The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-10-09

power IN all branches OF the government
it will give toathis industry fair and just
protection with all other industries of the
\ country. --'--.,4--.s
But, my fellow citizens. what we want,
whether we produce wool Or any other
agricultural product-WEat We want is to
preserve the splendid home market to cur
own American producers (Great ap-
plause.) Ir is the best market in the
world. There is no other market like it.
and upon every principle of justice and
fair play it belongs to us and nobody else
before us. applause and cries of
''That's right.') Protection to the farm
er has been recognized from the Begin
ming of the government until now.
| Wool Industry's Importance
AS showing the importance of your in
| dustry, il is only necessary to say that
in 1892 there were 100000 wool growers
| in the United States-7OO.OOO people
whose chief occupation was that Of wool
| growing There We're probably one
| fourth as many more who were owners
| of small fioczs of sheep in the United
States. This industry employed besides
| those who owned the focks, it is estimat-
ed, at least 100000 laborers, representing
| with those who We're dependent upon
| them, nearly 2,500,000 people. There were
100000 farms, averaging 160 acres each,
| devoted to this industry, and the noun
famous regions and the vast plains of
the great West, which are not adapted
to other kinds of farming, have been
utilized in this great industry and made
valuable. Every one of these farms, COM
priSing $50 acres of land-112,OOO 200
acres in all-have been seriously injured
by placing wool upon the free list.
In one of the agricultural papers of
the West l have seen the statement that
in Oregon, Utah, Washington. Idaho and
Western Montana, there were 6,710 TAG
sheep, which were worth in 1892 $13,-
421 600, and which in 1896 We're worth
only $6,71O,OO0. In 1892 we had A.
273,553 sheep in the United States valued
at $125, 25,0O6OO0. In 1895 we had 3S,-
29s,OO0 valued at $65,OOO,OOO. The total
imports of woolen goods in 1862, under
the Republican protectice tariff law, were
little above $37 100000, and in 1895,
under the Wilson tariff law, the imports
amounted to more than $6O,OOO,OOO.
(Cries of 'Hurrah for Mckinley and the
Republican party.'O
His Words in 1888 Recalled
On April 2, 1883, in presenting the mi
nority report in opposition to the Mills
tariff bill in the National House of Rep
resentatives, said: 'Wool on the free
list is deadly assault upon a great
agricultural interest, and will fall with
terrible severity upon a million people,
The households and dependencies. 1t will
destroy invested capital, unsettle estab-
llshed values, wrest from flock masters
their lifetime earnings, bankrupt thou
sands of our best and most industrious
farmers and drive them into other
branches of agriculture already over
crowded. (Cries of ''Thats what it has
done.) 1t is vicious and indefensible
blow at the entire agricultural interests
of the country" (Cries of "You are
right.')
Alexander Hamilton, in his report upon
manufactures, made to Congress 104
years ago, said: "This idea of an exten-
sive domestic market for the surplus pro-
duce of the soil is of the first Importance.
1t is, of all things. that which most eff
fectually conduces to a hourishing state
of agriculture
Thomas Jefferson said: Experience
has taught me that manufacturers are as
necessary to our independence as to our
comfort. The duties we lay on all arti-
cles of foreign manufacture which pru-
dence requires US to establish at home,
with the patriotic determination of ev-
cry good citizen to use no foreign article
which can be made at home, secure us
against relapse into foreign dependency
My own idea is that we should encourage
home manufactures to the extent of our
own consumption" (Applause.)
Home Market Always the Best
1 have said that the home market is the
hos ,ar1-n Nn11 I'M thnt
perience, and the home market is made
better by increasing our factories and CIV
ing employment to idle workingmen.
Great cheering) Put every idle man in
the country to work and your consumers
will be ncreased-(applauSe and cries of
'That's righf)-and when your consum-
ers are increased, then your market is i'm
proved and the better the price you re-
ceive for your product. (Cries Of GOOD,
good."O
You remember that in 1892 it was re-
peatedly stated that free wool would in
crease the price of wool to the American
wool grower-(a voice, 'sThats the big
gest lie that was ever told'' and great
laughter)-but then you heard them tell
| it. (Renewed laughter and cries OF
"Yes, we did.'D There may have been
some farmers who thought that was true.
| CA voice, 'Well, they know better now,"
and great laughter) There are none who
| think so now. (Renewed laughter and ap-
plause.) 1t was said that if we opened
up this country to the free use of the
wool of the world, the farmers would be
benefited. 1t was done, and with what
benefit you know better than can tell
; you.
Now they tell you that free silver
| Qaughter)-is the panacea for all your ills
-renewed laughter)-and you have that
same money in circulation now that you
had four years ago, but the wool grow
ers haven't got as much of it as they had
then (Cries of ''That's right'O AS free
wool degraded your industry, so free sill
yer will degrade your money. Applause
and cries of "That's right'D You have
already been feeced by loss of you1
flocks, and you don't propose to be
fieeced further by loss on your money
(Great cheering9
| Must Protect American Labor.
We have opened up our mills to the