The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-03-13
a TRIsUTE FHom THE ENEMY.
rariG Refor1nefs Hava Scored . AEarked
Triumph or she wool Schedule.


rariG Reformera HAvs soorea 3 MARKED
Triumph on she wool Schedule.
The address OF Isl N. ID. North before
the ways and means committee of the
house OF representative was by all odds
the most interesting and enlightenfng
disclosure that the tariff bearing has
called out, il indeed It is not the most
important contribution to tariff litera-
ture and drought that has appeared
since Grover Cleveland's celebrated
tariff messageo Of 1887.
It was a genuine surprise. 1t was a
terrible shock to the fanatical protec-
tionist r. was the highest tribute to
the principle Of tariff reformthat could
be paid. Between the position Of the
free traders, as the protectionist press
denominates tariff reformers, and the
wooden manufacturers as represented
by Mr.. North, there is scarcely INT iota
of practical difference. In other words
the woolen manufacturers, speaking
through their official representative.
proclaim to the world their acceptance
Of the policy Of the free traders. This
is a great advance towards the final
and satisfactory settlement of the tariff
question.
The corner stone Of the tariff reform
structure wat1ree wool. That was the
key note Of President Cleveland's tariff
message in 1887. The center Of opposi-
ton to tariff reform was massed against
free wool. The free traders, accepting
the enemy's designation of tariff re-
formers. said that free wool would be a
boon to the people because it would
give them cheaper and better clothing;
that it would be a boon for the manu-
facturer because it would enlarge and
cheaper the supply Of raw material;
and that It would not injure the Ameyi-
can wool grower because the wool inn
ported would not compete with the
home clip; that the American grower
would be likely to be benefited by the
building up of the American wooden
manufacturing Industries. President
Cleveland set forth these views nine
years ago. and they were combatted
with such intensity by both the manu-
facturer and the grower that for very
consistency extreme views in the OPP
posite direction were incorporated into
the Mckinley law! What is Mr.. North's
testimony to-dny2 We quote from the
press report of his speech:
Never, until he had had experience under
free wool, did the manufacturer realize the
disadvantage he suffered under a wool
duty, and the irnpossibility of any COM
pensatory duty offsetting these ~disadvan-
20 ae The nuoanfrdffOn Of Amor{pan
purchases upon the woods which can be
bought under the duty increases the price
compared with that which would be paid
II all woods were available, and the course
Of the market under free woolhas indicated
that the enhancement of the price IS about
four cents per pound. A duty has another
effect in c~heapenmg the price of the wool
which cannot be imported. SO that the for
zign manufactures, added to all the other
advantages which he naturally possesses.
Is able to get his wool cheaper from a cause
growing indirectly out Of the duty.
All the restrictions Of the old law were
put there. Mr.. North insisted, to embarrass
and impede the manufactured in bis choice
Of wool They have that effect Rpd are
thus ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for which he
gets no equivalent. Mr. N5rth declared
that these restrictions were not required,
because there was hardly any occupation
for which the opportunities were so few
as in the sale Of wool
1t was necessary. he, believed, to recite
these facts. that congress and the Amer
lean people should uuderstand the econom-
&c disadvantage Of q duty en wool The
manufacturers did rot appear To- resist the
restoration Of a wool duty. They were
willing to make sacrifices in order that the
policy Of protection might apply to all
products that need Fprotections1 They
agreed In advance to q degree Of protection
equal to that to be imposed on their goods.
They simply demanded that there Should be
no return 20 the restrictive rates of pre-
vious wool schedules.
1t was a great and tmpoftnntS fact That,
as the manufacture had now developed
here. the use of foreign woods had become
indispensable. Any duties on wool, the pur-
pose of which was to exclude and pro-
hibit its Importation, would restrict the
American manufactures to such Fabrics as
can be produced from domestic wool. The
effect of such restriction would be to in
crease h Importation Of foFeignswools,in
manufactured form and diminish the de-
mand for American woods and h employ
r1ent of American machinery.
Mr.. North declared that no American
manufactures bought foreign wool Tor any
purpose for which he could use domestic
WOOL and that foreign Wool was not used
to displace Amerieans AID that whIte II
did not displace 1t, its importation increased
the market for AmericangwooL
Pretty substantial TESTIMONY ID favor
of free wool, is it mott a thorough az,
acknowledgement of the correctness of the
position Of the freestraders, isitnot2 II
must be remembered that NJ. North is
no mere theorist ~ Ne once regarded
President Cleveland, and Roger @
Mills, William L. Wilson and other free
traders. He Is not An emissary from he
Golden club. paid by Hrstiah gold
He is the representative and spokesman
of the practical men in business. he is
the secretary Of the Wool Manufactur'
ers' association, and the views he pre-
SCENTS must be accepted as the views Of
tne practical wool manufacturers. Anc
no theorizing free ttader has puB tht
arguments for free wool strohgertAa E
did MIR. North for the manufacturers
They are converted to tina belief in tn
very foundation o. tariff reform,
wool, after only two years praci@
experience in its use. And these two
years have been mpstunfavorable K
business Experiments d. any Kind.
We regard this confessicn as tie mos
striking effect that the campaign of ed