The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-09-26
STRIKES THE FARMER.
Senator Brice Directly and Alto
gether Responsible
FOR FREE WOOL CLAUSE OF PRESENT Law.

His Voice Was Against the Ohio Farmer
and Flockmaster- Action Indefensi-
bic Upon the Facts Of the Case Meas
ured by Practical Results = Shameful
Betrayal Of Ohio Interests.
There is one other provision Of the
present law that must be repealed,
which Senator Brice is directly and al
together responsible for. and that is the
free wool clause. The Hon. Frank
Hurd, in his speech as chairman of the
Democratic state convention in 1894,
said:
II have said that free wool is the most
important feature Of the new measure.
It is worth more to tariff reform than
all other provisions of the law put
together. The organization to defeat
this part If the bill was strong and COM
pact. 1t came principally from Ohio,
where the Ohio Woolgrowers' associa-
ton has been long established. AS Ohio
was the greatest woolgrowing state, the
arguments were especially dictated to
the Ohio members Of congress. To their
credit, be it said, the Democratic mem
bers in the house stood firm, every one
voting for free wool. For the final
passage of the wool clause, when by one
word he could have defeated it, more
credit is due to the junior senator from
Ohio, Calvin S. Brice, than to any other
influence, or to all other influences COM
bined. His independence and courage
saved tariff reform the most important
feature Of the bill as it passed the
house."
With one word from Senator Brice
free wool could have been prevented
And he did not speak the word. Con-
slider the consequences to the farmers Of
Ohio.
Sheep husbandry is enc of our most
important Industries; almost every
farmer in Ohio raises sheep aud grows
in Ohio in 1894 1866, 403 sheep, and
that in 1896 we had but 3,OO5, 1872. These
figures tell startling story. They show
that the sheep of Ohio are being slaugh-
tered at the rate of more than 500,0 900
per annum, or about 800 per day. This
is due to the fact that the shrinkage in
their values, and in the value of their
wool, is so great that sheep raising and
woolgrowing have become Improbable.
It means the loss Of millions Of dollars
to the farmers Of this state without any
compensating benefits whatever.
No Excuse Possible.
What excuse has Senator Brice given
us for not speaking that zone word?"
In published interviews he has said that
he was one of the parties to the agree
ment whereby the Democratic caucus
had left to the three senators from Mis-.
souri,, Arkansas and Texas the whole
subject of tariff bill to do with as in
their judgement might be best, and that
agreement bound him to accept free
wool because they 80 decided. The case
as he puts it shows that he surrendered
his commission to represent Ohio to the
senators named, and allowed them to
vote for Ohio instead of voting for Ohio
himself.
IT is NOT TOO HARSH TO SAY THAT
SUCH ACTION WAS UTTERLY INDEFENsI-
BILE. IT WAS INDEFENsIBLE UPON THE
FACTS OF THE CASE MEASURED BT PRAC-
TICAL RESULTS. IT WAS INDEFENslLl.I
UPON THEORY. 1T WIS PLAIN, UNQUAL4-
FLED BETRAYAL OF SACRED TRUST THAT
NO PARTY EXIGENOY COULD JUSTIFY.
IT AGGRAvAEEs tn. Case no Rcc IL
THAT WHEN SENATOR BRICE VOTE ,,
WITHOUT A WORD OF PROTEST, AeAI.,ar
THE OHIO FARMER. FOR FREE WOOL, AT
THE DICTATION OF THESE SOUTHERN SEN.
ATORS, HE ALSO AT THEIR DICTATION,
ANY KIND, VOTED TO IMPOSE DUTY
EQUAL TO AN AID vALoREM DUTY OF 40
PER CENT ON SUGAR, $3.50 PER CENT ON
RICE, 36 TO 45 PER CENT ON COTTON
MANUFACTURES, AND ALSO SUBSTANTIAL
DUTIES ON EVERY SOUTHERN PRODUCT OR
SOUTHERN INTEREST THAT SOUTHERN
SENATORS WANTED PROTECTED.
That is Mr.. Brice's record only in
very small part, but it is sufficient to
show he should not be reelected.
1t is urged, however, that he is better
than his party, and that the tariff bill
80 passed was better than it would have
been but for his labors and influence as
a Democrat with his fellow Democrats.
However that may be, it is certain
beyond all question that had Repub-
ican occupied his seat no tariff bill of
any kind would have been passed, and
the Mckinley law would have remained
undisturbed. Had Mr. Brice refused to
be bound hand and foot by caucus
agreement, if he had refused to be
bucked and gagged by the three sena-
tors from the great manufacturing (?)
states of Texas, Arkansas and Missouri
If he had only stood up for his right
to represent Ohio according to his own
Judgment, and had demanded protec-
ton for wool, he would have defeated
the whole measure. since without his
vote it would have been impossible to
have repealed the Mckinley law, or to
have substituted any measure Of any
kind for it. In that event he might
have had some claim for important serv-
ices rendered to his country, but as the
n u II ~ L