THE LATE CONSUL GRIFFIN AND OHIO WOOL-GROWERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8775, 15 January 1892, Page 6

THE LATE CONSUL GRIFFIN AND OHIO WOOL-GROWERS.

The American Exporter received by last mail contains a eulogistic notice of the late Consul Griffin, but contains a paragraph showing how the protected rings comedown at the crisis of an election upon any one who offends them. When he got to the States, the Republican party, at present in office, were running the famous MeKinley for the Governorship of Ohio. Wo quote from the Exporter : —

Unfortunately for the Consul, an expression of his in regard to Australasian wool, as published in the Australasian papers, caught the vigilant eyes of the Ohio wool growers, and a large delegation of these ever-watchful guardians of their own interests visited Washington anil demanded his removal, on the ground of his expression in favour of the admission of Australasian wool into the United States. Mr. Griffin, we suppose, held, as most intelligent men hold, that we can never build up an industry in wool manufactures in the United States while Ohio shuts out foreign wools, and while Europe is enabled thereby to secure those wools at infinitely lower prices than our manufacturers can purchase Ohio wools. Besides, Mr. Griffin proved that the Australasian wools were ot a quality that could not be produced in the United States, and that their introduction could not injure the native wools. All this reasoning amounted to nothing: all his life-labours amounted to nothing ; the Ohio wool raisers were on the war path, andwell, the election was at hand, and they held the balance in one hand and the sword in the other.

Mr. Griffin, whose health has not been good for tlie last few years, expected not only to be welcomed home by an appreciative Government, but expected to be trans ferred to a climate better suited to his phvsicial condition, and was astounded when lie was confronted with the " flocks of Ohio " aud the protests of the organised wool industry, which demanded his head. Explanations were not. in order, at least until after the Ohio election, and so Mr. Grillin was kept suspended in air, and left to subsist on the same sustenance, awaiting decision in his case, which, doubtless, would have come, and come favourably, after the Ohio crisis had passed. Mr. Griffin, suffering in health, a sensitive and proud man, feeling that he deserved much from his Government, was literally killed by his treatment. This is a plain statement of the case, and while it is an extreme illustration of what is called the ingratitude of republics towards consuls, is by no means a rare illustration of the neglect, contumely, and injustice to which consuls are subjected.