The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-09-14
A BREACH IN THE WALL
Free Wool Opens the Way to Com
mercial Freedom.
Protectionists Fighting Hard to Re-
pair Their Barriers. Wool Tariff
Their Objective Point. Farm
ers Eyes Are Opened.
Manufacturers Next.

There is good method in the madness
with which the Republican press attacks
the wool schedule of the senate tariff
net. 1t is excellent tactics. 1t is mass
ing the troops ON the broken center 1t
is tho ''stitch in time" that may Save
nine. :" 1t is n vain attempt to retrieve
an irretricvable blundcr by the protcc-
tionists that dominated the senate. So
we have the assault all along the limo.
We are gravely told that the mere apprc-
hension of untaxed imports of wool sent
millions Of domestic sheep to the sham
bles, one reckless paper stating their
number at over G0,000,000. Others,
more cautious, estimate that tho slaugh-
ter has diminished the home clip over
100000 pounds. Doleful, pathetic
pictures are drawn by these word artists
of the miserable condition ~ which the
merely impending freedom of the ileeces
reduced the poor American farmer.
Then the farmers have been given
comparative figures showing tho impor-
tations of foreign wool before and aft
. err the blow fell on tho fiocks Only
$4,000, 600 pounds Of wool came from
pauper sheepin 1894, as compared with
some 200, 900, 0o0spounds in 1895. That
imports fell off Emancipation of the re
moval of the tax; that the imports of
1898 were 17B;oG0, 600 pounds; of 1892,
las, 00;000-thcSea are immatcrial mat
tiers, not pertinent to tho discussion, and
therefore omitted by them. That also is
excellent tactics. Leave To your oppo-
nent the discovery of your weak points.
Then wo have had stout dcuials OF any
advance in the price of domestic wool.
Prices today arc put alongside those of
two or three years ago to establish this
The omission to make the prices of
last year, while wool was still under
tho wing of its guardian angel, the ba-
SIS OF comparison, is another bit of
adroit fencing. Interviews with wooden
manufacturers arc given III which they
assert that free wool is not helpful to
them. And so ono way or another the
assault is tiercely made and persistently
kept up.
This, we repeat, is good tactics FREQ
wool breaks tho center of tho wholopro-
tcctive policy. 1t strikes out the hoy
stone OF the arch, If the long struggle
Bince 1887 had resulted i'll nothing more
than this, tho end justified the effort. 1t
opens breach i'll the wall through
which the hosts Of commercial freedom
will press. 1t is to the repairing of the
breach that the enemy are bending their
efforts. The protectionists have hereto
1Gre Zealously maintained the limo in
tact. A corner of n bastion was knocked
OIL when quinine was placed ON the FREQ
list and another when hides went there
bur they were not serious breaches. Tho
strength of the protectionists has been
IN their ability to bamboozle the farm
ers into believing that somehow they
also were the bcneficiaries Tho wool
tariff has been given rs illustratinS.this.
II wool remains free. if the price does
not faA to the extent of the tax reduc-
ton, If, on the contrary, it advances
from the lowest price obtained while it
was protected, there is imminent dan
ger that the farmer will have the wool
pulled from his eyes and realize how
he has been catspawed.
Then will COMO the turn of the manu-
facturer Of woolens. The farmer whose
wool meets, like all his other commodi-
ties, price made by unsheltered COM
petition, viii insist that the cloth made
from his woolstand similar competi-
ton. He will joinsthe free traders in
demanding free woolens as we'll as free
woods.
Here is where the manufacturer scents
danger to himself. He is satisfied with
present arrangements that give him
from 40 to 90 per cent of protection
from competition, but he sees that if
the farmers turn against him, now that
tho partnership is dissolved, it is all
over with him. When woolens are as
free as wool, the manufacturers, too
VIII Join the growing, hosts of CONNER
clai freedom to get their ncccSsarics of
HE and manufacture untaxed. And TINS
the movement will spread from class 10
class 1t is this that our opponents see.
and 1t is to prevent this that they arc
now centering their efforts in an attack
ON free wool. If they fail, they know
that their whole fabric will come tum-
bling down about their ears. st. Paul
Globe.
Crumbs From nn- ToI>,z