The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-09-28

ter said:
sheep are about the most profitable
and useful animals on the farms, II
they are well cared for; and they con-
stitute about the best property baron
eter to indicate the condition OF the
government and the people. Many
farmers insist that sheep pay for
themselves in weed killing and en-
riching the soil, and that all the other
income from sheep Is clear profit-a
profit that will average more than loo
per cent annually as long as American
labor receives the protection 1t should
have. The income from that scrub
sheep would not have paid for the
sleeps feed during any six months OF
the free-trade and free-silver agita-
ton hard times-from 1898 to 1897.
Compare the history of that scrub
sheep with any of the speeches OF Col.
w. ]. Bryan, and you will have proof
of the difference between principle and
theory"
Ohio Farmers Made Glad.
Another remarkable illustration OF
the difference in the value of sheep I'M
der free-trade and protection occurred
in connection with an assignee's sale
of the estate of a farmer in Jefferson
county, Ohio, in October, 1894, few
weeks after the passage OF the Will
son bill with its freewool clause. The
animals sold were all fine black-top-
ped Merinos. The files Of the Ohio
State Journal show that 40 ewes sold
at this sale for SO cents each, 30 lambs
for 80 cents each, and registered DUCK
was knocked down for so cents. Other
lots chosen from the same flock sold
at similar prices, and all were fine
Merino sheep. 1t is recorded that
farmer in Fulton county, Ohio, recently
sold 1875 head of sheep for $500, being
$6.40 per head. The farmer OF Full
ton county will tell you that under the
Wilson law that number of sheep
would not have produced $125, perhaps
less, and that owners would have had
to look around a long time for a pur-
chaser at any price.
Early this year the American Protec-
tive Tariff League sent a circular OF
inquiry to sheep owners throughout the
United States asking for information
on the following points:
Number of sheep owned in March,
1896. Wilson law free wool period)
Number of sheep owned in March,
1900. (Dingley law, protected wool
period)
Average value per head in March,
1896. (Wilson law, free wool period.)
Average value per head in March,
1900. (Dingley law, protected wool
period.)
Up to June of this year replies had
been received from sheep raisers in 50
states.
In commenting on these returns let
us begin with a section of the country
where for time the belief was strong
that if you would see prosperity you
must look through silver spectacles.
Take Montana for example, which in
April, 1899, had 3,21S,S02 sheep. Seventy
two reports from Montana show that
in March, 1896, the persons reporting
owned 304,374 sheep, with an average
market value of $2.12 per head; where
as in March, 1900, these same persons
had increased their flocks to 525,434,
and the average value per head had
grown to $4.15, or only 8 cents less
than double the value of 1896. For
1900 Montana will show fiocks num-
bering fully 100000, and protection
will be worth to the sheep raisers more
than $1O,OOO,0O0 as compared with free
trade. to say nothing of an increase
of more than 50 900 900 in the value of
each years wool clip. Silver spectacles
did not enable the farmers OF Mon
tana to see this immense gain in their
wealth.
Utah Blessed with Prosperity.
Fifteen Utah farmers state that in
1896 their fiocks numbered 5000,
valued at $1.81 per head, and that four
wears later this number had increased
to 1880, and the value per head was
now $3.50. With a present total OF
more than 100000 it ought not to be
very difficult to convince Utah sheep
raisers that the country made good
choice when it rejected free silver and
free wool for protection and 1O0-cent
dollar.
In Colorado, according to the reports
from SO owners, the fiocks have in
creased from 154,O39 in 1896 to 1885,
524 in March, 1900, and the average
value per head has been increased
from $2.03 to. 1894. 1t would take
the combined profits of good many
silver mines under "16 to T. ratio
to equal the gain which Colorado has
realized on her sheep and her wool.
Idaho's showing is still more i'm
pressive. Forty of her sheep farmers
report 156, 1858 head in March, 1896, and
275. 161 in March, 1900; and they state
that the value per head has advanced
from s1.76 to s4.10. This year will
see more than 100000 sheep and
clip of about 10000 900 pounds of wool
in Idaho. Can Mr.. Bryan and his
free wool propaganda offer Idaho any