New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-26
7
AN ADDRESS TO WOOL-GROWERS.


AN ADDRESS TO WOOL-GROWERS.
After the speechmakng Major Mckinley shook
hands with his Wyandotte County visitors lie
had scarcely had time TO eat his luncheon when the
sound OF advancing footsteps was heard, ana the
fourth and last delegation OF the day arrived IL
was from Seneca County. Ohio. and was large ana
enthusiastic. George L. Stroth. OF Tifiin was the
spokesman His address was strong, ana MS 'e-
marks in presenting a handsomely framed steel en-
craving OF the late General W. II. Gibson 10 Ma'o'
Mckinley were eloquent and touching. The picture
was presented on behalf OF the widow Of Generai
Gibson In response to Mr. Stroths address MAJOR
Mckinley said
NV Fellow Citizens and Ladies and Gentlemen
| have been very much moved by the generous
message which has been presented 10 me "!
your spokesman in your behalf l recipio Oa.e
the kind words he has uttered. ana the senelo ,
terms in which he has expressed your assul-
ances of good will and support You couia hoe
have brought to me gift dearer or more 10 ne
cherished and longer to be cherished IMAM the
picture OF my old friend. your TREND lne irlenu
of every soldier the friend OF the whole country
General William II. Gibson. Great cheering
| do not know Of soldier during, or since the
war whose life more signally devoted 10
patriotism and to love of country. lie was
devoted wOrshipper Of the flag. His voice was
always eloquent. for country FOR humanity iU
the private soldier. He moved hearts win MS
unrivaled oratory. and never tired of bearing
aloft and high the weighty principles OF the ne
publican party, which he loved and stroNe LOT
friendship as a sweet memory. Great cheerlhgJ
| am glad 10 meet and greet this assemblage
of citizens representing every occupation from
Seneca County Applause) | am giad TO con
graduate your county upon being now In the
column of Republican counties (applause). ana
| would rot have you forget that the only way
it has become a Republican county Is because
the Democrats. loving their country and want
ing prosperity. have joined the Republican
ranks. Great applause And YOU must keep
them with you and continue 10 recruit from
their ranks 10 your (Applause) This year
is an especially good one for that sort OF re-
cruiting service. daughter and applause) Men
of all parties this year, as in the contest Of the
Civil War when the Nation was threatened
with ACKNOWLEDGMENT. are standing together for
public honor ana public honesty, for good cur
rency. good credit and National good faith. Gap
pause)
This is year when those who stand opposed to
us indulge in gttering promises. They offer a
remedy which they say will cure all our Ills We
might accent their services and take their RENE
dies if we had not been doctOred by them before.
Great laughter and APPLAUSE Free trade and
free silver are the false friends of labor. They
lure with promises Of cheap commodities and
cheap money The partial trial OF free trade has
proved that the cheap commodities promised are
dear TO la Dor and the cost of labor. and cheap
money will be equally dear to them and a sacri-
fee Of their highest and best interests. (Cries OF
That's rightH)
PROMISES THAT DID NOT "PAN OUT"
We cannot but remember the promises that
were made to the people in 1892 of the universal
benehcence which was to follow the inauguration
Of riff-for-reyenue only policy, and with what
prodgal bounty it to benefit labor, increase
the purchasing power of wages and decrease the
price of everything it bought and increase the
price of everything it made. Applause) They
did not pan out.
recall an utterance by the Hon. William NJ.
Springer spoken in the House Of Representatives
April + 1892. when he was advocating free wool.
There may be some wool-growers in this AUDI
ence (Cries Of ''Yesr) This is what he said:
I'm dc of foot
bare and thousands Of limbs heretofore naked or
covered with rags will be clothed in suitable gar
ments and the condition of all the people Will he
improved Oaughter) Ii will give employment.
to 30 900 more operatives in wOolen mills. 1t VIII
increase the demand for wool. and prices VIII IN
crease. With increased demand for labor, wages
will increase Those who favor its passage may ne
assured that they have done something TO pro-
mote the general veal; something to scatter
plenty DER this smiling land"
" ell. the Free Wool bill was passed nave
any of you realized the promises then made;
Cries of NO, no") Wool made free ana
every man in this country knows how poorly
the performances have tailed with the promises
then made Instead Of adding 10000 laborers 10
the payrolls of the woollen mills, 1t has taken
off more than that number the price e Of wUol
has fallen. and with what effect upon the manu-.
facturer ! will show hereafter. The WOODS or
Ohio. Pennsylvania. Michigan. New-York, New
England. Connecticut and Missouri, twenty-tour
varieties. washed and unwashed-the average
price in April. 1890 3O3 cents per pound
In April, 1896. IA cents per pound, de,
Texas California Oregon. Montana. wyoming.
Utah. Colorado, Mexico. Georgia and the south
twenty-six varieties scoured-the price In Aprii'
1890. 491 cents per pound; in April. ls96,
"a cents per pound. a decline Of A. per cent
Other woods. ten varieties. scoured-in April,
1890. 450 cents pound, in 1896 80 cents per
Mound a. decline Of IS per cent So great de-
cline cannot be found in any other COMMODITY;
Ohio wool has dropped from 70 cents in lS92
TO Is cents per pound in 1896. This Will give
YOU some idea of what free wool has done for
the wool producers in the United States.
RUINOUs EFFECT OF FREE WOOL
How has it affected the manufacturer? 1t is
we'll known there is but customer for the
wool-grower Of the United States, and that that
customer is the manufacturer of the United
States The American wool-g grower has no for
eign market to-day. He cannot compete in any
other market with the woods grown on cheap
lands and by cheaper labor Of other countries.
This is his market and when 1t is taken from
him ii entails loss and rum TO him. In the hrst
wear of free woods 40 600 600 pounds Of clothing
woods came to our ports. an increase of over 800
per cent. compared with the largest importa- |
tions received when duty was imposed: and
the total imports Of all classes reached 2J0OOO
600 pounds while l15,O0O,00u pounds was the
largest importation ever made under dutiable
woods. Have these free imports Of wool bene-
fitted the manufacturer? (Cries of "No,') The
two years in which the manufacturers have en-
joyed free wool have been the most disastrous IN
the history Of American wool manufactures,
greater than the disaster which followed the
close Of the war in 1872 the panics Of 1898 and
1857. (Applause)
1t is welLknOwn fact that since free wool
il has not been possible to make woollen goods
in the United States with any confidence that
they would sell in the market for what II cost
to make them. The imports OF woOllen goods
following free wool simply enormous.
They averaged $5,0O0O00 a month in value: so
that at the end OF the first year under the new
law the total value Of wool goods imported had |
exceeded S60.0OOOO0 foreign value. In lS9o il |
is estimated that nearly ne-half Of the wool
lens which entered in.O consumption were or
foreign make. We have in this country enough |
woollen machinery to manufacture all our |
wants hut IT is not all I'm demand under pres |
ent conditions We must start all machinery in !
the United States my feOw-citizens OF Seneca |
County. (Appause) While they are idle work |
inC-people are looking for a Job. foreign wool |