The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-21
UTAH WOOL MEN FAIL,


The wool growers of this State lacked
the courage Of their convictions IN the
resolution they adopted protesting
against any decrease IN the tariff on
wool, and, on the contrary, asking Tor
an increase in that tariff. They give
as the reason for this action that :" the
cost of the production of wool in the
West has materially increased since the
passage of tho pingley tariff bill"
But what has made that Increase! Inc
general increase in the cost OF living
since tho passage of the Dingley tariff
bill is not peculiar 10 the wool grow
ing interests, but is suffered by the
whole community alike, aud affords no
special reason why there should be any
increase in the tariff OH wool, y gem
eral condition applying to the whole
community alike is not susceptible OF
being used as an argument IL any spe-
cial interest.
There is only one valid reason that
can be urged in this special interest IN
behalf of the claim Of the wool men;
that is the inauguration of tho So
called forest reserve policy of tho ad~
minisnation, and the heavy grazing
charges and determinations as between
friends and enemies in the fixing OF
the grazing charges, aud the limitation
of the number of sheep TO be grazcd on
the various reserves as established.
Tho wool men Of Idaho spoke out
clearly and emphatically ou this ques~
ton, protesting against the forest re-
serve policy as administered, and de-
mauding more freedom and less regula-
tion and interference. The protest OF
The Idaho wool men against any de-
crease in the wool tariff has something
TO back it. The protest of the Utah
wool men has nothing to back it, be-
cause the Utah wool men failed 10 bring
forward the real reason why there
should be no decrease IN the wool tariff
schedule.
As long as the Utah wool men are too
timid or too blinded through partisan
ship TO bring forward their real reason
for opposing the decrease in the tariff
on wool, they cannot expect much at
tcntion to be paid by the House of
Representatives to their protest, The
Ways and Means committee OF that
House is engaged in hearing reasons
why the tariff should be modified or
changed in It's various schedules. That
committee expects 10 hear reasons pro.
duced by those who appear before il.
Those reasons this committee expects
to urge in tho House IN behalf OF the
recommendations it will make. Now,
suppose that the committee should ac-
ccde to the protest Of the Utah wool
men and, relying upon that alone,
should be asked by some member why
it had thus complied with the demand of
the Utah wool men. The answer would
be because the cost Of the production
of wool had been increased since the
passage of the Dingley tariff bill. The
questioner would ask what made this
increase. The committee would be alb.
solutcly dumb for n fit reply, because
nothing is shown from this Utah pro.
test to back the statements that are
made upon such increase in the cost
of producing wool,
The protest OF the Utah wool men
will, therefore, necessarily bo abso-
lutely ineffective on examination in the
House; because no reason is aIfored
for the protest and statement made,
The reason why no reason was given
for the Utah wool men 5 statement is
that those wool men were afraid TO
criticize the forestry reserve policy OF
the administration, as the Idaho wool
men freely did. But in so ucglccting
10 state the reason for the increase in
the cost of producing wool and thereby
not giving the true reason why there
should be DO reduction in the tariff
on wool, the Utah sheepmen have lost
great opportunity TO strike ar effect
i've blow IN their own interest, and at
the same time have made themseiyc!
the voiters of an empty protest that u
backed by no fact and fortified by no
explanation: the protest is bare as
sertion. They have, therefore, done
themselves au Injustice III this matter,
and they stand before the country as
asking something for which they give
no reason, and as pleading a fact which
they dare not back up by the business
like showing that they ought to mako
in its support.