The Pleasantville press., 1912-10-23

prospered under the protecting and fos-
tering wing of the tariff policy which
was inaugurated by the Republican
party and steadfastly maintained for
half a century.
Prior to that time American indus
tries, such as then existed, were small,
and we depended for nearly all our sta
pie goods upon English, French and
German manufacturers. Even the
Christmas toys of the children were
imported from Germany. All our silks
came from France, for there were no
silk mills at Paterson. We got our
pottery chiefly from England Our cot
ton thread came from Scotland, and it
cost double and treble what American
thread does now Our railroads bought
their rails and cars and engines most
ly I'm Europe, for there were no large
American plants. All our clothing of
the better sort was imported. So were
all our linen and most of our cotton
goods, although we grew the raw cot
ton for the British mills to turn into
sheetings.
Newark is known as the Birmingham
of America. 1t got that name under
the protective tariff Before the pro-
tective tariff system was adopted New
ark was a struggling village. 1t did
not contain single large factory, and
what it manufactured was of the
cheaper grade Of goods that could with
~tond foro;on cop,pofifiou Al tba+
time what Is now known as the Eighth
ward was wilderness of fields and
vacant lots.
In most Of this section no streets had
yet been laid out Mount Pleasant
cemetery was out In the country. This
great section now is solidly built up
with residences, stores and factories
and the cemetery is in its center. The
population is about 25,000 and the prop
erty valuation is enormous
1t was to this then unpopulated sec
ton that the Clarks came soon after
the Morrell tariff was enacted to es-
tablish a factory for the manufacture
of cotton thread. They came from
Paisley, Scotland, and the reason for
their coming was that they had to es-
tablish their industry here or eventu-
ally go out of business. They brought
few skilled operatives as teachers for
American labor and some machinery.
Then they began business on the cheap
site they purchased in what is now the
Eighth ward.
You can walk for hours through
miles of intricate machinery in the
great mills of the Clarks on both sides
of the Passaic today, and you will
know that all that machinery was
made in American machine shops by
American machinists. You can look at
these vast factories and be told that
they were put up by American build
ers. But that was the least Of the
benefits brought to Newark by the
Clark thread industry.
The infant industry grew and ex-
panded, and as it grew so did the fac
tory buildings and the number of the
employed. From hundreds the Clark
payroll ran into the thousands, and. as
the industry grew the neighborhood
grew ana expanded.
Dwellings began to grow up to house
the operatives. Streets were laid out
and paved. Stores were erected, for
the operatives must buy their neces-
saries. Houses and stores multiplied,
and churches and public schools came
In. The once great stretch of fields
and vacant lots was undergoing
marvellous transformation There was
no section of Newark that exhibited
such remarkable prosperity, and it
continued unabated except for few
temporary checks. One was the Will
son tariff, the shadow Of which
brought ON the panic of 1898.
Ihe Eighth ward Of Newark is
known as the banner Republican ward.
1t always gives large Republican ma
jorities, and there is a reason for it.
In the great Clark thread works, the
creator Of all the material prosperity
of the ward, the voters see Repub-
lican tariff object lesson. 1t is always
before their eyes, nd the Eighth ward
is credited with having the highest
grade Of intelligence to be found In the
sity OIL Newark
When Mr. Blaine visited Newark Oh
his presidential campaign In 1884 be
was the guest overnight of the late.
George A. Halsey He was billed to
speak at Camden at 10 a. m. the next
day. A Newark newspaper man III
conversation with Mr.. Blaine in Hal
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