The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-15
Mckinley Speaks to a Delega
ton Of Ohio Farmers.
Tells Them What a Fine Thing
His Tariff Was.
EVILS OF FREE WOOL,
Says Wool is Cheap Because Of
Present Tariff.
Declares Free Silver Is Worse
Than Free Wool.

Canton, O., Sept. 15.-Just at IL
O'Clock yesterday a special train of II
cars steamed into the Canton station of
the Cleveland Terminal & Valley rail-
way. 1t brought 1000 residents of Ca
diz and Harrison county. The crowd
was largely composed of farmers and
wool growers and represents one of the
foremost wool growing sections of the
country. 1t marched to the Mckinley
home where D. A HolIingsworth. at
torney general of Ohio, introduced the
visitors.
Mckinley said:
Mr.. Hollingsworth, Ladies and Cen
tlemen, My Fellow Citizens: count
it a very special honor to receive this
visit from my fellow citizens. composed
Tor the most part of the farmers of Har-
rison county. 1 would have been glad
to have seen with you that venerab bile
citizen and statesman, John A. Bing-
ham (Applause), whose message of
cheer and cOngratulation and good will
you have brought me. (ReneWed ap-
plause.) 1t is especially gratifying to
me to receive a visit from so many of
the farmers and wool growers of Har-
riSOn county. There is scarcely a cOun-
ty in the state which is so essentially
agricultural as yours. You have no
large towns. You have but a few fac
tories and your occupations are almost
exclusively rural. Your county has
long been noted as one of the great ag-
riclltural sections of the state and es-
pecially devoted to that branch of ag-
riculture known as sheep raising and
wool growing. There is probably no
portion Of the country of the same area
that has supported so many sheep as
yours and for many years, at least,
this was the most profitable industry of
your farmers 1t is not so good, 1 be-
HeVe, now as formerly. daughter and
applau use and cries of No, no, I guess
nOt.D
..r,J,a Loot +l,ra. ,-.ore how. 1,-o,, --o,, -,
of great trial. not only to the wool
growers of your county, but to the en-
tire country. You have seen your hocks
disappear and your feeces diminish in
value to an extent that, prior to 1892,
you would not have believed was pos
sible. I remember in 1891 to have de-
HVered an address in the city 7Of Cadiz
to the assembled farmers of Harrison
county, in which I undertook to pre-
dict what would happen if we had free
wool in the United States. There were
a few men in that great audience who
believed my prediction then. What do
you think of it now? (Cries of We
think it all right.O In 1891 you had,
according to your banners displayed
here today, 1880, 533 sheep Of an aver
age value of IS per head. In 1896 you
have but 80, 600 sheep worth only 81, so
per head. In 1891 you received from 80
to 80 cents per pound for your wool In
1896, for the same grade of wool, from
IA to 10 cents per pound. This enOr-
nous loss to a great industry is truly
astounding and calls for serious con-
sideratiOn and prompt remedy if one
can be found, and the only remedy We
have in the United States is by the bal
lot and if it is protection you want, you
know what party carries the banner of
protection. Enthusiastic cheering)
Prior to the enactment of the VIII
son tariff law you had enjoyed, almost
without interruption, from the begin
ming of the government, a tariff on your
product to protect you from compeu-
ton of the cheaper lands and cheaper
Ia Dor of other countries. BY that act
your products were made free and
ODened up to the unrestricted cOmpeti-
ton of all the wool of the world What
makes that act more indefensible is,
first, that it was wholly unnecessary;
and second, that it was singing out
one of the great industries of the scOun-
try for sacrifice, leaving other indus
tries having no greater claim upon the
consideration of the government prac-
ticaiIy unframed. (Cries of That s
right'1 No class of our citizens nave
suffered so much from that tariff law
as the wool growers Of the United
States, and none were more deserving
of generous treatment than they
SO fnexcusable was this act that the
president, who favored reduction OF
tariff all along the line, and who be
Heved in free raw material, was unW'll-
ling to sign the bill and used these
charac teristic words against II: II
NAV well excite our wonder that the
Democrats are willing TO depart from
This free raw material dOctrine). the
most Democratic of all tariff principles,
such a proposed departure should be
emphasized by the suggestion that the
wool of the farms be put on the Tree