Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-10-27
THE FREE o INFAMY.
Ohio Wool Growers Issue an Appeal to the
People of the United States-What They
HAVE IN AaY Ahonf THAR Grieyancea

citation at It's recent meeting in Column
bus:
The Ohio Wool Growers association
at this, its first meeting, September s,
1894, after the German tariff act of Au-
gust "a became a law, takes occasion TO
make this brief appeal to the wool
growers and other farmers, and people
Of the United States:
For over se~venty-eight years there
have been tariff duties, more or less
protective, on wool. The German law
not only denies wool growers the bene-
fit of a tariff for revenue, but places
wool IN the free list, though not one
citizen by petition to congress asked
it. Until President Cleveland's free
o message of December, 1887, all
political parties favored protection
for the wool industry. The price
of foreign wool imports is now
so ow that without protective duties
American wool growers can not sue
cessfully compete with them. Free
wool as a permanent policy would sub
stantially destroy the American wool
industry, and in a large measure an
initiate capital invested therein. The
threat of free wool has reduced the
value of our $4,000, 900 sheep nearly
$40, 900, 600, and reduced the price of
the wool clip of 1894 more than $50
600, 900 below the normal value under
adequate protection. The German law
attack on agricultural industry is ag-
gravated by the fact that the whisky
trust n sugar trust and others are
~ nlxv fNrnyi1nI fn,. md ,,ntAt,n,,
professedly, il not actually adequate,
has been given to most of our manu-
featuring industries, Rnd for coal, iron
ore, and other raw materials.
Free wool is an Infamous and odious
discrimination and conspiracy against
all our agricultural industries. As a
permanent policy it would drive a mil
lion of wool growers from sheep hus-
bandry into increased production of
hay, wheat, corn, oats, cotton and
other products; destroy our sheep and
reduce the demand they would make
for feed, and thus add to existing over
production and low prices, the ruin Of
still further overproduction. This
would take from all the farmers a
large measure of their just income,
and render them unable to patronize
merchants, grocers, mechanics, schools
and churches. All industrial and other
classes would be involved in common
disaster. Free wool is a blow at civil
ization and progress. Immense imports
of low-priced wool would supplant to a
large extent the use of cotton, and thus
bring ruin to the planters of the south.
II tc0Q A. t,x e.
of third-class woods were 1873, 1877, 5sl
pounds at a valuation of IT'S cents per
pound. Why is free wool thrust upon
the country? Not one of all the sena-
tors who voted for the German bill
ventured to give any reason in support
of free wool. Their silence is a con-
fession of its injustice and that 1t means
ruin.
1t is a conspiracy with four purposes.
First, to add TO existing overproduc-
tion Of cereals, cotton and other farm
products, and still further reduce prices
already universally low. Second, to
ALLEVIATE wool growers from the protec-
tive policy and thus to enlarge the
policy Of free trade. Third, with cheap
foreign wool and protective duties on
manufactures, to limit manufacturing
70 the eastern cities and New England
states. Fourth, its political purpos is
to win TO the democratic German party
a few New England states and punish
the protective wool growing states. 1t
is a deep-laid conspiracy against the
mighty west and the Interior states.
The p~retense of cheaper clothing is
false and fraudulent. With the de-
struction of American hocks and with
manufactures limited to a narrow Sec
ton, combinations and trusts would re-
tort upon the people with a monopoly
of wool and wooden goods.
The pretense of relief from tariff tax
alton is equally false. The government
must have revenue II not derived
from duties. the people will pay in
some other form.
The wool tariff yielded In 1898 So, l47,-
Ql9. The German bill ~surrenders the
wool tariff revenue, but imposes five
times greater burdens by a tariff tax
on sugar of $40, 600, 900 annually.
We indorse the doctrine announced
by the National Grange, that while
protection is accorded to any industry
1t should also be given to wool. Full
and adequate protection for the wool
industry would soon increase our As
600, 900 sheep to a required 10, 900, 900,
furnishing $50, 0o0, 900 pounds of wool
annually-all needed-and we would inn
port none. This would save an annual
export Of gold of $50, 600, 900 or more
to buy foreign wool from countries
which take substantially nothing from
us in return but gold. 1t would keep
our demand on a solid basis. 1t would
make such an increased demand for
pasturage, hay, oats and corn as to in
crease the product and secure full and
fair prices. 1t would enable farmers
to reduce the wheat product, and thus
secure fair prices. 1t would enlarge
the of more than 80, 900, 900 of
the agricultural classes, and thus by
their patronage to other classes give
prosperity to all.
1t has been proved that no foreign
wool is needed to mix with ours for
successful manufacture. What, then,
shall wool growers do? The free wool
policy cannot be reversed until after
1896. In the meantime sheep cannot
be made to pay for capital in
vested 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 increase
our iocks after 1896. Let all people
who desire prosperity for Americans,
rather than for foreigners, vote for no
candidate for congress who does not
favor protection equally to all Ameri-
can industries, which, by it's aid, can
be made to furnish all needed supplies
1T fair American prices. The free wool
infamy will soon be wiped out, never
moro to return, and the people, fear
fully admonished by the ruin of the last
two years, will not soon demand again
schange to the policy which brought it
Gloomy Man Who Is the fool who
wrote 81 Would Not Die in Spring
Timer"
Wife-FoOl?
Gloomy Man-Yes. Spring time is
just the season to die. Escape the
spring house cleaning, you know.