The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-10-07
MCBRIDE AT HOME.
How the Democratic Candidate Stands
Where Ne Is Known.
The FalsehOOds of Republican scribbler
Exposed--what Prominent Citizens
OF Massillon Have to Say
About Him.
rsusul,l to the ol.ral,na plain Dealer

special TO the Cleveland Plain Dealer
MAssILLoN, o., October "A little
more than two weeks ago Jim Moro"
was dispatched from his desk II the
Cleveland Leader Office with orders to
come to this city and extermlnate John
Mcbride with one fell swOOp of his pen.
Obeying the demands OF his superior
the scribe came, vidi, and 1t will not be
denied that he nQuered-viewed from
Republican stRndpOint-fOr he com
pressed within about two columns Of
his paper
AS VILE ABUSE
OF q respected and hOnOred citizen as
has seldom been published to reading
people. He did not, as near as can be
remembered, accuse his victim of being
common pick pocket or with having
poisoned his grandmother, but did
charge that "when he first started out in
life he soon learned to live by his wits,
and he has been living In that Way ever
since;" "he has the reputation of being
q common lOiteTeT; "he was turbulent
spirit and never remained long at one
place. II he could not get the position
Of weigher at the mine he would gro
OOOu W thAh up q ogiihO, olu IL Iudb ldI1cu
he usually quit work and lOsfed until
his money was gOne;" ''in MassillOn,
where he grew up, he is regarded as a
shiftless fellow, without any ambition
except to live at the expense of honest
labor"
The above are few of the choice ex
tracts from "MorO's" screed, produced
to show "tO what base uses" political
parties and their salaried emil ssaries will
resort to to score victory.
FINDING OUT THE TRUTH.
Having been sent here to ascertain
what percentage of fact the letter re.
ferred to contained, | talked with quite
q number of citizens without iEQulTing
as to their political affiliations anu there
was not one but who declared that Nc
Bride was an Industrious, honest and
reputable citiZan, rs he common
lOiterer and shiftless felIOW?" l in
qulEed of Main street merchant. "ND,
sir;" the reply came emphaticallv, "he
Is man who does not drink at all, and
he's never found hanging about saloons
nor on the streets, unless he stops, in
the latter case, to talk business with
miners" Another business man said:
II have known John since he first be.
came president of the State Miners AssO-
citation. When he Ia at home he passes
my store every day; goes to the post
office, gets his extensive correspondence
and goes home aud attends to 1t. l tell
yoU,
THAT MAN M'BRIDE
has made the Miners Association the
strong organization Is has grown to be,
but 1t took lots of patience and bard
work. Why, | venture to say that dur
ing the past four years he has had more
on his mind than the head Of u depart
ment at Washington"
For information as to his record in
the mines about Massilon was direct
ed to hunt up MIR. Thomas Hagan, @
member of the police force, ana who
was described to me as being as Verac-
iOu5 and square little Irishman as ever
walked In shoe leather. Mr.. Aagan told
me In modest way that he had known
Mcbride ever since be (McBride) had
started to work In the mines here at 8 1
years of age; that he had worked side by
side with him, and that Mcbride was al.
ways regarded as one Of the best diggers
In the Valley-the latter fact being in
v8riably established by the amount of
his pay at the end of month. Hagsn
named five or six mines (Which cannot
recalD where Mcbride had worked, and
gave ms the names of q number of
miners living In this city who would
verify his statements. In closing the
conversation Mr.. Hagan said he believed
John Mcbride would have been digging
coal to this day had 1t not been for the
''lOng etrike"-which continued from
October, 70 to June, '80-as after its
he (McBride) was "black-
listed" every operator IN the valley hay
ing signed a bond In the sum Of 1880
not to give him work.
he LIED OF COURSE.
How does the statement of Mr.. Hagan
coincide with that Of John II. Williams
in "MOrO's" letters? Mcbride is not
workingman because he has never done
an honest days work In his life."
"MorO's" reference to the debilitRted
condition Of the Ohio Miners assOcia-
ton, asserting that Its membership
only numbers 1000 and that 1t has never
flourished since Mcbride was elected
president, induced search on that
score. A chance meeting brought me
into conversation with Ebenezer Lewis,
secretary of the association, who lives
In Summit county. From bin got tho
following facts: We have paid up
In the National federation
OF $500. Counting the loss Of dues
through ideuess cur number Just
reaches 10000 Our association has
larger membership, 1t has lived longer,
and had more difficulties 10 contend with
than any of Its predecessors. Through
it's Influence there have been secured the
enactment of more laws in the interest
OF labor than have boen passed In the
previous history of Ohio. 1t has not
only lived through the bitter fight made
against its life by the Hooking Valley
syndicate, but within ore year advanced
prices 20 cents to the defeated miners
and established confidence among the
members of our craft and friendly rela-
tions between employer and employed
In almost every mining district In the
state.
Referring to the financial condition
Of the association Mr.. Lewis said that
as aresult Of the long strike In the Hook
ing Valley It was shown by the Secre-
tary's and treasurer's reports at the an.
nual convention In Columbus last
January that they we're In debt $1,400.
The members are only taxed ten cents
per month, one cent of which goes to
maintain the National federation. The
debt Of 81, 400 has been liquidated; all
current xpenses-which have been
heavy--have been met and there Is now
81, 900 In the treasury.
From the above facts the Ohio Miners
Association does not appear to have been
wrecked financially or otherwise
through the power of President John
MaDrfda. md frnn, tho nftaraxnna hoond