The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-09-17
"rAR1FF PRIMER LESSON"


Tho AbSurLiIty Of the RoIistSr's Argument
Tuat FREQ Wool Will Raise Prices-A
Correspondent Shove tho FaIluoy of the
Theory.
ToMs Eilbr ofiLe ln!elIi9taeer.
sIR:-It must be truly dishcartoninV
SO the intelligent voters in the Demo
cratic party, OF whom there must be Il
considerable number. who have read
every day since the congressional cam
paign began in this state. the Register
editorials dealing with tho issues Of the
day. 1t must DO truly Encouraging to
those who are capable Of forming opin'
ions for themselves, when questioned by
their brethren Of weaker intellect con-
corning statements given out as facts in
their party organ. Intelligent Demo
Gratis will not tryto endorse those state
ments, realizing that tho party will be
handicapped thereby. They know that
those articles could only have been
written through two motives: They
were conceived either through dense
ignorance Of issues ut stake, or through
conviction that tho masses OF the
party do not possess an average amount
OF common sonse. The latter they know
to DO the true reason, for it is clear that
any one who Is able to road and write
ia incapable OF making such statements
through ignorance.
IA Tariff Primer Lesson" which up
pears in to.day's issue, purporting to
explain previous statement that high
priced wool makes cheaper clothing, Is
the browning effort OF the discussion on
wool which has been running through
our two morning dailies. To tho mind
Of the Register man, without tho faint
est argument, II has buried deeply be-
youd further resurrection the question
under discussion. Unfortunately the
masses OF the party, who do little
reasoning, think differently.
1t stated in that valuable Contribu-
ton to campaign literature referred TO
above, that the high rates undor the
Mckinley law kept down tho demand
for domestic wool, inasmuch that
1t made dutiablc imported wool
which is necessary as a mixture. anu
that now having free wool We can get
tho imported article cheaper, thereby
causing demand for domestic wool and
raising the price thereof. That free
wool will DO nothing OF the kind is evil
dent 10 those who will give tho matter
little thought. Instead Of creating q
demand for the domestic article and
raising the prise OF tho game, it Increases
importations. thereby lowering. the
price OF tho home article and finally
forcing those who have given their
money and energy to sheep raising 10
seek moro lucrative field for their re-
duCed capital.
If tho American product werc indis..
pensible to finished material in general
such would not be tho case; but nc
cordinS TO tho Register, prices having
risen in domestic woods, manufacturers
will cease TO buy the home product
since tho foreign article can be secured
at a botter figure. 'WerO American
wool necessary 10 domestic manufacture,
thon would tho clNims OF the Register
fora demand for domestic wool hold
good and good prices DO maintained
under existing conditions. The con-
trary being tho case, manufacturers de-
sire cheap imported material rather
than to buy at advancing rates-accord'
ing to the Rcgister-domostic wool for
use in the process OF manufacture. ,
Suppose manufacturers arc kind
hearted enough to use American wool
in their mixture, Is II to 10 supposed
that they will transeress tho limits o!
philanthropy aud cheaper tho cost OF
clothing, tho cost Of production Of
which has been materially increased?
When the millennium is at hand then
we will havo reached that perfect order
OF things aud the consumer will have q
pair Of golden wings. CuSvEHr.
ITheelinJ, Sept. IA.