Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-17
HARRISON IN 1877
banning Testimony as to the Great
Railroad Strike,
"A DOLLAR A DAY FOR LABOR"
Attorney for the Railroad and Arbitrator
at the Same Time-He Advocates Blood
shed While All Others Advocate Peace.
He Would Wade In Blood to the Finger
T;ps-The Testimony of Reliable Men.

shed While All Others Advocate Peace.
He Would Wade in Blood to the Finger |
Tips-The Testimony of Reliable Men.
The Hon. Leon c. Bailey, one of In !
dianas state senators and deputy United |
States attorney, has done the country a
service and won the gratitude of all la
boring men by searching out the facts as
to Gen. Harrisons actions during the
railroad strikes Of 1877. He has done 1t
with the patient thoroughness of trained
lawyer and honest investigator, and has
supported himself on every point by
conclusive evidence. documentary and
the affidavits of reliable men.
He has shown that Harrison,
while the attorney of a railroad
company, managed, by keeping the fact
quiet. to become one of the citizens COM
mittee to arbitrate with the strikers; that
while Republicans like A. q. Porter and
Democrats like Governor Williams were
for peace. Harrison was for shooting the
strikers down. and that he organized
company for that purpose. But let Mr..
Bailey present the evidence in his own
words as he did few evenings since in a
public address at indianapolis. With
many other things he said:
Gentlemen Of the Democratic Railroad
Club Of Indianapolis and Fellow Citizens
A great economic problem confronts US
that of lust taxation. The issue is broad
and definite High taxes, yielding large
profits to tho few, against low taxes,
yielding corresponding benefits to the
many On this subject, however, desire
at this time to submit only few PROPOSE
tons for your consideration.
The high protective tax was made to
meet the exigeucies of war. Do they ex-
list nowP
The income and other direct taxes,
bearing on the rich, were removed in 1878.
Must the poor pay all the burden?
Does tax system which retires over
one-third of our circulating medium into
idleness help or il jure trader
Protection euriches less than 10 per
cent of our people, the other 80 per cent.
pays the tribute
THE price Of our necessities is made
high by protection; our returning BERG
fits, if any. are filtered through the
clutches of capital.
While the products of the world, In
GLIDING our own, are made dear by taxa
ton its cheap labor comes to us without
condition.
If protection affects wages favorably,
why do the coal iron and other highly
benefited industries pay the lowest wagesH
Or why. in our several states, all under
the same tariff law. does the price paid
for labor differ as widely as in the coun-
tries of the Old World?
Does man looking for employment
in the United States give preference to
the protected branches of trade? Would
he not do 50 if they afforded him better
or more permanent returns?
1.-THE laborer in the highly protected
countries OF Spain, Germany, France and
Mexico gets far less pay or comforts than
In England with her system of low taxes.
Why is this?
is not the compensation of labor the
world over fixed by considerations of sup
ply, demand and efficiency of service2
If the war tariff had tendency to
increase the pay of workingmen instead
of the profits of the manufacturer, would
the protected employers expend millions
every election to continue it? Or is their
alarm and liberality, indeed, due TO sin
cere philanthropy
NOMINATED BY AN AGGREGATION OF CAPT
tai.
But my inquiry tonight is in differ
ent field. | would only direct your
thoughts to a subject closely allied to
home and personal interests. What
shall have to say tonight will be with
reference to the Republican nominee for
the presidency, Benjamin Harrison; the
influences which brought about his nomi-
nation; his attitude toward laboring men,
embracing i'll some detail his record in the
great railroad strike of 1877 as it has
been gathered from the most authentic
sources, such as court files, accounts pub
lished at the time, and interviews with
men who participated in the trouble of
that period and have personal knowl.
edge of what Mr. Harrison said and did.
Let US view the influences at Chicago
which secured Gen. Harrison's nomina-
tion. 1t was body representing vast
aggregation Of capital. 1t is said some.
thing over one billion dollars. Nominally
they spoke for party OF several millions
but in fact only one element was consid
cred. One railroad alone, owing debt Of
over s., 600, 600 to the United States, was
numerously represented by its agents ant
solicitors. Chauucey NJ. Depew, president
of the Vanderbilt property of nearly
$500, COO, 600, aspired for leadership. HI
held the Empire state delegation undel
perfect control Fear of a revolt il
the agricultural west alone checked
his personal ambition, but he could die
tate the candidate, and did. He soughr
a leader as far from the people and a.
close to the corporations as possible-on'
whose life record and sympathies were il
close accord with his own. His name Il
benjamin Harrison, and he stands upon
platform of high taxes and free whisky
to which the American laborer is asked +
look for his personal protection and pros
perity. Is the picture inviting? Does j
have the clear honest ring of fair dealin;
and an unbiased treatment of popuia
rightsY You who would be stampeded b.
the false and malicious cry of free trade
should pause long enough to learn whethe
or not this alarm is sounded by you
enemy or your friend
TTE CHINESE RECORD.
Benjamin Harrison entertains the sam
opinions of workingmen in 1888 as he di
In 1877. There is no record of a change
1t is nowhere asserted that Gen. Harriso
was ever the friend Of the workingmen
that he ever engaged himself IN betterin,
their wages or conditions; that in the sen
ate of the United States he ever cast
vote, introduced measure or advocates
one that was intended In any degree t.
Rmeliorate the burdens or embarrassment
of any thing or any body which did no
attach to its signatures the imprint of
corporate seal. lshall refer to his Chimes
record but briefly. Fourteen times he vote,
TO permit them to swarm in upon our HON
laoorers. He read an article before liter
airy socletyin Indianapolis strongly defend
ing his position; number of the race re
siding here attend the Sunday school o
his church and have been assisted by it +
establish themselves in business. 1t i
SAID but twenty Cinnamon were eve
nsturalized in the United States. A
least seven of that number took out thei
papers III indianapolis, and they all vote
the Republican ticket. The papers wer
signed by Dan Ransdell as clerk, VIII
then, as now, was Mr. Harrison's mos
ardent supporter and is the Republlcal
member of their state central committe
from Mr.. Harrison S district. These China
men were marched to the polls in Indian
apolis, In wards eleven and seventeen
and voted the Republican ticket agains
the protests of Democratic challengers.
From 1873 to 1877 the railroad mag
mates had been engaged in cutting dow
the wages of their employees. To sho,
tne extent of this cruel, crushing redue
.lon, the facts supported by the figures
were submitted by the railroad employe
10 subcommittee of citizens of Indian
aPolis' whose mission and duty it was
secure justice to the impoverished en-
ployes, and of this subcommittee Ger
Harrison was member.
WORKING FOR THE RAILROADS.