Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 February 1892 — Mr. Whitman’s Protest. [ARTICLE]

Mr. Whitman’s Protest.

The small clique of men who adopted the name of the National Wool Manufacturers’ Association and had a few professional wool growers, with an equally high sounding name, meet them at Syracuse in 1865 to agree upon a tariff to tax the American people on their woolen goods, held a meeting recently at which resolutions were adopted and sent to Congress protesting against the putting of raw wool on the free list and reducing the duty on woolen goods. In commenting on the following statement of the Boston Herald in its account of thi6 meeting, “The wool manufacturers of New England, who met In a body,* have shown their accustomed cowardice in treating this subject, ” the American Wool Beporter says: “If the Herald means that the wool manufacturers of New England ‘met in a body’ when the recent memorial against the Springer bill was adopted by the ‘National Association of Wool Manufacturers,’ we are surprised that our usually well-informed contemporary should have been so deceived. In addition to the very small attendance at the meeting at which the 4 memorial ’ in question was adopted, it should be stated that some of those present agreed to the ‘ memorial ’ with the express reservation that a certain section of the McKinley bill might need to be changed. An explanation as to the small number of manufacturers by whom this ‘ memorial ’ was adopted is necessary in justice to a large and increasing number of influential manufacturers who have not believed in the McKinley bill, and who do not like to read the misleading statement that ‘the wool manufacturers of Now England met in a body’ in its support.” This clique of a few manufacturers, under the leadership of William Whitman, is becoming quite as offensive as the National Wool-Growers Association, which Judge Lawrence carries about with him in a bag on his travels, to be called out to pass appropriate resolutions at a moment’s notice.