Cameron County Press

OHIO'S GOOD TIMES.
Prosperity Felt by All People in the Buckeye State.

Congressman Bromwell Talks About Increased Wealth of Farmers- Protection for Wool an Important Factor.

"There is no reason why Ohio should not give President McKinley this year the biggest majority that it has ever given to any republican candidate for president. On the contrary, there is every reason why it should," says Hon. Jacob H. Bromwell, of Cincinnati, O.

"The increase in business. the greater employment of labor, with a much larger amount of wages circulated within the last few years, when contrasted with the poverty-stricken conditions under a previous administration, are conclusive proof that a republican administration is the best thing for the United States. and certainly for Ohio. It is safe to say that every person in the Buckeye state has felt, in some shape or manner, the benefits arising from President McKinley's administration, and from the protective tariff for which he has always been the strongest advocate in the country.

"The increase in wealth in our state has been enormous. Deposits in the national banks jumped from $32,000,000 in 1894, to $49,000,000 in 1899. In the state and private banks within the same period, the gain was from $4,000,000 to $11,000,000. In the loan and trust companies it was from $3,000,000 to $9,000,000, and in the savings banks the increase has been from a little less than $5,000,000, in 1894, to almost $11,500,000 in 1899. In fact, the bank deposits in our state were more than 50 per cent. larger last year than they were in 1894.

"Now this shows a most decided increase in the wealth of the state. But what is far more satisfactory is that the prosperity has been felt by more people. For instance, in 1894 there were less than 92,000 depositors in the national banks, while last year there were over 122,000. In the state and private banks the number of depositors has more than doubled. from less than 16,000 in 1894 to nearly 38,000 last year. In the loan and trust companies the number of depositors has increased from 4,500 to over 7,000. In the savings banks. which hold the accumulated wealth of the poorer people, the number of depositors has also more than doubled. from 30,032 in 1894 to 60,189 in 1899. Notwithstanding the large increase in the number of depositors, the average amount to the credit of each holder of a bank account was $357 last year. as against $314 five years ago.

"Prosperity can be gauged not only by the bank deposits of Ohio, but also by its bank clearings and record of business failures. The bank clearings have shown enormous gains, while the trade failures have shown correspondingly large decrease. both in numbers as well as in the amount of the liabilities.

"Farmers, as well as the workers in the factories, have benefited by the improvement in business under President McKinley. With all the factories busy, and many of them running overtime, there has been a much better demand. right in our own state, for what the farmer grows. The factory hands earn better wages, and more of them, than they did under the last democratic administration. They are, therefore, able to pay better prices for their food. Talk to any farmer in the state, whether he be democrat, populist or republican. and he cannot help acknowledging that he has received better prices in the last two years. and that his farm is in better shape both financially and as to its appearance and conditions.

"There has been a wonderful improvement in the value of live stock in Ohio, particularly in sheep. and that is due entirely to the protective tariff on wool. Under the free wool tariff of the democratic party, the best grade of Ohio wool sold at 17½ cents in Boston; under the McKinley tariff it sold at 33 cents, so that free wool meant a loss of 15½ cents a pound. But this year, in January, the same grade of wool which sold at 17½ cents a pound in 1895, was sold for 35 cents, having doubled in value under the protective tariff, which is now in force during President McKinley's administration. It is the same with sheep. On January 1, 1897, just before President McKinley was inaugurated, all the sheep in Ohio were worth $5,577,171, according to the figures of the department of agriculture. Three years later, on the first day of this year, they were worth $10,535,250. So you see, that not only has the price of wool doubled. but the value of the sheep is now almost 100 per cent. more than it was before the farmer's wool was protected, and before the country began to realize the benefits of this republican administration.

"If this is not cause enough for every farmer in the state of Ohio to vote for the reelection of the president from his own state. then no degree of prosperity or well-doing can make a republican out of him."