The San Francisco call., 1896-10-18
Nothing to Account for 1t But
Confidence in McKinley's
Election.
MERCHANTS WORKING NIGHTS
The Return of Good Times to Follow
Republican Success Antici.
pates 1t.

desired conSummatI0n mas already set IN
in anticipation OF 1t. The fact is business
circles are just now enjoying thrill OF
life, the like of which they have not known
for several years. 1t has come upon them
as a surprise here within the past two or
three weeks. Without an exception, all
the business men whom THE CALL yester-
day asked for an explanation of the cheer
ful phenomenon attributed it to the strong
indications of Major McKinley's election
to the Presidency. This applies to all
other than the wheat and -four men, who
have been enjoying something of a boom
for many weeks. The eXhilaration in that
direction is attributed OF course to failures
of crops in other wheatproducing coun-
tries.
But branches of trade having nothing to
do with wheat, such as leather and
fruits, have taken on squirt that the men
engaged in them cannot account for ex-
cept in the belief that buyers have become
assured that our National credit is not to
be disturbed by any radical change in our
financial policy.
mo, we won't take the usual Saturday
half holiday to-day" said member of the
firm of Porter Bros, dealers in dried iruits
yesterday afternoon, 1--WE being rushed,
absolutely rushed, with orders from the
East. In my experience l don't remem-
Der to have seen business look up in this
fashion in October. 1t came upon US all
of sudden, starting about the first of this
month. Latterly we have been kept at
work not only all day but at night.
Growers are getting about twice what
they received for their product last year.
The cause? Well, [ can see nothing for
1t but that big dealers in the East feel
reasonably safe with regard to the
future-by which l mean that Mckinley
Will be elected and business will not be
losing no time. They have held off and
held of, allowing their stocks to run
down until they really must have the
goods, and feeling reasonably confident
that all is well, they bave jumped in all
in bunch and are buying hand over
hand. As l say, L can't explain it at all
on any other grounds. Business men
want to do business, and have only been
waiting the cue to start in. Our firm has
been doing more business within the past
few weeks than it has done in any like
period in several years."
c. E. Whitney of G. E. Whitney & Co.,
provision merchants, said: There is
very marked improvement in our busi-
ness, which has come along during the
past few weeks-in fact, whether it was
mere coincidence or not, cannot gay, but
L remem Der that the first notable bunch
of orders came in on the day following the
nomination Of Palmer by the gold Demo-
Gratis at Indianapolis. l am assured that
Eastern business men have become firm
in the belief that Mckinley will be elected.
They are therefore confident that our
National credit will not be disturbed, that
sound money will prevail, and are so CIV
ing their minds to business again. The
improvement is also due in a measure to
the upward leaps of wheat which benefits
everything else in sympathy. l hope for
a continuance of the bettered conditions.
l have no doubt of it if Major Mckinley
is made President"
Colonel Frank w. Sumner of the Sum-
ner Tanning Com panv was altogether
fixed in the opinion that the better condi-
ton of the trade in his line was due to a
play of confidence in the election of Nc
Kinley. There was really nothing else
that could account for the marked i'm
provement.
Trade" he said, 'thas been depressed
for long, long time; times have been
very bad, very many people quit eating
meat; not so many cattle were killed; the
stock of hides became. run down and
continued so to do until now they have
reached quite low mark, although, mind
you, The bottom has been by no means
reached. Things are in that condition,
however, that they stand ready to leap
forward in active business with the assur-
ance of security, of protection and sound
finances. Things have improved very
notably in our line.'
A. B. Patrick of A. B. Patrick g. Co.
dealers in hides, ETC., talked along the
same lines exactly. Immediately after
the Chicago convention, when things
looked as though the country was going
to lose its head for Bryan and free silver,H
he said, business fell absolutely fat. No
man could be induced to buy more than
he needed for one day. Now men buy for
two and three weeks ahead, at prices very
considerably advanced above those pre-
vailing at that time. That shows conf
dence in the future, and that confidence
must be based on belief that McKinIey's
election is assured. The improvement be-
gan about two weeks ago and has been
cumulative as time passes.
IAN improvement in business ALWAYS
grows out of some welI-defined conditions
that account for it. There is no precon-
certed plan on the part of business men to
buy al one time or sell at another. Busi-
ness men study their business for their
own individual welfare, and when a man
in Maine begins to order hides and an
other in Minnesota does the same. and an
on from all over the country, it would in
dicate that there was something in the
air. 1t is the business men who feel these
things first and who know what they
want. These professional men and poll |
tTcians theorize and tinker with tariffs |
and finances and really know nothing
about either. predicted that hard times
would follow the election of Cleveland |
with his free-trade ideas. / told my men |
what would follow. but, / believe, most of |
them voted for Cleveland. Well, | am |
working just fifty less men than 1 en-
pioyed in 1890 and have been compelled to |
reduce the wages of those that remain.
And there's the wool business-'Oh, we |
must have free WOOL they said. Well, |
OF the spindles that were in action at the |
time OF the last National election about % |
per cent are Kept going now in desultory |
way, while those of England are rafting /
night and day. England is the one great |
purchaser of wool now and as result she |
names the price. American wool growers
as well as manufacturers have suffered |
immeasurably. They cannot sell their |
product. We have custom ers who cannot
pay their bills yet who. have immense
stocks OF wool on hand.
'They cannot get advances on them. A
few years ago to have wool was as good as I
having gold. But the leaven of conf
dence In return to better order of
things has been working all over this
country, and that affects the markets of
the world. There are no other 70, ,000, 900