Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 May 1891 — LET THE POOR USE SHODDY. [ARTICLE]

LET THE POOR USE SHODDY.

So Says Judge 1 awrence, ol Ohio—Carpets ot Shoddy and Cow Hair—Greed of Protective Interests. Judge Lawrence, one of the Ohio political wool-growers, writes to the Boston Journal of Commerce a long letter advocating the total exclusion of carpet wools from this country. “The duties on carpets,” says Judge Lawrence, “are substantially prohibitory; they are entirely so on all carpets of classes made in the United States. The duties on coarse wools should be equally so, even if used only for carpets.” Although we grow almost no carpet wool in this country, for the simple reason that it pays better to grow clothing wool, Judge Lawrence would exclude foreign carpet wools entirely, and thus compel the carpet manufacturers to use in their carpets some of the low grades of wool now going into cloth. This would increase the price of Judge Lawrence’s wool; and that is just what he is striking for. But it would increase the price of carpets, too. Here, however, the Ohio shepherd proposes a.frank and brutal way of making a low grade of carpet for those who are compelled to buy cheap stuff. He says use shoddy. Hero are his words: “If a still cheaper variety of carpets be required, as there always will bo, they can be made from a mixture of Such coarse wool with shoddy and cow hair sufficiently cheap.” Judge Lawrence ought to know that our cheap carpets are already made largely of “shoddy and cow hair.” Recent improvements in shoddy spinning machinery, however, are rapidly increasing tho use of shoddy iu carpets. The frankness and the audacity of Judge Lawrence’s declaration for shoddy carpets for the poorer people should enlighten these people somewhat as to the spirit of protected interests generally. That declaration is but another proof that these protected interests are ready to enrich themselves at whatever cost to the people. Let all tho poorer people in the land use shoddy carpets, but Judge Lawrence must have his wool duty! But tho day of these wool politicians is passing. Even such a dyed-in-the-wool protectionist paper as the Journal of Commerce tells Judge Lawrence something for his benefit which shows how the tide is setting. The Journal says: “It is our impression, from the knowledge we have of the sentiment of woolen manufacturers on tho tariff Question, that the aggressive policy of wool-grow-ers or their representatives will, in time, and that not far distant, arouse an antagonism on the part of manufacturers to all tariff restrictions on the imports of raw materials, regardless of threats concerning the tariff on manufactured articles. ”