in his letter OF Feb. 10, for wool
was not free in 1857. The tariff, how
ever, wasreduced, but times were then
prosperous, let the West Virginia wool
grower be tho judge, for in July, 1857,
fine West Virginia washed fleece was
worth 60 cents per pound, and by De-
cember, Of that year, the price had
fallen one-halt, or to 80 cents per
pound. james Buchanan was Presi-
dent; and then, as now, the Demo-
Gratis had oil branches OF the govern.
ment A financial panic had extended
throughout the land; multitudes OF peo-
Pile were out OF work. as they arc today.
This Is what Professor Wilson calls
prosperous times, the like OF which has
never been experienced since 1857 until
tho like causes which produced that
panic were again applied to this nation
last summer with the return OF similar
distressing conditions.
do not ask the public to take unsup.
ported evidence Of any statements
which We may make. Ae for instance
tho statement made to show why
prices under the Mckinley law were
lower than before by reason of tho
much heavier fall in free wool foreign
prices named in tho wool circular OF
Justice, Bateman {; Co. under date OF
February |, which is as follows:
PAIL IL FOREIGN PRICES
Free traders have been fond OF drawing com.
PARSONS between tho lower price OF American
wool under the Mckinley law and prices current
previous to 1860 1t Is true that previous 10 1850
the clean secured value OF Ohio Y x was Soc,
and It's clean secured value under the Mckinley
law before 1t was menaced with repeal In lie
early part OF 1873 was 70c-R decline Of 1917 pcr
csrt This fact has boon given great prominence;
but the advocates OF this view have been omII.
ousiE silent rs 10 the 10 per cent decline In Lon.
don In woolot tho same kind and quality during
The same period. For some years previous 10
!e0o. inc London value OF Australian clean
.sV3 It's value was only 35c-n decline in the FREQ
trade markets OF the world OF over 10 per cent ms
AGAINST decline under protection In the United
sss i91 WOOL OF me same Quality aud condition
TACT. but exhibiting still greater decline in for.
cign markets Is shown In the publication OF a
table by Mess; Geo. Vim. Bond 4 Co. OF Boston.
giving oil kinds OF Colonial woods imported into
England and America In 1850 and 10 IS93, show.
ing falling OF in value in that period Of over
81 per cent
You will notice that this is confirmed
by Messrs Geo. VIM. Bond & Co.. OF
Boston, who have never been accused
OF being protectionists. They publish n
table Of statistics which shows a greater
fall in the value Of foreign wool in iree
trade markets than is claimed by Jus.
tice, Bateman 4 Co. They show for.
eign decline from 1850 to 1892 OF over
81 per cent, MS follows:
TABLE OF aESSEs, GEO w,L BOND CO., nosnoy,
MASS. JANUARY, 1885,.
Importation OF Colonial woods Into Europo md
al ynr
and lSV3, With approximate value per bale