Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-01-07
THE TARIFF DUTY ON WOOL.
Judge Lawarance States the Demand of
Those Who are Interested In Sheep
Raising.

To the Editor of The Manufactures. |
At the annual session i'm BellefOn-
tame. Ohio, December 9-l2. 1896, of
Ohio State Grange, with delegates
representing the counties of the
State, the following memorial to
congress was agreed upon:
''To the Congress of the United
States:
1--WE. the Patrons OF Husbandry of
the State of ohio i'm State Grange
assembled, do hereby memorialize
your honorable body as follows:
Whereas, Believing from recent
events that the policy of the incom-
ing administration is to be one of
protection. and that such policy
should apply To the wool growers
as well as Others Therefore. he il
resolved.
81. That we favor a hill imposing
ON merino wool and woods of NUT
ton breeds of sheep, unwashed l.
cents a pound: ON other woods :.
cents II pound; double duty on all il
washed; treble if secured.
"2. That Australian woods and
similar woods of light ~shrinkage in
securing as shorn i'm native condi-
ton, shall in any otherthan ordinary
condition IF whole fleece lie subject to
double duty
"T. II. SMITH. Master.
+. \. AKINs. Sec. State Grange
The following Mas also adoptcd:
I'VE recognize the good work and
competency of the National Wool
Growers Association to promote.
the interests of the American wool
growers. and that we heartily CO.
operate with them in their work he
for. congress tn secure satisfactory
legislation"
As the wool tariff provisions have
thus been agreed upon 90 by the
National Wool Growers Association
at Washington, December, lS9I: t2l
by the Farmers National Congress
at indianapolis. November lO-l3.
1897, and by the Ohio State Grange
ut Bellefontaine. December 9-12, 1S96,
lIItN NtbllStltutf tl1f = uItiilisttuil
of request of the wool growers of the.
United States. As the average farm
value al wool in lNNi was only eight
cents per pound, these rates of duty
will give but very moderate protcc-
ton.
1t is now demonstrated that
J.. A change of 2j.OOO votes i'm six
states carried in favor of Mckinley
i'm the rteen election 10y "a very small
majority would have resulted i'm the
election of Bryan.
>. A sufficient number of free silver
Republicans (tcpublicans who
favored Bryan's policy of free silver.
voted for Mckinley because they
deemed his promised most ample
protection for wool more impor-
tant than free silver.
The conclusion may he drawnfrom
this. that if the Republicans in con-
gress fail to give this most ample
protection" a sufficient number of
free silver Republicans may be I'M
willingly driven away from the Re-
publican party two years hence, to
elect a free silver majority in the
House of Representatives i'm WASH
ington. and four years hence to elect
u free silver candidate for the presi-
dency. For myself ! would regret
| his, but it is well that we should
recognize conditions as they are and
are to he.
An eminent Republican wool dealer
of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Justice
i'm a letter November 3, 1896, said:
The woolgrowers We're tempted
by the proposition that Bryan's cleo
meant a premium of fifty per cent. or
more upon gold. which would he
equivalent to that much tariff pro-
lection. as the duties as well as the
cost of importing wool would he
payable i'm gold, but they never for
got that Bryan voted for the Wilson
biIl"-iree wool.
This kind of protection cannot he
evaded. while an ad valorem duty
on wool can. A protection of fifty
per cent. which canno be evaded is
worth more than seventy per cent.
al vaInrem. which perjury can
readily reduce nearly one-half.
IL is "a singular fact hat most of
the wool exports from the United
States i'm the asst fiscal year went to
| Mexica-a free silver country
A dispatch from the city of Mexico,
| December ,, 1856, says
rhe government will stick to the
silver standard as being, i'm the
| opinion of the administration, the
one best adapted to this country and
as ~affording it at the present rate of
exchange 80 per cent. an immense
protection to home industry, while