The Meeker herald., 1894-09-08
PoPULISTs ARE TO BLAME.
They Vote with the Free Wool Part,

/
and Against the Wool Growers.
In the event of tariff bill becoming
law with free wool, it is but right that
the sheep farmers of this country
should know exactly who is to blame
for the cheapening or destruction of
this branch of their interests Some
western wool men have accused the
eastern manufacturers of desiring free
wool This is an entirely mistaken
idea.
The records of the senate showed a
solid republican vote in favor OF put
ting duty on wool, and solid demo-
cratic vote in favor of putting wool on
the free list While the populist sena-
tors voted for asduty on WOOL they
are really to blame for wool being put
on the free list because they tied
themselves up with the democratic
sena tors in order to act on the income
tax. Had the populists stuck by the
repu blican senators there would have
been no free wool no tariff bill passed,
and no income tax.
The policy Of the free trade party is
to throw our American market-worth
81, GOA. 97J, 1877 in lsoo-open to the
compe tition of the farmers and manu-
facturers of all other nations, while
we strive to secure their markets, all
of which put together are worth
81, O35, 073, 757 less than our own home
| market.
Is it not best to re tain the good home
market that we already possess also
striving to cease buying the S773, GA
sla worth of foreign goods that we
consume and TO produce these goods
for ourselves. if we can. rather than to
throw away what we are sure of and
take chances in securing portion OF
the smaller markets of theA;est of the
world in open competition with the
cheap labor OF Europe, of Asia, of
Africa, of Canada, of Central and South
America, and of the savage labor OF
the Islands of the Sea?
Such is the policy of protection.
But the free trade policy is to give our
markets to the cheap labor countries
and to compete with the cheap labor
in their smaller markets We already
| consume over four billion dollars
worth of goods more than they can
buy from us Let us keep our own
| trade first. Always vote for protec-
| ton.
The western wool growers should
| understand clearly that the only party
| to blame for free wool is the populist
party of the house and senate, and the
populists represent the wool-growing
sections of the country. Perhaps the
populists think they will acquit them
selves from any blame in their actions
by voting against free wool, but If the
| farmers can see hole through five
foot door they will readily see that
| the Populists tied themselves up to
| the democrats, and it would have
been utterly and Absolutely impossi-
| BILE for the democrats TO pass Il tarln
| bill without their vote. That would
have left wool With IL cents per
pound duty as it had been heretofore.
That the democratic platform went
| all to splinters we know full well
They have acted very viciously to-
ward the wool men, especially when
they put duty of Is per cent on ola
rags and shoddy, and placed secured
| wool on the free list. Out OF ninety
nine wooden manufacturers in the
state of Rhode Island there are only
| three that can be counted as free wool
men. and there is not one in Massa
chus..tts 1t is not the eastern manu-
| facturer who is to blame for free wool
| hut the populist senators,