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Show THEY 8EEM TO HAVE SHORT MEMORIEO Advocates of free wool under tho new tariff bill must havo short memories, mem-ories, for tho Wilson tariff was enacted en-acted less than twenty years ago and any man who was In tho wool business busi-ness In 1893 Is not likely to forget tho blighting effect of that mcasuro on the Industries of tho country and especially on tho wool trndo. "Freo wool" and "Free raw materials" materi-als" wcro campaign cries of tho freo trade Democracy about 1890. A "freo wool club" was founded at Harvard College, and William E. IIusbcII, who was elected Governor of Massachusetts Massachus-etts In tho tidal wave of 1890, mado tho principal speech In his campaign for re election on the subject of freo wool. Ho pointed out tho "lino of cleavage" between tho prosperity or tho Massachusetts cotton mills with cotton freo from duty and tho depressed de-pressed condition ot tho woolen mills that had to pay duty on wool imported import-ed for their use. Cnmpalgn orators in tho election of 1892 assured tho voters that the election of a Democratic Demo-cratic president and Congress would result In a tariff with freo raw materials, ma-terials, and abovo nil freo wool, that would glvo tho country nn era of prosperity sucn as we had never enjoyed en-joyed before, drover, Grovcr, four moro years of Grover. In ho goes. Out thoy go. Then well bo In clover, was a favorlto campaign song In 1892. Tho great Democratic victory of 1892 gave them a President and both branches of Congress, ana what use thoy mndo ot their victory Is a matter mat-ter of history. The promised clover clo-ver enmo to a fow politicians and to almost nobody elso. Tho rndl6al cut in tho wool tariff resulted In a slaughter of tho sheep, and gave n blow to tlie sheep raising Industry from which It has never recovered. Freo wool under tho Wilson tariff had oxactly tho opposite effect from what was claimed would follow Its enactment and proved n disastrous experiment to tho wool and wootcii Interests of tho country. Incidentally Incidental-ly tho Freo Wool club changed Its name. Shortly before our war with Spain an Englishman talking with an Am crlcan resented our Interference In Cuba and said: "If you Yankees do not mind your own business wo inay havo to go over and glvo you a d good licking." Whereupon tho Yankee Yan-kee replied; "What, again?" So when freo wool Is ndvoc-itod as a Btepplng stono to great prospciity of tho wool and woolon trade wo can only say: "What, again?'' |