Year: 1869

Delivered at Canton, O., Aug. IA, 1869.


FELLOW CITIzENs-When accep
ted the invition to attend this meet-
ing, I supposed our Democratic
friends had a different candidate for
Governor. They commenced with
nominating patriotic General,
whose only distinction was acquired
in what they called an unholy war,
but as he shrinks from the contest
we shall have to go on with candi-
date against us who, like Gen. Hayes,
is a gentleman of character and
ability, and has been consistent
opponent of the war. AS Republi
cans we are prepared to meet them
either under old or new leaders, on
old or new issues, and I am glad to
present some Of them in this city,
where we have stiking example of
the change that is rapidly taking
place in the industry of Ohio.


A few years ago this place had
the reputation Of being a sleepy
going town. 1t was not improving,
and yet you are surrounded by as
rich an agricultural region as we
have in Ohio, with perhaps two
exceptions. What good was this to
you, except to give employment to
few stores and groceries. and the
usual number of non-producers,
lawyers, doctors and preachers.
Now, suddenly, your population is
doubled, and your property values
trebeled. Every Industrious man
who wishes employment, can have
it. Your workshops must now pro-
duce annually more than a million
of dollars worth of machinery, the
raw material for which is found
mainly in your own soil. I saw
recently in the far Northwest, in
many places, machines of different
kinds made in Canton.


A few years ago, the county of
Stark was the leading wheat grow
ing region of Ohio. Your surplus
product was almost exclusively agri-
cultural, and took its way in the
slow moving canal boats to an Eas-
tern market. When the cost of
transportation was deducted, you
had left very small price for your
wheat, and nothing else would bear
the cost Of transportation. You
got your pay in store goods, manu-
factured in Old and New England,
and your years profits, if any,
mainly consisted in the increased
value of your land. Your wealth
was in the surface Of the soil, and
that was being annually reduced in
its productive power by the neces-
sity of confning yourself mainly to
one grain. Now great change
has taken place, rot only here but
throughout Ohio, and that change
will continue until Ohio will be the
great manufacturing State of the
Union, with its work shops in every
town and its product in every State
and Territory. Ohio was a surface
State-its wealth was in its soil.
This wealth will not be diminished
by the growth of its manufactures,
but will be vastly increased. You
can not compete with Iowa and
Minnesota in wheat growing. but
the butter, cheese, eggs and poultry
of Ohio will each article realize US
more money than our vast wheat
crops of thirty years ago. Our
soil, enriched by the rotation of
crops, is now improving, and the
farmers of Ohio are now, taken in
the aggregate, as prosperous as any
equal number of people in tue world,
and far more so than twenty years
ago. Your towns are improving in
population and wealth. Houses,
beautiful and comfortable homes,
are springing up from profitable
labor.


What is the cause of this change
1t is in the diversity Of employment,
and the diversion of labor. No
nation can be great without this.
We must develop agriculture, me-
chanics and commerce. When lib
erty and property are secure, then
the great object Of civil law is to
develop industry. The diversity of
of it's industry is the guage Of its
prosperity. The mechanic and the
farmer should each produce what
the other wants, and the exchange
+ these products should take place
near to each other. Then the sur
plus product Of both goes off into
the market in its more valuable
form. You may attribute your
prosperity to the fact that your
country is underlaid with coal and
iron. This is indeed of greater
value than your surface soil. But
it is of equal value to your neigh
bors, for the cost of transportation
has been so greatly cheapened by
railroads, that your coal and iron is
as valuable to other places as to
you. Mansfield has neither coal
nor iron, but is trying to keep up
with you because of her railroad IA
cilities. Cleveland, Dayton and
other Ohio cities are ahead of you


because they have more labor and
capital, and with these they may
diaw to their localities the materials
Of manufacturing wealth. Fortu


nately we have conveniently accessi


BILE to every part of the State the
chief materials for manufacturing
We have coal without limit. The


Straitsville mine is probably the


largest body of bituminous coal in


this country. We have iron ore in


abundance, and we have easy access


to the Lake Superior and Kentucky


ores. Our soil will produce food