Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-08-04
NUMBER 6.


That was cheap bait which Governor
Iilden flung out for the votes of the work
ingmen, when, in his Albany speech, after
his nomination, he said 50 We are all la
borieg men," But, when they read the re-
cord Of his dealings with the workmen in
his mines in the Lake Superior region, no
worklngmen will bite at that bait Cover
nor Tilden was the chief owner of the New
YORK Mine, at Ishpeming, and was largely
interested in the Iron Cliffs Mining Compa-
ny, oil Negaunee. and the Michigan Iron
Company. of Clarksburg. These are the
companies that flooded the Upper Peninsu-
Ia oil Michigan with their shinplasters s,
known as the Z" iron currency" |. was
forced into circulation by showing it upon
the companies wOrkingmen in payment of
their wages. This dishonest currency,
which Gov. Tilden's companies forced their
Workmen to except in payment for their
honest labor. was, in order to defraud the
0o'ernment out OF the tax upon paper cir
culatlon. issued in the form OF drafts, pay
able at sixty and ninety days after date,
which made 1t requisite. to Tx the liability
OF the companies, that there should oe pre-
The only pretease Of redemption was in
store goods" for which, at such inflated
prices as they chose to demand, 1t was ex-
changeabie at the companies stores. In
deed. 1t was wholly Irredeemable cIrren-
cy, Issued without authority of the law,
and without security of any sort, aad thou
sands OF dollars Of It in amount. now ut
terIY worthless, are outstanding in Mlchi-
gan to-day. beng precisely 50 many ev-
dences Ot what the Companies sw indled their
employees and their hoiders out of. and
Gov. TIlden added his share Of Il 10 his
millions, while the dishonest ehiuplasters
drawn upon his own Secretary s.iil abound
IN the Upper Peninsula as the samples of
what Gov. Tilden means by honest cur
reney.
In 1873. his Michigan iron Company was
put into bankruptcy. OWING about S50, 900 |
10 It's miners and labC rers. which remains |
unpaid. Immediately prior TO the adjudi- |
cation In bankruptcy. and when that was |
toreseen 10 be Inevitable, the Hon William |
Breiting. and other aieh-minded gentlemen
Interested IN the company. Voluntarily |
agreed, upon condition that The stockhold- |
ers all would iJin in that undertaking, TO
make up out oil their private funds the full
amount TO pay the COmpsnY's labOrers in
iuu- This arIar cement failed, because one
OF the stockholders refused to enter into 1t
after all the Others had agreed TO IT. That
stockhO!Ger was Samuel j Tilden. Ii would
have cost lin about 81 800 out of all his
barrels oi mc3Cy 10 90 it. Ia truth, it
would simply have cost him the payment of
IN honest debs 10 that amount, which was
his pro rata share OF the ccmpany's debt to
its hands. For that. too, under the charter
jf the Company and the laws Of the State.
be was legally liable. Bat to get the mon
y out OF him they would have u 90 tl
New York to sue him, and, as he remarked
= hen this view Of it was presented BY one !
II his honest cO--tOekholders who proposed
% pay the men their wages. " not much
vas to he made by coming - far to sue. -
{ Is shabby exhibition Gov. Tllden pre-
ented. talking in demagogic strain of
lInseli as lao0sing man. with his iron
ompany's repudlated shiDplasters, pamed
II upon their wOrkmen, still outstanding. t
nd with the Michigan Iron Company's {
ands yet unpaid. because he refused to t
ontribute toward their payment the paltry v
mount tor which he was legally and moral ;
; liable, but which be leaves them TO get t
y law, # they can. IL shows tina. Samuel t
+. Iilden, lablring man. Is as great fraud ?
: samuel j. Illden, political reiorner.- {
,dicgg0 Tribune. $