The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-10-28
WHY NOT TRY FREE wooLp
Sheep Raisers Wondering VIXEN
Free Trade VIII REACH Them

Free Trade VIII Reach Them.
The farmers of the agricultural
States are afraid that the next move
ment toward free trade will be the
removal of the duty from wool. Wool
is called raw material. 1t is a neces-
sary article of clothing. If the Amer
lean people were not producers or
wool, it might reasonably be argued
that wool should be put on the free
list. But wool is a great American
product. The sheep industry is
large one, and its existence depends
entirely upon the protective tariff.
Putting wool on the free list would
mean the American farmers would
go out of the sheep business entirely.
Sheep are managed with great econ
omy and with great productiveness in
Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New
Mexico. Among the older States Ohio
is the leading producer of wool In
none of these States or Territories
can sheep be grown and cared for as
cheaply as in many other parts of
the world. America has a monopoly
on raw cotton, and can defy all tar
IFS, but has no monopoly on raw
wool. If it is decided that we are
not justified in devoting our broad
prairies to the production of sheep,
then the duty ought to be removed
from everything and every article that
is made of wool. We have often said
that possibly it would be a good thing
to try the experiment of free trade as
regards wool and wool products or
course, the carpet mills in Pennsyl-
vania would stop. So would the
wooden mills in Ohio and New Eng
land. But 1t could be argued that
the people thrown out of employment
from the wooden mills could find use
full employment on the railroads and
farms, where labor Is sadly needed.
Ii the women employed in the wooden
mills OF the other parts of the coun-
try were thrown into i.lleness, families
could secure servants, now an impos-
slDllity. Whether or not these
changed conditions would be satisfac-
tory to all concerned we do not know.
We are not suggesting free wool nor
free trade in the products of wool,
and We do not favor it. But the ex-
pertinent of free trade is to be at
tempted, to satisfy a great many thou
sands of people who can see nothing
but evil in the tariff, wool and sheep
would give the best possible illustra-
ton or demonstration There seems
TO be a tremendous sentiment against
the tariff No man can itemize nor
particularize but he hes listened to
the arguments of the politician against
the tariff. Hence We want something
done besides argument. The removal
of the duty on COW hides has had no
perceptible effect either upon hides,
boots and shoes, or upon the price
of cattle. If free hides go successfully,
there will be those who will say, why
not try free wool?"-Des Moines Cap
ital.
Taxed to Keep Men from Starving.
Says a misguided Democratic con-
temporary: England, which depends
upon an income tax, has only a rev
enue tariff, and the people are not
taxed on the consumption of every
article between Acorns an Zapher."
No, but England is taxed severely on
the necessities of the breakfast table.
and is forced to raise greater income
to provide old age pensions and keep
from the poorhouse some hundreds of
thousands of unfortunate workingmen
who cannot find employment
Is 1t any wonder that the crusade
against free trade and in behalf of a
protective tariff is making strong head
way in overwhelmingly In
quirer.
Has Never Been Surpassed.
The best speech ever made on the
tariff was made by Abraham Lincoln
1t was brief, but to the point, and here
It Is: Il do not know much about the
tariff. but I know this much: When
we buy manufactured goods abroad we
get the goods and the foreigner gets
the money. When we buy the manu-
featured goods at home we get both
the goods and the money" Statesmen
who pretend to know more about the
tariff than Lincoln did have made long
speeches on the subject, but 1t is plain
- cay that old Abes argument has
never been surpassed for telling ef-
fecf;yennss.-Freeport (Ill.) Journal.