Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-10-23
IDLE MEN THROUGH BRYAN'S
CANDIDACY

|. The following clipped from the De-
trOit Free Press Is one of the best things
we have seen on the evil results of the
silver craze:
Alma, Mich, October 17.-C. III
Deere, president of the Deere Plow Co.
and the Deere q Mansur Co., of Moline,
two of the largest manufacturing con
Germs in Illinois, is at "The Alma" and
in an interview by The Free Press cor
respondent today, he stated that their
immense plants, which closed last Sat
urday night, would have to remain
closed a great portion Of the year in the
event of Mr.. Bryan's election; but upon
the announcement of Maj. Mckinley S
election, they would Immediately re-
sumo operations. This is statement,
coming as it does from the head of two
firms that employ about / 400 men, who
receive high wages. Moreover, Mr..
Deere is not a politician in any sense of
the word, but is "a thorough, wise bust
ness man of large experience. He has
always eschewed political honors, but
did accept a commissiOnership Of the
worlds fair from the state of Illinois.
The Deere Plow Co. has an invest
makers of plows in the United States.
900. The Deere & Mansur Co. has an
investment of $780, 900, manufactures
| corn planters, harrOws and general
line of agricultural implements. The
annual output is 100000. The two
companies have branches in st. Louis,
Dallas, Tex. Kansas City, Omaha and
Minneapolis, each of which is capitalized
at from 500, 600 to 100000. They en-
plOy sixty travelling men.
There is an awful significance of the
results of this free silver craze in paral-
iZing industries, when such firms as
these close their shops.
Mr.. Deere was asked by the CORES
pOndent to state the reasons for this
action on the part of his companies. His
reply is full of force and furnishes an
ominous prediction of what will befall
every industry if the free silver heresy
should win. He said: 'In the first
place, we sell our products on long time,
waiting sometimes a year for our pay.
This of necessity makes us very heavy
borrowers But the conditions of trade
are such that the bankers and money
lenders will not take chances on their
money. They do not know whether it
is coming back III one hundred cent
dollars, or fifty three cent dollars. They
have no confidence i'll the future. And
they do not know but that their depos-
itors may call out their deposits with
the changed conditions that Bryan's
election would inevitably bring about.
If Mckinley is elected there will be no
trouble to get money, for confidence
will be restored. With the present adj
vance i'll all farm products, manufac-
turers would be warranted in running
their works to their full capacity. There
will be consequently a demand for our
goods But if the election should go TO
Bryan, no knowing when we would get
the pay for our goods if we should put
them on the market, and what would
be the quality of the money received for
them. We have been putting honest
dollars, worth one hundred cents, into
our products, but if Bryan is elected we
do not know what kind of dollars we
would get for them Put a dollar
worth one hundred cents into them, and
get dollar worth fifty-three cents (and |
probably less in short time) out of
them. We would commit financial |
suicide to continue our manufacturing |
under the present unsettled conditions |
of finance.
If we manufacturers could convince |
the banks that Maj. Mckinley would be |
elected, there would be no trouble to |
borrow money. But they will not take
any chances, and you cannot blame
them for it, If we could be absolutely
certain of the triumph of sound money
and honest government, we would re-
sumo operations tomorrow. Although
/, as well as the other members of our
firms, feel perfectly confident that Will
lam Mckinley will win by the largest
ever given a Republican can
didate for president, yet we cannot
afford TO tempt fortune unreservedly.
We might better lose one years business
than to take too great chances"
When asked what he thought would be
the outcome in Illinois, Mr. Deere re-
piled: II have no doubt that Illinois
will 90 for sound money by a majority
Of at least 10000. l tell you Illinois is
going to surprise us. And we are going
TO turn Altgeld down. We have had
enough of his anarchy and his ma
,hine. AS to the national election, /
nave little doubt. Our sixty travelling
men come in close touch with every part
If the country, and especially of the
vest, and they bring III encouraging
'eports that Mckinley will surely win"