Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-02

the National House of Repre-
sentatives and the Senate. The
Free Press believed with a major
lty of American people that the
Nation was destined, under Demo-
cratic control, to reach a still
higher plane of prosperity than it
had ever reached before, greater
than even that Of the year 1892.
Tie Democratic PARTY las nozO
had absolute control Of tile affairs
Of tie Nation toy se0en months, and
tile reSul-the most sow0zv1m time
tile Nation e5,er sac, business para
lyzed, industries shut down, wages
cut down, a financial panic, such a
stringency in the money market
that bank after bank, business
house after business house has had
to close its doors, hundreds of
thousands out of work.
A year ago all the mills in this
city were rushed with orders; they
could not produce fast enough for
the demand. To-day there is
scarcely mill in the city that is
running full time, and Of the large
mills there is but one that has not
gone on half time or cut wages 10
per cent or more. An awful change
for year. This frightful condi-
ton Of affairs appeals strongly to
the American citizen who has a
powerful weapon in his hand-the
ballot. 1t was the ballot that
brought about this great change
from prosperity to poverty, from
industrial activity to industrial
stagnation, from financial ascen-
dency to financial depression.
Tie present industrial staguahon
IS z0lhl0ut any doubt tie result of tile
free trade plank that 70as inserted
III tile Democratic National Plat
form Of 1892. That platform de-
nounced the protective tariff policy
under which the Nation has grown
and developed from a child to a
giant, and declared that if the
people intrusted the offices Of the
nation in its hands it would wipe
out every trace Of that policy.
The people who voted that ticket
did not believe that the platform
would be carried out to the letter.
They had faith in Grover Cleve-
land and other conservative men.
But the last few months have
shown that the President cannot
control his party, and in his brave
and uncompromising fight for the
repeal of the silver bill he is look
ing not to his own party for sup
port but to the Republicans who
passed the bill, and who now
stand shoulder to shoulder with
the President in his noble fight for
repeal. The absolute free traders
have secured control of the Demo
cratic party. They intend to make
great alterations in the existing
tariff laws. Tie manufacturer can
not start lis mill OH 1Mhme; lie can
only Jill his present 0rders. He dare
not make goods for tie future, far It
tile tariffs L070errd on the goods lie
manufactures and tile foreigu-made
goods are W0Ag-ht III direct conn.,
petition 7evth his, lie must lozver tile
Price Of his commodity. He cannot
Pay tile present high scale Of a0ages
and compete 70ihb foreign goods
made Iyb00rIy paid AeLb. If the
tariff laws are changed as proposed
by the National Democratic plat
form and insisted upon by the free
trade Democrats who control the
party, then the manufacturers
must adapt themselves to the new
condition of affairs. If the tariff
is removed on such goods as are
made by the Farr alpaca mill and
the Glasgow mill they would have
to close down tight or remove their
plants to Europe, where cheaper
labor can be secured. The same
is true of a portion of the Merrick
mill. If the tariff is removed from
the spool cotton thread the spin
ming department would be shut
down and over 900 hands thrown
out Of work, for the Merrick
Thread Company could then pur-
chase its cotton thread from Man
chester cheaper than they could
make it. Even under the existing
tariff law this company has at
times found it necessary when
rushed with orders to buy Man
chester cotton. The certainty that
the Democrats will make radical
changes in the tariff has been the
principal cause of the shutdown
of the mills.
Were it not for the fear we enter
tain Of the Enterprise becoming an
incubus to the Republican party
the same as it has to its own, we
would suggest its graceful sur