The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-05-01
WILSON'S WOOL TALK.
Unsound Premises of the Low Tnrin
Professor.

Professor.
For a man who is not the author OF
the tariff law of 1894 Mr.. Wilson Is I'M
necessarily disturbed over the radical
departure from his policy as embodied
in the wool schedule of the Dingley bill.
II is true that Mr.. Wilson generally en-
ioys the distinction of having construct
ed the worst tariff bill In the history
of our government, but this is not en-
tirely fair to Mr.. Wilson, for no one
can predict with absolute md unerring
certainly just what would have been
the result if Mr.. Wilson's tariff bill
had been adopted as he framed it. No
one can accurately calculate just how
many years it would have taken to
recover from the panic il Mr.. Wilson's
bill had become a law without the 403
amendments which the senate, under
the advice of Jones and German, tackled
onto IL.
But as the author of a tariff bill
which never became a law, Mr.. Wilson's
opinion of the Dingley bill is of course
entitled to some attention, although 1t
must be borne in mind that Mr.. Will
son was never engaged in any productive
industry and never sold a pound OF
wool in his life.
In criticising the wool schedule of
the Dingley bill Mr.. Wilson says that
il it becomes a law it will immediately
increase the cost and degrade the quail
ity of the wooden goods consumed"
In support of this contention Mr.. Will
son exhibits the results of his fine
mathematical training by doing some
reckless juggling with figures. Mr..
Wilson estimates that the Dingley
schedule will add $3.50 to the cost of
each inhabitants clothing each year,
or SlS0,OO0,O00 in increased cost OF
clothing.
If Mr.. Wilson's figures were borne out
by facts, who would get this $4,000 900
increase in the cost of clothing? II is
the evident purpose of Mr.. Wilson TO
make it appear that the wool growers
and makers of the cloth would divide
this sum between them. Nothing could
be more absurlly fallacious. Men can
not wear the cloth as it comes from the
loom. If Mr.. Wilson's contention were
true, at least two-thirds of this increase
would go to tailors and merchants.
Will any patriotic American grumble
over the distribution of such a sum
among the people who make mems
clothing and women's dresses?
But Mr.. Wilson's premises are not
sound. No honest student of the mar
kets will contend that the price of
clothing was decreased 90 per cent un-
der the German tnriff. If the price Of
clothing was not decreased 20 per cent
under the German law how can the
restoration of the Mckinley duties in
crease it 25 per cent. under the proposed
Dingley measure?
No man who is conscious Of mans
fallibility on economic questions will
contend that the Dingley wool schedule
is absolutely perfect. But it must al
ways be borne in mind that this country
cannot protect it's wool growers without
mourning some additional expense for
wooden cloth. It has been demonstrated
however, that the per capita increase
is so slight and so inconsequential com
rared to the incalculable benefits thai
accrue to the great wool-growing in
dustry that 10 genuine American viii
grumble at it for moment.-Chicagy
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