The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-22
WOOL INTERESTS AND PUBLIC
INTERESTS.

The Philadelphia Ledger is of the
opinion that the disagreement of the
wool growers and the wooden manufac-
turers was a good thing after all. "a
proyident disagreement" as it terms
it. The disagreement certainly showed
the people how they were victimized by
the tariff robbers where they agreed.
The Ledger says the schedule pre-
pared and presented by Judge Law
renee, president of the Wool Growers
association. would afford a much higher
measure of protection than the Nc
Kinley tariff; that in fact it is virtually
prohibitory, and one that would likely
wreck any party which imposed it. 1t
goes on to say that even the attempt
under the Mckinley tariff to harmon
ize the wool and wooden schedules was
unsatisfactory. Indeed" declares the
Ledger, the excessive Mckinley duties
upon wool and woolens were the chief
cause of that popular discomfort which
made Itself manifest at the polls in
1892 and swept out of power the party
that imposed them. When the great
political revolution of that year was
accomplished and a Democratic con-
gress and executive supplanted
a Republican congress and ex-
ecutive, Speaker Reed is stated
to have said: 1T was the women
who did it, it was the women at the
head of the homes of the whole coun-
try, who. going to the stores, were COM
PEELED TO pay Mckinley prices for
wooden clothing of every sort. for
wooden bedding of every sort. and for
wooden carpets that did it There was
nothing made of wool, either wholly
or partly. which was not enormously
enhanced in price by the Mckinley
tariff. and it was the women shoppers.
who are the buyers for the households.
who sent their husbands to the polls
ito vote for the party that pledged it
self to revise the tariff which was tax
ing so heavily the necessities of living"
All that is indisputahle, but the
Ledger made a rather strange admis-
sion, one that gives the whole question
of tariff legislation for the purpose of
protection away. 1t says:
1t is not altogether regretable that
the wool growers and the wooden man.
ufacturers have been unable to agree
upon common schedule of duties. Had
they done so, the ways and means com
mittee would not have been as free as
it now is to frame a wool and wooden
schedule which will be entirely ac-
ceptable to the country. instead of hav-
ing one forced upon it by those whose
interests conflict with those OF the
country.
The New York Tribune, commenting
upon the same subject. makes sub
stantially the same admission. 1t SAYS:
The question at issue between wool
growers and manufacturers might have
been settled wisely by them. Since
they throw it back to be settled by the
committee. that body will have to set
tie it without regard to the wishes of
either interest. but solely with respect
to the welfare of the country as a
whole.
Those are two of the most remark
able admissions ever made by urotec-
zionist papers. They should be care
fully considered. for they tell a most
wonderful tale. 1t is admitted that the !
disagreement of the wool growers and
the wooden manufacturers is not alto
gether regretable because the ways and |
means committee will now be free TO |
frame 2 wool and woolens schedule /
that Will be entirely acceptable to the |
whole country, instead of having one |
forced upon it by those whose interests
conflict with those of the country" |
This is a tacit admission that hereto
fore this schedule dealing with wool |
and woolens has been forced upon it |
by those whose interests conflict with |
those of the country. Never was any |
thing truer.
The contention of the tariff reform
ers has always been that the interests
OF the whole country were sacrificed for