The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-28


se read with INTEREST,"
TO THE woRKNGNEN OF PHILADELPHIA.
6entemen Justice to you in common with the
laboring people of the country at large, requires
me 10 invite your attention to the following state
mont:
/ regret the necessity that compels me to make
this communication, for have no taste for per-
ponal controversy, and never engage in it willingly
But it cannot always be avoided. Defamation may
he pressed to point at which endurance ceases to
be a virtue and becomes a shame, as silence may
he construed by the community into admission of
the truth of falsehoods widely and persstenty cir
culated by one who has hitherto enjoyed the conf
aence of the community. Yet, Notwithstanding
this, were the criminal practices to which | am
about to refer intended only to affect my personal
and political character, would, in the faith that
Ioy daily life would amply refute them, treat them
with the silent contempt with which have hitherto
treated such aspersons but these asehoods are de-
signed and intended to affect your rights and inter-
Gsts as we'll as my character, and my duty to you
constrains me to expose them, loathsome as the
task may be.
In NAV last while the tariff bill was before Con-
press the leading free traders Of the country as
sembled in convention at Washington for the pur-
pose of devising means by which the protective
They found that though there were a few mis-
guided Republicans in the House who favored free
trade, that the body of the party, constituting
majority of the House, were in favor of such pro-
lection would at least secure to the aborers of
America our home market at the existing rates of
wages. Having, therefore, no hope that they could
induce the present Congress TO establish tree rade
pro{{ectonists to the next Congress. Their concu-
sions were published to the country in formal edi-
toral letters to their leading organs and in brief
summary through the Associated Press and will
doubtless be remembered by many of you.
In order to secure their object, they agreed to
consider the question of free trade or protection
the only issue in this Congressional contest, and
that if the a6 ID c0e yoe oT hs
Candidate though he were Democrat, and that In
districts which are decidedly Republican and pro
tective, in which free trade Republican could be
induced TO run as an independent candidate, they
would in compensation for this, exert their influence
tOinduce the Democrats to nominate no candidate,
and support the renegade Republican. In pursuance
of this programme, which was, as l have said, an
nounced to the country in May last, and which, If
successful, will in two years close half the work.
shops and mines, and reduce the wages of every
workingman in the country, William b. Thomas is
an Independent candidate for Congress in the
Fourth district, and the Democratic convention
elected let his personal wishes be what they may,
lie will. ther have to unite with those who have
organ lg gI for your destruction, or cheat and de-
fraud those who manipulated the Democratic con-
vention, and thus secured him the remote possi-
Bihty of election. ..-e-
turers who furnish the funds with which the war
against our tariff is maintained, know me to be
pronounced and extreme protechonist. They know
that as soon as the war closed announced my pro-
sramme for the future, and that it was most dis
tasteful to them, as it invoved.the postponement
of the payment of the public debt, and the earliest
possible repeal of internal taxes and the removal
for manufactures, such tea, coffee, spices ivory,
chalk, paper stock, sulphur, argos, kryohte, and
an infinite number of tropical productions.
j say that they know that such were the views l
entertain and constantly pressing upon the ear OF
the country for the war had scarcely closed before
half a million copies have been circulated in
pamphlet form. 1t was made in the House of
Representatives, January 81 1866, in favor of pro-
lection to American labor and submit the follow
ing extract an illustration of its spirit;
al am not anxious to reduce the total OF our debt
and would, in this respect, follow the example OF
England, and as its amount has been fixed would
not for the present trouble myself about its aggre-
gate except to prevent its increase Ny anxiety is
dGt tie tGnes 1t tacotces $tdH De as hte oPPreSS!oe
as possible, and be adjusted that, CttLe deteHdtRJ
oar Industry against foreign assault, they may add
nothing to the cost Of those aeeeS$areS Of lQe WsIct
iooE 10 o.eT lands. The raw materials entering into
our manufactures, which are yet unable to pro-
duce, but on which we un1wlsely impose duties, |
other such purely foreign essentials of life, and
would impose duties on commodities that compete
feeble or infant branch Of industry, and quicken
those that are robust. 1gould thus cheapen the ele
acns Of life, and enable those aohOse capital is en-
barted in dRy branch Of production TO offer such CageS
to the skilled ,cOrhman Of all lands as 'oon!d steadly
and raptdLy increase numbers, and as is always
the case in the neighborhood of growing cities or
towns of considerable extent, increase the return for
form lGbOr; this policy would open new mines and
Iuarries, build new furnaces, torges and factories
and rapidly increase the taxable property and taxa
Bile inhabitants of the country"
In view of these circumstances, and the fact that
the Fourth district of Pennsylvania is the greatest
manufacturing district in the country, and that
majority of its voters depend upon their labor for
their life, the undertaking of Mr.. Thomas would
seem to be desperate one To succeed he must
have the votes of the workngmen of the district.
With these against him his canvass would be hope
less from the start. How these to be secured?
There was nothing in his personal history to
the sympathy of workngmen; for, although he is
abundantiy rich, and has for more than thirty
years been large purchaser or labor, he has at no
time, in any OF their struggles, offered them a
helping hand or words of sympathy. 1t would not
DO to proclaim the glitterng fallaces of the free
trade school, and endeavOr TO persuade the inteli
gent workmen of the district that our government
is bound to allow importers to buy the productions
of labor where they can buy them cheapest, and
pay but nominal duties upon them. No! His con-
Victions upon this subject, and his ENHANCEMENT
with the Free Trade League must be concealed,
and there was therefore nothing which promised a
chance OF success but the destruction of the conf
dence OF the workingmen of the district in his COM
petitoT, the present representative.
A more conscientious, less reckless man than he,
before undertaking this work, would have inquired
whether facts existed by which it might probably
be accomplished. But to VIM. b. Thomas, as
events have proven, this was a question OF small
moment. With the reckless disregard of truth of
which / am about TO convict him, he evidently
concluded that he could make all the facts he
needed, and that you do not remember the local
history of the past ten years and unable TO de-
Ject falsehood though ii relates to your inte-
rests and the proofs are all before you Reference
TO the nauseous personal ISLANDERS with which he
garnishes his public speeches would be out of place
here; nor will pause to notice the rancorous but
ludicrously absurd falsehoods with which he has
crowded his autobiography, recently published
with fatteriDg likeness of the author, un.
der the title of resolutions and speeches OF
GeRerdL VIM. b. Thomas and Edward D. Stokes
ESD, but may remark that having been printed for
gratutous distribution, 1t can be had at the street
corners, and may be accepted as curiosity. My
purpose at this time is to bring TO your attention
the falsehoOds and torgeries perpetrated by Mr.
Thomas in his letter OF September to Science