Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-20

sou vL.v reward which had been offered.
Among those who voluntarily came for
ward with their sworn affidavits were
John 0. Hicks, General Yardmaster of
the Cincinnati, indianapolis. St. Louis s.
Chicago Railroad: Joseph Averill, Gen
eral Yardmaster of the Vandalia Line:
Joseph Sanger, Secretary OF the Yard
masters Association; Alexander r. Nc
Alpine, Superintendent of the Western
Car Company; Augustus D. Shaw. As
sistant Yardmaster Cleveland, Column
bus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Road;
David 5. Crawford. yard conductor Van
G Gaiiaa Liiiee;; John Wethers, switchman
Big Four Road; and William P. Nc
Bride, engineer Chicago. St. Louis Sc
PittSburg Road. All of these men were
members Of the Strikers Committee
and present on the occasion at which
Gen. Harrison was alleged to have ut
tered the Objectionable sentiments.
Their statements confirmed what had
already been publicly stated by Senator
Mcdonald, Senator Voorhees,, Gen. Nc
Cauley, and Mayor Caven, all of them
Democrats and all of them acting with
Gen. Harrison in 1877 and representing
the city and State in their interviews
with the strikers. To clinch the matter,
Henry McPeet, the Chairman of the
Strikers COMMITTEE has published his af-
hdavit, which affirms that Gen. Harri-
son never uttered a word unfricndly to
workingmen on that occasion. On the
other hand, the following extract from
the affidavits will show Gen. Harrison's
real sentiments. The goth of July, at
the head of his company, he said:
Men, examine your guns to see if any
one is loaded, and, if so, draw the load.
Let US remember that our mission is to
prevent violence not to do violence. 1t
would be an infinite pity if on the march,
or after we reach the city, one of these
arms should by accident ever become dis
charged and some innocent person injured.
am still of the firm conviction that moth
ing more than the mere fact of our mill
tary organization will be required to Sc
cure the peace.
Of the earlier stages Of the military
preparations the affidavits say:
While these military preparations were
in progress all peacable means were being
tried to secure order without a conflict.
One of these means was the appointment,
on motion of Franklin Lenders, of a COM
mittee Of ten of our most distinguished
and prudent citizens to confer with a
meeting of the strikers, in the hope of de-
vising some basis of agreement between
the strikers and their employers. Gen
Harrison was also made member of this
committee. The conference with the
strikers was had and one of its chief Incl
dents was a speech of Gen. Harrison,
which, as shown by the newspaper reports
Of that day and distinctly remembered by
many, was a masterful review of the situa-
ton. He took bold stand in favor Of the
justice of the cause of the strikers. pledg-
ing his best efforts as one of the arbitra-
ton committee to obtain redress at the
hands of the railroad managers.
1t is further matter of record that,
when the rioters were brought to trial it
was Gen. Harrison who appeared for
them in court and secured their release,
after showing that they had been I'M
justly treated by the railroad managers.
The slanderous calumny has been COM
pletely stamped out. but the lying Will
fcation goes on in the columns of Demo-
cratic papers which have been urging
that the campaign should be clean one
and that vicious personalities should not
be INDUCED. From the time he was
nominated to the present Gen. Harrison
has shown himself a gentleman in every
reference to the opposing candidates,
and it was at his personal request that
no assault was made upon the Admins
tratioD of Mr.. Cleveland in the platform
of the Republican party of his own State.
Would it not be a courteous return for
the President to call off the liars and
calumniators who are at work for him
IN this disreputable manner?