The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-19
CHOkED By SILVER.
Lumber Industry Staggering
Under . Heavy Load.
AeITATioN srAeNATEs TRADE.
4 Seattle Manufactures Tells Row the
Political Craze IL Paraiyz-
Ing Business.

Another instance Of the disastrous ef-
fecis Of the free silver craze on local
business interests came 10 light yesterday
IL = conversation with George W Sset-
son. TIE well-knowa IQmeerm&n OF this
city. AS he sat IN the handsome new
of-1cs Of the Stetson & Post Aill Conpa-
ny BE seemed TO be anything but cheer
tGl. and he was not long In giving the
reporter good grounds for kis clscour-
agemenE-
Tho month OF July" said ne. was
shs best business month we have had for
five years, and the outlook for business
y as Par Eicularly good This means q good
deal 10 mil as large ours. for we
have 10 plan our stock ahead OF time Il
Is utterly impract1cAble 10 run business
like this without thus forecAsilng the
future.
We'll. all during July. orders were COM
Ing in every day. and we fully expected
TO run over ume until November Is and
possibly longer. But what has this free
silver craze done? It has simply knocked
business in the head. i can't so into ali
the details without giving away trade Sc
erets. bur / can show you little CORE
sponaence that will convince the most
skeptical"
Mr.. Stetson then gave the reporter the
benefit OF some OF his Eastern correspond
ence which was exactly in line with other
recent instances sn this city OF the para
lying effects OF free silver talk. One Of
the chief lines OF trade which this mill
has cultivated is with big Eastern car
building companies 1t has been the habit
OF these companies TO indicate to Stetson
& Pest some time ia advance OF actual
orders what kind and amount OF stock
would probably be needed by certain
date.
Now look at these letters" said Mr.
Ststson: they don't exactly cancel orders
already placed with US. but after all they
practically amount TO that. You see each
one Of these six letters is from a promi-
nent Eastern car builder. Each OF them
says IN substance, Go slow; we do not
intend contracting for further business
while the silver excitement prevails
Now. SIR continued Mr.. Stetson. en-
phstieally. what better demonstration of
the bad effects OF free silver coinage can
a man ask than thar contained in these
lettersg There are representative business
men. whom the very possibility OF a weak
financial system causes 10 compress their
business promptly 10 the narrowest pos
sible limits. See what the local effect viii
be.
Talk with other mill men and you viii
find the same state of affairs. Our firm
Is not the only one IN receipt OF such broad
hints from the East. There are others.
We have been running over time, thus CIV
ing additional employment TO working
men. The revocation OF these large or
ders will bring us back again. and IL
things continue IN the same direction we
may be forced to reduce our hours sim
further. Workingmsn win need no fur
Their or other argument TO convince them
OF the fatal fallacy that turks beneath
the fair promises of the silver men. No
need TO talk about coercion. No coer-
cion Will be necessary to demonstrate to
the laboring men on which side OF the
present campaign his true interest lies.
And IL you see any skeptic up town, Just
any silver man open TO conviction. Just
send him down here. 1 think these letters
will do a little missionary work.