Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-12-31
SPECIFIC DUTIES ADVOCATED
A Strong Plea in Behalf of the Wool
Growers for a Protective Tar
iff That Protects.
LIGHT ON AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT
The Producer VS.. The Manufacturer
and Demand for Fair Play at
the Hands of the National
Congress. Il

The wool growers of the land are to b.
heard before the committee on ways ant
means at Washington on January 6
Among the documents to be submitted a
that time for the consideration of ths
committe@is thsf following:
To the Hon. n pinsley, jr., Chairman, ant
Gentlemen of the Committee of Ways ant
Means of the 54th Congress:
Santa Fe, N. M, Dec. 28, 1896. .-Wher
Capt W. L. Black, Of Texas, propounded
the following qusry, SIS there any differ.
ence between the man who makes q wool
en- blanket and the men he employs to
weave it on the one hand, and the man
who raises the wool and the men he EN-.
ploys to shear his sheep on the other?' ~
he was speaking with reference to the
present tariff and its obvious discrimina-
tion against the wool grower. So far as
the so-called Wilson bill is concerned,
there is a difference, or at least one is
made, but no logical reason for such diff
ference has ever been given. The wool
grower is not in it; he has been willfully
ignored; and, for the first time since 1916,
he has been obliged to meet competition
from abroad without any share in the
protection tariff might afford, and at
the same time it was we'll understood he
would do 30 under most disadvantageous
circumstances and conditions. It is the
first instance in all recorded history of
any civilized nation deliberately under
taking to destroy its focks of sheep by
legislation, and the effort is doing it's per-
feet work
II was arrogant ignorance and political
expediency which placed wool upon the
free list, but. when the dollars were
counted and the statistics were studied,
the perpetrators of the act we're dismayed
to find they had committed political
blunder which would relegate them to
private life, if they could not change the
Issue and blind the people in the politi-
cal campaign. The wool growers were
not misled, and they rejoice, Gas men
should rejoice who are to be saved from
bankruptcy and ruin), that on the 4th
day of March next, the legislative and
administrative branches of the govern
ment will pass into the hands of the
friends of domestic industries.
The Republicans, who say that the
party must now act with exceeding eau
tion on the tariff question are apt to be
disguised free traders, or men who find
it convenient to overlook certain impor-
tant and practical facts in the present
state of affairs. If the Republican party
is not party of protection then it is
nothing; that is the breath of it's life, the
basis of it's usefulness, the means at it's
command for the correction of the evils
which have helped to create the existing
discomfort. 1t is pledged to readjust the
tariff in the interests of home labor and
domestic production; that is its great op-
portunity. The hope of the country is
not in it's resources of evasion and post.
ponement, but in its courage and
traightforwardness, and its future sue
cess depends upon the strict fulfllment of
its pledges, net in the letter only but in
their spirit as we'll.
WHY THE WOOL GROWER WANTS .PRoTEo.
TIoN.
The wool grower asks for protection
for reasons which are generally under
stood, but may be briefly summarized as
follows, viz:
First-The climatic conditions in the
United States are not as favorable to the
industry as in other lands.
Second-Our civilization places many
burdens upon him which his foreign COM
petitor does not bear.
Third-Land transportation, which he
is compelled to pay, is great deal
higher than ocean freight which his for
eign rival has to pay.
Fourth-The labor he employs costs
very much more than similar labor in
other countries.
Fifth - This is the only means of
meeting or offsetting the governmental
aid given wool growers in other lands.
Sixth-It is unjust to tax him for the
support of other industries while he is
left to struggle unaided against these ad-
verse circumstances and conditions.
Seventh-He needs protection that he
may be encouraged to utilize rough
mountainous sections and arid portions
of our country which could not other
wise be made of service.
Eighth-That the industries of our
country may be diversified to the end
that all may be employed and competi-
tion, degrading, grinding petition,
may be lessened.
Ninth--Because patriotism demands a
domestic supply of wool to clothe our