The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1894-09-29
FREE WOOL.

FREE WOOL.
The most notable speech made by
any Democrat thus far in the cam
paieu was that of Frank Hurd at
Columbus. says the Inter Ocean
He was always given to saying some
thing when he spoke. He never
practiced the art of framing high
sounding, humping sentences, empty
of real meaning. His speech of Wed
nesday had this definite purpose to
maintain, that the placing of wool on
the free list was of itself glory enough
for one congress, and that any man
who voted for that deserved the un-
qualified and hearty endorsement of
every genuine free-trader.
This position may have been taken
in large part for the especial benefit
of Senator Brice, still there is no doubt
that Mr.. Hurd is sincere In his con-
viction that instead of jumping on
Brice for not favoring free sugar, free
iron ore. and free coal, the champions
of free trade should be grateful for the
free listing of wool, and especially to
an Ohio senator. That state has more
sheep thsn any other in the Union;
at least it did have year ago.
Not even Texas or California could
quite come up to Ohio in the produc-
tion of WOOL One-tenth of all the
sheep in the United States Craze with
in the borders of Ohio. It has four
times as many as Illinois and just
about the same az the four States of
Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and Mis-
soari. The Buckeye farmers have
taken great deal of pains to i'm
prove their breed of sheep, and com
bine fineness With weight in the fleece.
The fetal Clip of the year in that state
cannot vary far from 1000. 900
pounds. A great many farms in that
state are much better adapted to sheep
than to cattle and the very general
disposition among the farmers is to
diversity their crops and their live
stock. That is the way to make
agriculture profitable and avoid its
risks.
According to the Hurd theory of
politics, in proportion as a senator or
congressman sacrifices the interest of
his own constituents to carry out a
theory of trade he should be com
mended. He must he made of the
same stuff as the boy who consoled
his father while in the grip of a puppy
bull dog with the reflection that 1t
might be tough for him but good for
the psp. 1t is very eaey to bear the
losses of others. Mr.. Hurd is
lawyer. If the millions of dollars of
loss entailed upon Ohio by the free
listing of wool fell on the lawyers, in
stead of the farmers, he might not be
so serene in It's contemplation. There
are, in round numbers, $4,000 farm
ers, in Ohio, 1t is safe to say that
there are at least two hundred thous-
and farmers in that state who must
help sustain the burden of loss Incl
dent to free wool. With some wool |
is only small Item of revenue, but
with many it is leading staple, if not
the chief source of income. The bal
lots of next November will show how
these farmers like being victimized in
the interest of free trade.
At first one might think it strange
that any party should be so unpatriotic
As to antagonize so great an interest
As the wool interest, but it must be
that there is another
great interest clamorous for free wool,
namely the manufacturers of wooden
goods of all kinds. They want to be
lble to procure stocks abroad duty free.
Ia 1890 there were 2,770 wooden fac
;ories in the country, with capital of
s320.4l7, 304. That same year they
2S.4 per cent of their raw
and under free trade the
heep raisers at home might think
themselves fortunate if instead of
bout three-fourths they supplied one
ourth of the wool used by these mills.
Mr. Hurd says that the new tariff
las brought up the price of wool. So
hss-;he price In Liverpool; but it
las lowered the price in this country.
Though the dealers thought they had
ot down SO low in anticipation that
,hen the bill became a law they would
ot find the value of their stock less
ned, but In this they were dis
ppointed. The Democrats are vel
pine to the votes of all the sheep
aisers they can convince that opening
'ide our market to Australian and
,uth American wool will enchance q
le value of the domestic clip A few
rmers may be buncoed by such r
'nfdence game once, but by 1896
ey will have found out that the !
I'D brick of free-trade wool is a g
lded fraud -
ITEMS IN BRIEF