The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-06
WESTERN PRorE CTIoN.

There are few products of the ives
that can be directly protected by tar
If, but there is one industry, interest o.
production which can be, and efficient
Y. 1t is one in which every commune
" of the west is directly interested
Roaming over every prairie, on every
mountain side, along every valley and
up and down every canyon, from the
Mississippi river TO the Pacificand from
the lakes to the gulf are punches and
herds of cattle, wearing unprotected
hides. The important and leading GER
sals cannot be protected for the reason
that there is no competitive import on
these products. Hens eggs, hay and
hides are about the only things the
prices of which can be enhanced by a
protective tariff. A tariff on raw hides
Of from 81 TO So would be just so much
added to the price of every steer. and
there are millions of them. Such duty
would add but little to the cost Of the
average pair of boots and brogans and
nothing to the higher priced wear. The
leather men of the east who import
ship loads of cheap hides from all the
South American countries are now be-
fore the committee on ways and means
demanding that their raw material
shall remain on the free list. These
fellows defeated the hide clause in the
Mckinley bill because Of which the
Eagle gave il a brown roast which il
was not permitted to forget for long
time, so this must not be taken as a
roast, but simply as mild kind of pro-
test. These leather. fiends and shoe fac
tory fellows are not without gall and
they are vehement in their demands.
Their principal claim is that with free
hides they were enabled TO increase the
leather exports by leaps and bounds
from SO, 747, 40 in 1889 to S14. 2S3, APO
In 1894, and FOR the first ten months of
1896 their leather exports reached S15,-
S6.2SS. or for the year nearly $1,000
600. Well, what of it? Does not such
vast sum. according TO the protection
10 American productions idea just mark
she amount of the western farmers
loss? Are eastern tanners 10 revel in
money and the stink of their tanks at
the cost Of the principal protective pro-
ductive product of the west? Do these
boot and shoe makers pretend that free
hides TO their protected factories is 60
ing TO increase their market demands |
for western meat and western wheat to |
compromising degree for our annual |
loss Of millions? Will these Massachu- !
sets cobblerS and tanners loan to the |
west of their surplus profits sufficient |
money and at such rates as will even
the thing up? Or have they failed Of |
regaining their confidence" in western
securities? AS we understand it, the
Republican party was successful last
fall upon the distinct proposition of
protection, on an equitable and univer-
sal stiff protection fer every such pro-
duct of farm and of factory as is forced
to meet foreign competition. They want
free hides but protection for the shoes
that they sell back to us. and which
shoes are manufactured from the hides
which they have practically stolen
from the west. Free South American
hides have Frustrated the cattle indus
try of the west. Argentina can ship
hides into this country for less money
than it costs to skin a steer. The fell
lows who are doing the talking to the
committee on ways and means evidently
are possessed of the conviction that all
the western farmer wants to make him
prosperous is protected lumber ~ and
free hides. These, together with pro-
lection against Canada hens, ought TO |
satisfy a people who, in sending long
whlskers TO congress for the rest wear |
hair and run wild. The great manufac-
turing states of the east which in going
for Republican protection last fall have l
not Yet ceased to criticiSe the western /
states, which never failed to do so be- 1
fore, might better understand. and be- )
fore il is too late, that while the west {
has been forced 10 consent to be chew |
Prs Of wood and drawers of water" for /
he east, and 10 give up their pound of {
lesh. that we want enough blood left '
q live on, even if in the wild, simple
'ort Of way Sugge sd.