The Dickinson press., 1896-05-23
the Wool Growers Of North Dakota.

swell we went down to Fargo to
send Bingenheimer to st. Louis and
to sit down on Hansbrough on &C.
count of the wool question and we did
both. l have no doubt but that the
Senator is all right, but the majority
seemed to think different. and of
course I had to go with the gang"
am led to infer from this that I
have been grossly misrepresented on
the wool question and that idle or
malicious stories have been circulated
calculated to injure me in the estima-
ton of the wool growers of the state,
and that these stories had much to
do with some things which happened
at Fargo.
In February last there appeared in
the columns Of the Mandan Pioneer
a communication from MI. Charles
Krauth, secretary of the North Dako.
ia Wool Growers Association, in
which it was assumed that none of
the silver Republicans in Congress
would vote for the emergency tariff
measure az it came from the House,
and on the theory that the measure
IN question, so far as it affected the
wool schedule, was better than exist.
ing conditions, MI. Krauth proceeded
to criticise the action of the silver
Republicans.
No exceptions were made, and the
comments of that portion of the state
press that has been hostile to me
made it appear that 1 was one of
those Republicans who had refused
to vote in favor of a measure calcu.
lated to relieve. in a small degree, a
depressed industry and one in which
the citizens of North Dakota are vi
tally interested.
1 took occasion to reply to this let.
ter under date of February 81. and
although it was published in the
Mandan Pioneer at the time, the ad-
mission on a date as late a May l
that delegates to Fargo were chosen
to .ssit down on Hansbrough or &C.
count of the wool question:" leads
me to infer that there still exists a
widespread misapprehension of my
position.
l was not one of the silver Repub.
licans who opposed the consideration
and passage of the House tariff bill.
| Examination of the Record will dis
close the fact that on both occasions
February IL and February 25-
when the matter was under discus
sion in the Senate, / voted in favor
of taking up and passing this bill, and,
as l stated in my letter to Mr.. Krauth,
II am a pro %tectionist from principle
and believe with my party in protec
tion." And 1 also said that II will
not permit my views on the money
question to interfere with any chance
of securing action in behalf of the
wool industry. At that time 1 also
came out in an interview in the East.
ern press deprecating the proposed
action of some of the silver Republi.
cans IN defeating a tariff measure
which, although by no means just or
adequate to the necessities of the
the Western agriculturist and wool
grower, offered some relief from the
operation of the present ruinous tariff
law. Under the blighting influence
of the wool schedule in the Wilson
bill an advance of 2 cents a pound is
noted on Australian wool in London.
while unwashed American wool has
declined 9 to IL cents a pound in Bos.
ton. The effect of this measure has
been to stimulate European manu-.
facture at the expense of the United
States and thus not only reduce the
price of and demand for American
wool, but it has lowered the standard
of American wages and increased the
army of idle men and women in this
country.
The bill as it comes to the house
does not afford the protection desired
by the wool growers, as has been very
clearly shown in the report Of the
National Wool Growers Association,
and this but emphasizes the necessity
of continued watchfulness on the part
of the friends of the wool grower.
The statistics tell the story of the
present depression of the wool indus.
try in this country.
To relieve tho wool growers there
fore, l am heartily in favor of any
change for the better in the wool tar.
iff.
Senator Carter, in a recent speech,
embodied an important memorial
from the the National Wool Growers
Association, and it contained so much
information for the wool growers I
caused a few copies of the speech to
be sent to those who would likely be
interested, but the vital part of the
speech does not appear to have been
closely examined, on account of some
prejudice against Mr. Carter.
1 wish to emphasize the fact that
it is much against my desire that any
question should interfere with an
American tariff measure. l believe
that every great public question
should be discussed and determined
purely on its merits. Throughout
my career in Congress / have voted
to defeat the proposition of more
government bonds, and in opposition
to the senseless policy of adding to
our national debt in times of profound
peace. I construe the Republican
policies of the past as a condemna.
tion of such a proposition and the re-
cent overwhelming vote in the Senate
81 to Gin favor of a thorough in.
vestigation of the bond scandals of
1894, 1895, 1896, but confirms my be.
lief that the American people are op.
posed to the manipulation of our f.
nances by New York and European
bond s%yndicates.
With assurances of most cordial
support of all measures calculated to
benefit the wool growers and the pro.
ducing classes Of this country gener.
ally, l am Respectfully,
H. G. HANsBRoUGH.
VIZ o,b;o~Ao n n Nov, 10 1QOQ