The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-10-03
FREE WOOL.
mr.. Mckinley Talks on the Subject 90
Ohio Farmers.

shortly after seven o'clock Friday
morning and started for Maj. MckJn-
ley's house before he had finished his
sleep. A delegation marching with
bands through the streets at this early
hour was something of a novelty even
In Canton. The Marion people num-
bcred 500. Many of them were former
residents OF Canton. having gone To In
diana after the discovery of natural
gas.
At IL o'clock 500 citizens of Meadville
and Crawford county. Pa, arrived. Nal.
Mckinley was repeatedly cheered when
he appeared on the porch. DIR. I. l..
Flood was the speaker.
The third delegation Friday was from
Wyandot county. o. II arrived at noon
and marched at once to Maj. McKinley's
house. The spokesman were Gen. t. Nj.
Kirby and T.. Cuneo. a republican editor.
who Is q native OF Genoa, Italy.
After the speech-making Maj. McKin-
ley shook hands with his Wyandot
county visitors. He scarcely had time
10 eat his luncheon when the sound OF
advancing footsteps was heard and the
fourth and last delegation OF the day
arrived. IL was from Tifiin and Seneca
counties. o., and was large and enthu-
siastic.
George r. Stroth. OF Tifiin, was the
spokesman for the Seneca county dele
CATION. In response TO Mr.. Smiths adj
dress Maj. Mckinley made the longest
speech Of the day. talking mainly on
free wool. He said in part;
81 recall an utterance by Hon william
NJ. Springer. spoken I'm the house OF renre-
sentatives April T. 1892. when he was acvo-
eating free wool There may be some
wool growers I'm this audience. Ths In
what he said Pass this bill, and thou
sands OF feet heretofore bare and thou
sands OF limbs heretofore naked or covered
with rags, will be clothed I'm suitable gar
ments and the condition OF all the people
will be improved. IL will give employment
to $4,000 more operatives In wooden mills
IL viii increase the demand for wool and
prices VIII Increase. and with increased
demand for labor. wages viii increase.
Those who favor its passage may be as
sured that they have done something 10
promote the general veal: something 10
scatter plenty DER this smiling land.
well. the free wool bill was pas7ed
Have any OF you realized the promises then
made? Wool was made free and every
performances have tailed with the prom
ises then made. Instead OF adding $1,000
laborers 10 the payrolls OF the wooden mills
it has taken off more than that number.
Tho price OF wool has fallen, and with
what effect upon the manufactures / will
show hereafter. For the woods OF Ollo.
Pennsylvania, Michigan. New York. New
England. Connecticut and Missouri, "a va
rieties, washed and unwashed, the average
price in April. 1890, was 1913 cents ner pound :
in April. 1896, ia per pound. decline OF
more than ~ per cent. For the wool OF
Texas, California, Oregon, Montana. wy
oming, Utah, Colorado, Mexico. Georgia
and the south. 20 varieties, secured, the
price In April. 1890, was 49.l per pound; In
April, 1886, ga cents per pound, a decline
OF A2 per cent. other woods, ten varieties,
secured, In April. 1880. 45.9 per pound; In
1896, 2S.5 per pound. a decline OF 81 per cent
So great a decline cannot be found In any
other commodity. Ohio wool has dropped
from % cents in 1892 TO IS cents per pound
In 1896. This Will give you some ideg OF
what free wool has done for the wool POO
ducers In the United States
How has Il affected the manufacturer
1t is well known that there is but one GUS
toner for the wool grower OF the United
States. and that customer is the manufao-
turer OF the United States. The Amer
lean wool grower has no foreign market to-
day. lie cannot compete In any other
market with the woods grown on cheap
lands and by cheaper labor OF other coun-
tries This is his market, and wheh IL
Is taken from him. IL entails loss and rain
10 him. In the first year OF free wool. l20,-
100000 pounds of clothing woods camcto our
DC rts, an Increase OF over 800 per cent. as
compared with the largest importations re-
ceiVed when a duty was imposed. and the
total imports OF all classes reached 25O.0DO.-
0O0 pounds, while LIS 00O. 600 pounds was the
In m "A ON gN 4
able woods. Have these free Imports OF
WOO. benefited The manufacturer The
two years In which the manufacturers Rave
enjoyed free wool have been the most cis-
astrous In the history OF American wool
manufactures; greater than the disaster
which followed the close OF the war In 1912.
or the panics OF 1858 and 1857. II is a we'll
known fact that since free wool. 10 has not
been possible TO make wooden goods In the
United States with any confidence that
they would sell In the market for what IL
cost TO make them.
'The imports OF wooden goods following
free wool were simply enormous They av-
eraged s5,000,OOO a month in value. 80 that
at the end OF the first year under the new
law. the total value OF wool goods imported
had exceeded $GO,0OO.O0O foreign value In
1895 Il is estimated that nearly one-half
or the woolens which entered INTO con-
sumption were OF foreign make. We have
to manufacture all our wants-but Il is
not all In demand under present conditions.
We must start all the machinery I'm the
United States. my fellow citizens OF Sem
eca county. While they are idle working
people are looking for job, foreign. wool
growers are sending their wool TO the
United States while American farmers are
selling their hocks. Not one-half the
wooden machinery of the United States Is
employed. That Is the result OF free wool
IN the United statea.
Those who promised plenty and pros
perity under FREQ trade are now assuring
us that they can only be secured through
free silver. How will free silver stop the
Importation OF foreign wool? How can Tree
silver check tho appalling importations OF
WOODEN goods from the old world7 TOW
can free silver preserve the home market
10 the wool producer and the wooden mnnu-
facturer? My fellow citizens. Il is as de-
lusiye as free trade. IL VIII only further
cripple every interest I'm the United States
How can free silver Increase the demand
for American labor and American prod
ucts2 Answer me that. Remember. my
fellow citizens. that money does not make
buafuesg III never did and IA neyar v-fiI