The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-11-04
LEAD AND ZINC MINERS MUST
HAVE TARIFF PROTECTION.

In the early days of lead mining In
the Occur d'Alene district the late
Patrick Clark, at that time manager
of the Poorman mine, made memoir
able speech at republican rally In
Burke, and it is believed to have been
his first and last public effort 1t was
in the campaign of 1883, and Grover
Cleveland was a candidate for reelec-
ton, his opponent being Benjamin
Harrison. Mr.. Clark had been life
long democrat, and his brief address
served to shift his allegiance from the
democratic to the republican party,
and to make plain why the change
was made. 1t was the first big politi-
cal meeting that had ever been held
in Burke and the hall was packed
with miners, most of whom were en-
ployed in the Poorman and Tiger
mines. The chief speaker was Fred
Il. Dubois, delegate to congress from
the then territory of Idaho and can
didate for reelection, an able and ar
dent advocate Of tariff protection, al
though now affiliated with the party
of free trade In a semi circle on the
stage were seated Mr.. Dubois, Mr..
Clark and group of candidates for
state and county Offices Suspended
over the center of the stage was
massive chunk of lead ore taken from
the Poorman mine, a silent and I'M
pressive reminder of the great issue
at stake in the campaign.
The appearance of Patsy" Clark, as
he was Familiarity called, upon the
stage at republican meeting was in
itself proof of his new political align
ment, but his aversion to the spot
light was well known and no one In
the throng that filled the hall sus-
pected that he was scheduled for a
speech. But there are times in the
lives of most men when they are call
ed upon to perform a public service
foreign to their natural inclination
This was Mr.. Clark's time and he was
equal to the occasion. He was man
ager of great lead mine, the profit
able operation of which had already
been seriously hampered by the dem
ocratic administration and which then
threatened to complete the work OF
destruction If the people voted to re-
tain it in control of the government
His duty to himself, to his associates
who had invested their money in the
mine, and to the people who were de-
pendent upon the lead mining indus
try was plain. When the chairman
Oh LHe tHttlllAS NdAiSu hPpAA hAiN ANe
speech, he responded by saying that
ne was a miner and not a public
speaker but that in his judgment the
issue of the campaign was vital to the
lead mining industry and he felt 1t his
duty to publicly make known his po-
sition. He said he had always been
a democrat, but that the attitude OF
the democratic party was so antagon
istic TO the interests of the lead min
ers that he could no longer affiliate
with 1t. Then turning and placing his
hand upon the great chunk of lead ore
suspended over the stage he said y
am republican because the republic
can party win protect this"
The reason that Patsy Clark gave
for being republican when the min
ing of lead in this district was in its
infancy holds good today, for the men
ace of free trade is even more threat
ening now than it was then Zinc has
been added to our mineral products
and both lead and zinc have already
suffered seriously at the hands of the
democratic administration, so much
so, that even now under normal con
ditions in Mexico and in Europe there
would be an influx of both lead and
zinc from foreign countries that would
either close down many American