St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-19
JUST GETTING IT'S HAND IN.

The New York Press, a bowling
dervish Of protection, paper which
we cordially commend to those seeking
for the greatest quantity Of misinfor-
nation in the least space, has gone
into training for the campaign against
Moscow to be opened in June, whose
troops will be commanded and marched
by Napoleon Mckinley. 1t dis
plays thus early a mendacity that
makes 1t quite sure that 1t will
reach the standard it attained in the
campaigns of 1890 and 1892, if, indeed, it
does not surpass that Recently it made
one of it's favorite investigations, land,
as usual, fieshed the meager facts it
found with it's own imaginings until it
had created another of it's gruesome
ogres with which to alright the simple
minded.
1t investigated" the wooden industry
in New England. It painted a fear
some picture of the havoc free wool
had wrought among the mills. 1t print
ed list of thirty-two that had shut
down and of others running on short
time. 1t enumerated the possible en-
ployes Of these silent and partly idle
mills, computed their wages If en-
ployed full time. and demonstrated
what they and the whole country had
lost both by free wool and by the fail
ure o. the senate to pass the Dingley
bill. 1t put "scare heads" over the
matter and emphasized it's most star
Ting figures with full-face type. And,
as usual, we notice that some of the
Western organs of the same dismal
faith have accepted the figures and
statements and presented them, edi-
torially, to their readers as q fearful
example Of what Democratic misrule
will accomplish.
Fortunately for truth, unfortunately
for the falsehoods, there is published
in New England journal devoted to
the woolen industry, whose editor, Mr..
Bennett, while Republican and pro-
tectionist, has no stomach for the
Falstaffian methods of the Press, and
objects to have what he considers q
good cause injured by needless and
reckless lying. In his Cotton and Wool
Reporter Mr.. Bennett notes the 'sta-
tistics'' gathered and printed by the
Press as indicating that "the whole
sale manufacture of gloom and depres-
sion for partisan political purposes is
now on and that the Press furnishes
a new supply of material in the shape
Of a lot of gross misstatements and
misrepresentation" To those who are
familiar with the exact conditions in
the woolen industry" the statements of
the Press are condemned on and by
their face. Admitting that the industry
is not generally prosperous, he proceeds
to refute the statements Of the Press.
simply that "the truth should be told"
and that ''it should not be misconstrued
for political purposes
Ar. Bennett characterizes the state
ment Of the Press that several worsted
mills are running on one-eighth time"
as utterly false" Representatives of
the mills characterize the statements
as rot" and say that they are run
ming two-thirds time. This shortening
of time is due to the fact that they
are producing strictly pure worsted
fabrics, whose reputation is national
and Standard" that the demand is
mostly for cheap goods and that, eff
they had consented to descend to the
manufacture Of cheap, low-priced
stuff" they could keep their mills run
ming full time. Pursuing the mis-
statements further" Mr. Bennett says
that some of the mills have retired from
business, another is enumerated twice
''for effect" that the statements as to
the other mills are incorrect, "while
the scene of destitution and want de-
picted at Rockville is almost wholly un-
true" The Press has lost none Of it's
expertness in manufacturing "statis-
tics" and is fully equipped for the de-
mand that will be made on it's mag
azines as soon as Maj Mckinley is duly
commissioned to lead the Republican
hosts on another Russian campaign.