Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1895 — FREE WOOL FRAUD. [ARTICLE]

FREE WOOL FRAUD.

American Farmers Fleeced Through the Fleece* of Their Flocks. Many newspapers have republished a significant table prepared by Messrs. Justice, Bateman & Co., sion merchants pf Philadelphia, showiug the comparative values of wool on Oct. 1, 1891, one year after the passage of the McKinley law, and Oct. 1, 1895, one year after the passage of the free wool Wilson-Gorman law, as follows: Cbmparison of prices for leading grades of American wool Oct. 1, 1895 (about one year after the passage of the Wilson free wool fill!) with prices for the same grades in October, 1891—about one year after the passage of the McKinley law. vh a i6~> as s|| . ,H s s .9 * £ vH 1) r* q American Wool. "g £ £ Philadelphia and Boston „ a. ? fi. Prices. gS* u o •COA “C£ £ tc Cm o XX Ohio washed 30>4c 18%c 12 Ohio medium washed. .. .36c 21c 15 Ohio coarse washed <*4 blood) 33 c 22c 11 t Ohio fine unwashed 2V/>c 13c 8!4 hid. & Mo. fine uuwasbed.2oc” 12c 8 Ind. & Mo. med. unwd. ( l /j blood) 27c 15c 12 Ind. Mo. coarse bipod unwd ) . 17'ic 7<A Oregon A- Col. fine, shrink 70 per cent 18V£c 10c BV4 XX Ohio scoured. 65c 39%c 25V4 Ohio medium scoured.. ..60c 35c 25 Ohio Vi hiood scoured 44c 29c 15 Ore. & Col. fine scoured. .61b 33%c 27% Commenting upon the foregoing, a newspaper defender of Grover Cleveland's ruinous free wool policy said: “Any newspaper disposed to be fair

in discussing wool values would hate taken into consideration the fact th.it during the past two years the price of all agricultural products has been vjicommonly low. In that period,, for example, cotton reached the lowest nde on record, though cotton is not protected by the tariff at all. Wheat likewise reached its minimum figure. Evsry,. country in the world has been affected by tliis decline in the value of agricultural commodities, and wool has furnished no exception to the rule." Such a statement is the product of an unduly stimulated imagination for, in point of fact, foreign wool Is not only no lower than in October, 1891, when the McKinley law had been in f®rce for one year, but is higher In the markets of the world, as will l>c seen by the following table of Ijomlon market quotations for etght of the leading Ixmdou grades of wool that arc most llko Anterlcan wool: i $ v H ** H • a o Foreign Wool. *io ..f London Prices. jS .3 | la •* tu £ s Port Pblllp creasy (similar to XX Ohio) 11V/1 12d %A New Zealand croMbred greasy (similar to Ohio medium) U%d 12y,d Id English Shropshire hoggets wlmiiar to Ohio quarter *•-■***■-

blood) ...lid 12d Id Cape grease 6Vid «14d Port Philip scoured 23d 24d id) N. Zealand crossbred scoured .....19d 20d Id English Shropshire hogs scoured “. 14%d 16d 1% Fine Capo scoured...... .15Vid' 15V4d Since this table was prepared foreign wools have advanced. American wools are unchanged. • * In 1893 the farmers of New York State averaged 200 sheep each. They can easily see how they have been robbed by a glance at the following statement: The average production of clean scoured wool by each farmer in Ohio, Michigan and New York .States during President Harrison’s administration, and under McKinley law protection, was GOO pounds, the value of which was 60 cents per pound. Under Cleveland’s administration and Gorman tariff free trade the value of the same has been 30 cents per pound. The net gain to each farmer by reason of cheaper frel wool clothing (allowing three pounds orptfre scoured wool to eight annual new suits of clothing to each family) would be $7.20. Giving credit for cheaper clothing, the net average loss on the wool and sheep by reason of free wool has been $422.80, as the following table will show: March, 1893, and previous, 600 pounds scoured wool at McKinley price, GO - cents . |360 00 October,' 1895, and previous, 600 pounds scoured wool at Wilson law price, 30 cents 180 00 Loss on wool. fIBO 00 March, 1893, ana previous, 200 sheep, i at $4 7800 00 October, 1895, and previous, 200

sheep, at $2.75 650 00 Loss on sheep $250 00 Total loss on wool and sheep $430 00 ClotlilEg, eight suits at 3 pounds on eaeli suit, 24 pounds, McKinley price, 60 cents sl4 40 Clothing, eight suits, at 3 pounds on each suit, 24 pounds, Wilson law price, 30 cents...’ 7 20 Saving on eight suits of clothing by free wool 7 20 Net loss to each wool grower oy free trade In wool $422 80 The same paper said: "But the worshipers of the McKinley tariff idol are rapidly diminishing among the farmers of this country.” If “the worshipers of the McKinley tail'? idol” are diminishing, why did maty hitherto Democratic farmers last year join the Republican party? It was to lepudiate Grover Cleveland, ami all that he stands for, and for nothing els,*. They ranged themselves with the Republican party for protection. If the coining session of Congress don’t try to glpe them protection sufficient to protect, these former Democratic farmers trill have no further use for the Republic parry, and these Democratic newspapers know it. Tills is why they are shrieking so loudly that McKinley protection is a dead issue. They want it to be a dead issue, otherwise they are beaten. These former Democratic farmers want the law that made the American people under Gen. Harrison’s administration not only the most pros-

perons hi its history, but the most pro*> perous people in ail the world. Kffect of Free Wool. The official reports from the Depart* ment of Agriculture show the following: Values of flocks. Jan. 1: Montana . *4,227,400 *4,501,895 *6,528.560 N. Mexico. 2,692,898 3.689,169 4,101.948 Itah ..... 2.998,885 3.098,480 5.036.022 Oregon ... 2.945.905 4.433,403 5,903,182 Nevada... 1,316,667 1,164,162 1,347,092 Colorado.. 1,984,058 2,396,205 3,105,8031. Arliona .. 901,081 1.209,681 1^06.98#* N. Dakota. 616,701 754,073 1,173,699 H. Dakota. 532,960 750,642 1.066,608 Idaho .... L2C9.77Q 1,753,981 1,910,655 Wash*ton 1,304,360 1,989,796 2,328.130 Wyoming 2,004,102 2,606,284 3,300^35 Total.. .*22,824,801 *28,746,861 *37,108,932 Decrease from value in 1894... .*5,922.000 Decrease from value In 1898... .14,284,131 The Coward’s Cry. There is a striking resemblance between the attacks of old on the abolitionists and those of to-day on the upholders of protection. “Leave well enough alone; don’t disturb the country by agitation; the people need repose," etc., etc., were the cries then as now. Judge Lynch Trial Needed. Gov. Carr of North Carolina observes: “The new tariff has not had a fair trial yet.” Most people are now convinced that it ought not to have received any trial at all. Teams for Himself Only. While yearning for the good of all mankind, the free trader will try to reduce the wages of his own help to the European standard. ' ;.*• —r; Not Po, the Free Trader. The protectionist is always willing to live and let -live, *