Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-10-18

were ,reatly surprised to hear our
townslan Philip Allen, jr., ir his
speeemn Tuesday evening, charge the
Democatic administration with being
responihle for stagnation in our local
manufacturing establishments in gen
eral, ad the Mineral Point pulp and
paper mill in particular, In the first
place, he general business depression,
from 'hich the country is now happily
recovcing, was but the culmination
of illadviSed and hurtful measures
of tinnce and taxation enacted under
the log sway Of the republican party;
and lr. Allen simply fell into the
common error Of his party, when he
laid ae blame at the door Of dem
ocracJ instead of giving the present
wise nd strong national administra.
tion cedit for greatly mitigating the
evils Incident to a dehaScd currency
and Ugh tariff taxation, in time Of
world wide financial embarrassment,
But it, not in this general way that
it is OF purpose to write. We simply
desire consider the manufacturing
industos of Mineral Point, to which
Mr. AlAn had the hardihood to refer.
The Mineral Point woolen mills,
which teadily lost money under the
Mckinney tariff, are now doing a pros
porous business; and, while running
over tine, are unable to I'LL all the
ordersreceived,
While the sales of oxide, during the
year, from the Mineral Point zinc
works have been large there is
anothG great factory the lNnyon
oxide company, at Waukegan, ILL.,,
helping to supply the trade, which was
formely supplied almost alone by the
Minenl Point company There is
now Icing built at the factory in this
city, new cooper shop and larger
evidence of confidence in
business prospects, and u speedy re
SUMPTION of work. But rs the business
of The company is always conducted
without interference in political mat
ters, we will not refer to it further in
this connection; and would not have
done so at all had not Mr. Allen
started the ball rolling
AS The Democrat understands Mr.
Allen he claims that the Mineral
Point pulp and paper mills would be
in successful operation, only for lack
of confidence, general business stagna.
tion, and a lessened demand for paper,
all caused by the political revolution
of 1872, which placed all departments
of federal government in Democratic
handL But the claim is not well
founded; because over on the Fox
river, and In other portions of the state
naturally adapted to the business, there
is great activity and prosperity in the
pulp and paper trade. At Kaukauna,
there has just been completed and
placed in operation the largest pulp
and paper mill in the world.
The pulp and paper mills were built
in tbs city for the purpose of manu-
featuring MANILA paper from poplar
wood and flax straw, and it has not yet
been demonstrated that this can be
done prohta6)y. Poplar wood Is the
only raw material available in this
territory for the manufacture of pulp.
The truth is that the attempt to es.
tabliSh pulp and paper mills in Mineral
Point has proved very dear expert
mem to the people of the city in gen
eral, who voted aid to the amount Of
ten thousand dollars; and more partic.
ular to individual stock holders. In II
we have a direct application Of the so
called doctrine Of protection. The
Democrat has no desire to escape
responsibility in the matter. We al
lowed the bonus TO be voted without a
word Of protest; but hereby promise
10 never again fail to offer to any such
the objection, that 1t is
TO take by taxation
the property of one citizen and bestow
Il upon another or invest II In bust
ness enterprise.
At home here, where the facts In the
matter are so well kno Wn, 1t is the
height Of folly for any one to try to
make party capital out of the fact that
The mills of the Mineral Point Linen
and Fibre company are not In sue