The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-12-02
FREE TRADE FATAL.
OUR exPeMENce DISASTROUS UNDER
WILSON'S gill

Pre- WEI s.a Free Lsmbsr Closed Amor
icsn Mile. Increased Failures and Made
Most Men Iaie-Aiso HsipsA Ia HANK
rupt the Treasury.
The American Protective Tariff
league has investigated the effect Of alb.
solute free trade very thoroughly. Re.
ports from 100 wooden manufacturers
show that almost so per cent of their
hands were idle this year as compared
with lS92-under protection The av-
erage rate Of wages fell by So "a month
among those who were lucky enough
10 find employment. The total decrease
in the payment Of wages was $349, 696
a month, over 90 per cent. or at the rate
of 81, 1876, 352 year in 100 wooden
mills.
The number of failures among wool
en- manufacturers increased from ~ in
the first nine months of 1895 up to SO
In the first nine months of 1895. The
liabilities of these mills that failed was
only $625. 026 in 1895, but aggregated
%. 447, 9O6 in 1895. To farmers the pol
icy Of free trade in wool has caused
loss Of $50, 74l, 500 in the value of their
sheep since 1892. 1t has also caused
loss to farmers Of 926, 900, 900 i'm the
annual value Of their wool product To
the national treasury this Democratic
experiment has decreased the annual
revenue of the government by IS, a27,.
266 through the remission of the duties
ON wool. besides q further annual loss
Of &l6, $3.50. 1866 Of revenue since 1892
through the abolition Of the protective
tariff ON wooden goods and the substitu-
ton therefor Of "a ragbag production. :"
Thus free trade in wool has been disas-
trous to the farmer. to the wooden man
ufacturer. to the labor employed in the
mills and to the national treasury.
And Of what benefit has free trade in
lumber been to us? Reports from 900
American lumber mills show since
1892 that 10, hands were idle, q
decrease of 43 per cent in the employ
ment of lumber mill hands The month
ly loss Of wages in these 900 mills was
1926, 800. or at the rate of So, 906. $50 a
year. Applying this rate Of shrinkage
to all the lumber mills in the United
States, then, the decrease in wages has
been $40, 900, 900 year in this one in
dustry. Practically half the lumber
mills of the United States are closed to-
day, but the Canadian mills are run
ming on full time and supplying our
market because the cost of labor there
is cheaper than here. The effect of free
trade in lumber upon our manufacture
ers has been to increase the number of
mills that were forced into bankruptcy
from 2l2 in 1895 up to 800 in 1896,
their liabilities growing from So, 22l, =
206 in 1895 up to $l4, 047, 884 in 1896,
an increase Of nearly 81 900, 600 in
the liabilities of the lumber mills that
were forced into bankruptcy.
The national treasury has also suffer
ed to the extent of 81, 437, 656 year,
through loss of customs revenue OH lum-
Der, since 1898. Lumber is piled up, un-
salable, at all the mills in this country
As with free trade in wool so in the
American lumber industry the effect
g. Of this Democratic policy has been in
furious to the lumbermen, to the own
ers Of our timber lands, to the lum Der
mills and to their employees. In both
cases there has not been an iota Of ben
eft to American interests.
With these clear and convincing
proofs of the deadly destruction that
has been wrought unfortunately
through the Democratic free trade pol
icy, it is unnecessary to seek further
argument that the policy of protection
is essential to the success of American
producing and manufacturing interests
and to American labor. This is the rea-
son why Major McKinley's nomination
was universally demanded at st. Louis
and why he was overwhelmingly elect
ed the next president of the United
States.