Mekino SnKip Industry. '223 



protection in competing with tlic Hccumulated capital and 

 low wages of other countries." 



Tlins these traditionary antagonists united on the basis of 

 " mutuality " of interests, and together they went before 

 Congress for a revision of the tariff that would suitably pro- 

 tect the woolen industries of America. 



" Unfortunately," says Bigelow, " they did not succeed in 

 ircttinir it in the session of 1865 and ^Q6, and in anticipation 

 of its passing the next session, seventy million pounds of 

 wool and woolens, almost equaling the entire imports of 

 the four preceding years, were imported under existing low 

 duties. Such an importation, together with the action of 

 government in throwing quantities of soldiers' woolen clothing 

 upon the market at prices less than the cost of the material, 

 terribly oppressed, but did not quite annihilate our woolen 

 industry ; the tariff was secure and a general prostration 

 averted." 



Had the large surplus of wool and of woolen fabrics, pro- 

 duced to take the place of cotton, been thrown upon our 

 market after the close of the war, under the provisions of 

 the previous tariff, these industries, wool and woolens, these 

 sources of national wealth, would have received a shock 

 from which recovery would have been reached, ii at all, 

 only through a long period of distress and embarrassment. 

 The increase from 1861 to 1867 has no parallel : in Aus- 

 tralia 34,000,000 pounds, or one hundred and six per cent. ; 

 in the Cape of Good Hope 10,000,000 pounds, or two hun- 

 dred and fifty-eight per cent. ; in La Plata 48,000,000 

 pounds, or two hundred per cent. 



With the close of the war and return of the cotton sup- 



