The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-09-06
The "IntImidntIon,, Cry.

Part Of the Democratic programme in
this campaign, and the natural sequal
of the 'robber baron cry which the
Free Traders have just begun TO raise, is
lot of blatant talk about the coerciye
influence which New England manu-
facturers are preparing TO exert upon
the ir employees. THIS silly roorb .ck
has frequently been called INTO play to
explain heavy Democratic l. sses in
manufacturing districts in previous
elections, and its repe'i ion just at this
time looks very much as If the d mo-
Gratis were inclined to give the fight up
in advance here IN New England, and
were already huuting for alleged rea-
sons to explain their defeat. A CORE
spondent Ut one of the Free Trade
organs in this city sent his paper few
days ago cock-and-bull story of the
Intimidation" which the mill owners
were preparing 10. put into effect in the
Naugatuck Valley in COnnecticut-as II
a few idtvduais could successfully CO.
cree thousands of their fellOw-c cit zens
without stirring up scandal VIII CHI
would be the sure death of their cause
and party. TO say that New England
manufacturers prop use to intimIdAte
their workingm'n into voting the Re-
publican ticket against their will ia to
put the manufacturers down as either
fools or knaves and their employees az
witless towards. II there were n other
reason why no such policy could be
carried out, the fact that it would be- a
neat and most summary form of politl-
Cal suicide on the part of the PrOtec-
fInniots nuuhf Ia hn au III pinnt
But while there Is, of course, not the
slightest likelihood of any such mad
policy as an attempted int midation of
working people by their employers,
there are ways in which perfectly
legitimate influence may be eXrrted by
the latter Oh the former which ought to
he and doubtless will be utilized. A
few weeks ago the action of firm of
New York manufacturers, in di5Irib-
uting a large quantity of protective
papers literature among their men on
pay day, was bitterly denounced by the
DEM cratic press, as il it were a dIsht II
est and unwarranted proceeding. 1t
was nothing of the kind. The employers
had an ample right TO lay such facts and
arguments before their men in this way
as they see fit. 1t was not coercion or
an attempt to unfairly bias them. Ii
the workingmen desired to study the
other side as well AZ that which their
employers advocated, they were free to
do so. Tons of Golden Club literature
are to he had for the asking of any
Democratic campaign commit ee So
if u manufacturer calls his men around
him and informs them that his and their
interests would alike be served by the
rejection of the Mills bill and the defeat
of the Democratic party, he is doing no
more than he has perfect light to do.
The 'robber baron" cry, of which Mr..
Mills struck the keynote in his late
~peech in Boston, demands even more(
than usual of the senseless.. Democratic
talk about coercion and "intimida-
ton" by our manufacturers. But
neither manufacturers nor work
iugmen should let themselves be
disturbed by such cheap demagogy, or
blinded to the fact that their interests
are identical and that those interests re
quire that they fully understand each
other. Manufacturers should not hest
tate to let their working people know
just what they think of the tariff issue,
and the working people should ask them
selves whether their own American EN-
p'Oyers are not much more to be trusted
in this tariff controversy than the Brit
ish manufacturers who run the Golden
Club Boston Journal.