The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-09-19


nished security for their appearance at
Court, thus preventing them being lock-
ed up. More than this, our men lacked
means for paying for the services of a
lawyer to defend them, and Mr.. War
wick again displayed his generosity by
paying for and securing the services of
two the ablest lawyers in the state, Mr..
Letter, ex-Speaker of the Ohio House
of Representatives, and John McSWeen-
ey Of Wooster. 1t was through the eff
forts of those men that our miners were
cleared. Some of those men are alive
today and will testify to the truth. of this
statement. This action of Mr.. Warwick
did not make him many enemies, but on
the contrary many friends among our
miners. Again in 1876 Mr.. Warwick bit
terly opposed the bringing Of blacklegs
to his mine, but as he only held one
eighth interest in the mine, he was out
voted. He was openly charged with do
ing this by his partners, and also of pro-
longing the strike by supplying many
of our miners with flour. This they
wanted stopped, but he continued sup
| plying them. This did not look as though
| he was an enemy; and when we remem-
| ber that the riot not only occurred at
his mine, but that his partner, Mr.. War
mingtOn, was nearly killed, his super
intendent wounded with pistol shot,
and a number of the blacklegs injured,
we could have excused him had he dis
played and maintained any bitterness
toward US. He held no bitterness, how
ever, for no sooner was the strike over
than he was found interceding for some
of the miners, Victimized by his part
ners, and many of them secured work
through him.
Again, during the strike of 1880,
while other operators were engaged in
denOuncing their miners, not one word
| of condemnation was heard from John
| G. Warwick. And whea the strike was
over, l found myself selected by the Op-
orators as one of their victims. None of
them would give me days employ
ment, simply because L had opposed
them in that fight, and faithfully en-
deaVOred to carry out the will of our mi
ners. Mr.. Warwick, however, was not
among the number who were determin-
/ ed to push me to the wall, for in 1881 L
announced myself as candidate for
Representative, and mainly through his
influence l secured the Democratic nom
/ nation; and although defeated, 1T was
not his fault. Other operators, Demo-
Gratis and Republicans, worked hard to
| secure my defeat, while he stood by me,
and by so doing incurred their diSpleas-
ure. When you look on those things in
the light that view them, you can cas-
| lily understand why it is that 1 will both
vote and work for the election of Mr.
Warwick. And judging him from his
pastrecOrd, do not hesitate to recon-
| mend him to the wOrkingmen of Ohio
as friend to labor, and particularly to
| our miners, for whom he has displayed
his friendship.
Last year when the pOtters at East
| Liverpool were locked out by their en-
| ployerS, because they refused to aban-
I don their Od-giVen right of working
men to organize for self protection, they
were in sore need of assistance for them
| selves and their wives and little ones
| depending on them for support. Men
were sent out through the state to seek
| aid from brother wOrkmen and others
who felt disposed to assist them. They
came to MassillOn, and in John q. War
wick found warm-hearted and liberal
| friend. l have it from Walters, OF East
Liverpool, who travelled over the state
| seeking assistance, that Mr.. Warwick
/ gave more than any other person in the
| state. He gave it too, when he was not
/ candidate, and after the state elections
| of last year, so that no man can charge
that he did it through selfish motives. |
have tried, in as brief space as possible,
to give the history of that portion of the
strike of 1876 that led to troops being
sent to the Valley. l leave it with all
candid WOrkingmen to read the evidence
| in the case, and note what John q. War
| wick has done, and decide whether he
is the enemy of wOrkingmen, and guilty
of the charges made against him.
JOHN MCBRIDE.
MassillOn, o., Sept. 1888.