The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-10
BULLDOZING HIS EMPLOYEES.
MILLIONAIRE ATKINS is DESPERATE.
He Discharges -Four Efficient Men Because
They are Democrats, and Makes Some
Ugly Threats-The Affidavit of One
of the Yictims-The Law.

E. G. Atkins, the well known saw manu-
facturer of this city, was printed in THE
SENTINEL. In this letter Mr.. Atkins,
among other things, said:
The men who are in my employ belong to
my fraternity, so to speak. They are gentlemen,
worthy OF good treatment by gentlemen. and can
answer this charge THAT of threatening them
with discharge In manner satisfactory 10 me.
I do NOT employ men The basis Of politics. and
do not know what ticket large numbers of the
men vote. | do know that they are not all
democrats, and some who are democrats are
not tarif-for-revenue-Onlyd democrats. do ex-
pect that our works will poll strong vote for
Ben Harrison next November, and don't you
forget il.
To answer the charge for myself, say mol
! could not StOop so loac. To illustrate, | may
mention that the saw-maker longest IN my en-
with us IL a staneh republican, fought through
the war for the old flag, and is true steel
70 his country. He deserves of his country q
liberal pension, too.
Again we have q distinguished democrat
With US, and for aught know a member OF the
democratic club you speak of. He was skill
ful workman, distinguished himself as worker
for his party, left our employ of his own ae-
cord, was rewarded by the suffrage of his party
with seat in the common council and by a
democratic administration with lucrative
post but for some cause his democratic EN-
ployer came to the conclusion he could do
without him, and he applied to us for work.
We pay him his hard-earned wages every Sat
urday.
Mr.. Atkins, it seems, according to this
statement, on July 10 'did not employ
men on the basis of politics." and was not
able to 'stoop so low" as to threaten men
with loss OF employment on account OF
their political views. 1t appears, how
ever, from the following affidavit filed
yesterday, that he has changed his plan,
and that he proposes now to employ men
on the basis of politics, and that he has
not only stopped SO low" as TO threaten
his men with discharge on account of
their political views, but has even
stopped lower and discharged them:
State Of Indiana. Marion County, IS:
Randall ]. Abrams being duly sworn on his
oath says that he is now and for seven years
last past has been a resident OF the city of
Indianapolis That for more than five years
past he has been employed at the saw works of
L. Z. Atkins d Co., and for three years past
has been foreman OF one of the departments
In that establishment. That on the 18th day of
September, 1885, said E. G. Atkins d Co. notified
afhant that he would be discharged from
their employment two weeks from that date
and that atlantis brother who was also an
employe, would be discharged at the same
time. That afiant at the time of receiving
said notice asked E. G. Atkins, the president OF
said company, if this discharge was based upon
or incompetency upon atlantis part
That said Atkins answered that the atlantis
services had been entirely satisfactory, but
that the discharge was for the reason that
atlantis were not in sympathy, politically with
the members OF said firm. That said Atkins
further said: Il am going to make desper-
ate tight In this campaign, and am going to
commence in this way. If Harrison and Nor
Of the rest of the boys; but if they
not, / Will discharge all the
democrats in the employ of the company; that
on the oath day Of September 1888, Mr.. Atkins
gave afiant the following recommendation:
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Sept. "a, 1883.
This is to certify that Mr.. Randall j. Abrams
has been in our employ during Ave years past
and we have found him trustworthy and faith
full In the performance OF his duties.
E.-G. ATKINS & Co.
By E. C. Atkins, President
That several weeks prior to atlantis dis
charge, Barney Daugherty and Thomas Wooden.
who had been for a long time in the employ
of said Z. c. Atkins & Co., were both dis
charged, and said f. c. Atkins, at the time said
TO aiiant that he discharged Daugherty and
Wooden because they we're democrats.
Subscribed to and sworn before me, this,
ist day Of October, 1888. W. W. ROBERTS,
SEAL Notary Public
The man who makes the foregoing aft
davit is gentleman of the highest char
acter, a member in good standing OF the
church of which Dir. Atkins is an official
and has been for several years in the
latter's service in a responsible capacity.
His statement upon any subject would
not be questioned by any one who knows
him, whether sworn to or not.
1t would appear from this affidavit that
Mr.. Atkins, according to his own admis-
sion, has now discharged Jour of his en-
ployes because they were democrats, and
that he is trying to intimidate the rest of
his democratic employees into supporting
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ticket by
threatening to discharge every one of
them if Cleveland and Thurman are
elected.
THE SENTINEL has the names of three
other concerns in this city which have
discharged, or threatened to discharge,
men in their service because they refuse
\ TO support Harrison and Morton. The
evidence fixing these offense5 upon them
will be produced in due time.
The SENTINEL proposes to print con-
spicuously the name OF every employer in
Indiana who resorts to such illegitimate
methods TO influence the political action
of workingmen. Every democratic paper
in the United States WILL it is hoped, re-
produce the facts, to the end that demo-
Gratis all over the country may govern
themselves dCCOIulnglN IN MAKING lDelr
purchases of such goods as are produced
by the offending firms, individuals or cor
porations.
The law bearing on this subject, being
Sec. 277 of IAN act against public often
ses" passed in 1881, is as follows:
Whoever, for the purpose of influencing a
voter. seeks, by violence threats of violence
or threats to enforce the payment of debt, or
10 eject or threaten to eject from any house he
may occupy, or TO begin criminal prOsecu-
ton, or to injure the business trade of any
eleetor, or, if an employer of laborers, or an
agent Of such employer, threatens to withhold
the wages of, or 10 dismiss from the service,
any laborer in his employment or refuses to
any such employe time TO attend at the place
Of election and vote, shall be fined not more
than one thousand nor less than twenty dollars,
and imprisoned in the state prison not more
than five years nor less than one year, and dis
franchised and rendered incapable Of holding
any Office Of trust or profit for any determinate
period
NEGRO IMPORTATION.
How the Republican Managers Are Prepar-