The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-09-26

alton for their wild schemes of the d.
vision of the wealth Of the country. No
one even intimated that there was lack
ties the question as to whether or not
the panic was threatened before the cleo
ton. The produce of the farms was at
high tide. The value of the products of
the FARMS mines, field and forests was
higher than they had been at any time in
the history of the country.
| realize that | am here at Caldwell in
the great valley of the Snake river, and
| have talked from the standpoint of
the environment. In 1892 in this city
| saw warehouses bullying with the wool
that could be produced in this valley
and in this town commanding price
against which no one raised voice of
complaint, In few short months the
query was on every mind, on every
tongue, on every morning of every day
What has happened during the
night?" What banks had failed7 What
individuals had gone into bankruptcy.
How far had prices depressed since yes
| terday? And the great army of unem-
| ployed was marching up and down this
country from end to end and asking
not arms-no-labor, employment
| A GREAT ARMY OF UNEMPLOYED.
Over on the banks of the Snake river
was stockade, into which were taken
and protected hundreds of these wander
ers that had started out in search of the
promises of democracy Hundreds of
thousands of them marched in idleness
seeking for labor, seeking for an OPP
portunity to earn something for the FAM
lilies they had left behind them because
they could not maintain thew where they
were. | saw the price of wool go from
Il cents to 16 cents pound to cents in
this very town.
When | spoke to you in this hall, or a
part of it, in the year 1896, the wool on
your platforms and i'll your warehouses
was not worth 6 cents pound, and the
reason 1t was there was that there was
no market for it, and the reason there
was no market for it as the that there
was no money to buy it with, and the
reason there was no money to but it with
was that there was no confidence in the
ability of the democratic party to main
tain and execute the purposes of this
government. That was the reason.
What was true of your wool was true
Of your sheep; what was true of your
sheep was true of your CATTLE it was
true of your lead in the mines and the
lumber in your forests. | saw lead go
down in the northern portion of this
state from AZ to "a cents. Why. Be
cause of the removal of the duty on lead
or rather a modification of it to point
which afforded no protection.
The reason your wool was down wa.
that there was no market for it and no
money to pay for it because it was placed
on the free list The duty and the pro-
tective tariff policy of the republican
party was withdrawn from the wool anC
. the sheep that wore the wool and the
, horses that drew your wool bales to the
railroad The wool of foreign countrie.
was admitted without duty. Lead was
given so slight duty as to afford nc
6 protection Lumber was practically or
the free list Your saw mills were idle
your mines were idle, and your flock.
/, were disappearing from these hills anc
,, these valleys. You were poor-poorel
than you had ever been before-ano
poorer than | ever hope or expect to Sc,
you again, because | do not believe tn,
people are going to be misguided ant
led away from their interests again b,
the return or participation in the return
OF the democratic party to power.
S FREE TRADE STILL MEANS LOWER WAGES
This is the great question. 1t will
continue TO be SUCH The democrati
? party stands for free trade; stands 70
? an abolition of that principle of protec
) ton which stands between you and com
petition with foreign countries and cheal
labor. The only way you can Compel
= with them is to lower your wages ant
| l. e I.,,..,
e your children the benefits which com
: from a good wage for a days labor
= That is all and we are not ready to d,
e it. The American people will never con
. sent to lower the standard of civiliza
9 ton; to withdraw the principle of gov
) eminent which gives them their schools
il which clothes children in respectabiiit
: that attend those schools; which give
d you fair prices for your labor and tn
s products of your labor
5 The tariff under which we are no,
a enjoying prosperity that marks this er
e is a Republican tariff, enacted by Re
IS publican congress and signed by Re
S, publican president. 1t will remain wit
= you and protect you just so long as tn
II Republican party is in power. But in tn
o hour that the Republican party sleep
l. the democracy take from you these Law
Z and the benefits which flow from then
lie They will do it because they say the
10 will, and we know, judging them by til
ty past, that they will, unless you stan
guard over the prosperity of this day b
standing by the Republican party. Thes
conditions that now exist; this prosper
t ity that you now enjoy, will pass frol
ty you.
ty These are great questions that reac
n to every individual in the land; to Il
r employer and the employee; to the pr,
as Queer and the consumer. Their interes
st are mutual because they all constitu