Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-02
A Leading Democratic Paper Deserts
That Party.

great paper manufacturing center
Of New England. There are also
located in that city extensive textile
and other industries that give di-
versity to its commercial impor-
lance. With the success of the
Democratic party last fall there
came upon the place, as upon all
other manufacturing cities,
general stagnation of business
alarming to wage-workers and mill
owners. These depressed times
continue with little prospects of a
change for the better SO long as
the protective tariff is threatened
by the present administration. If
the platform promises of the
Democratic party are carried out
and the country given free trade
and wildcat currency, Holyoke,
the queen city of the Bay state,
with its grand factories that cost
millions of money, its tens of
thousands of wage-earners, its
successful commercial houses and
its cheerful homes, will become
the tomb of industrial thrift be-
meath the monuments of smoke
less chimney and crumbling walls.
The consciousness of this fact is
deeply impressed upon the resi-
dents of that city by the constant
business reversals that have come
upon them since Democracy was
voted into power, and before it has
had time to inaugurate its UNI
American policy. Since its estab-
lishment the Daily Free Press Of
Holyoke has been recognized as
one of the Democratic standard
bearers Of Massachusetts,. But it
is SO no longer. Discovering the
fallacy of the principles it advo-
Gated, and the ruin wrought
through their acceptance by the
people in a late issue it announces
its change from the Democratic to
the Republican party, in the
following leading editorial. The
article contains so many points
directly applicable to the twin cities
and the Wis. River Valley, where
paper, sulphite and wooden goods
are the chief products, the same
as in Holyoke, that we publish it
in full. To Democrats as we'll as
Republicans it will prove 1nstruc-
tive reading:
At the head of the column to-
day are found the names of the
Republican candidates for Cover
nor and Lieutenant Governor.
They occupy the same place in the
column that the names of the
Democratic candidates did last
year. It IS zoVth deepest regret that
tile Free Press acknowledges that 1t
has lost faHh in tile Democratic
party, and that it firmly beAe0es that
the present industrial, financial
st,zngeucy, and general distress
existing throughout tile land arr tile
result Of Democratic supremacy.
Such a conclusion should not be
reached nor the statement be made
without reasons. One year ago
this country was enjoying a pros
perity such as had never existed
before There was not an idle mill
in Massachusetts,. In this city
there was not a Waterwheel that
was not turning, not a spindle idle,
not loom that did not send its
pleasing hum out on the breeze,
not a paper engine or machine
that stopped from Monday morn
ing till Saturday night at mid
might; all was life and activity in
this the greatest paper producing
city in the world. There was not
a large mill in the city of Holyoke
that did not run over time. So
great was the output of paper,
cotton, wooden, silk and machinery
that the railroads kept a double
force of men at work with extra
locomotives all night, as we'll as
all day, handling the enormous
output of manufactured goods that
were being shipped to all parts OF
the known world. And this condi-
ton of affairs existed from sea to
sea, and from the Canadian line to
Mexico. The whole world looked
on and wondered at such pros
perity. Such was the condition of
affairs one year ago.
Last November Grover Cleve-
land, our noble President, was