New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-04

lFRohA STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Central Falls, April 3.-The town Of Lincoln "a
virtually an expansion Of the manufacturing city
OF Pawtucket. One factory village touches an
other in the Blackstone Valley so that Central
Falls, Valley Falls, Lonsdae, Berkeley, Ashton,
Albion and Manville form continuous hive OF
population and industry. Central Falls and por-
tons of the other villages make up the town Of
Lincoln, with a population Of between %. 900
and $4,000 almost wholly dependent upon man.
uiacturing interests. IL is one of the most pic
thresque as we'll as the busiest valleys of eNw
England. Every village is astir with Industrial
progress. NJ. Theirs once remarked that he was
Protectionst because he liked TO see the bic
chiinneys smoke. There are tall chimneys at
every turn of the Blackstone, yet with all the
smudge of burning coal the Villages are clean and
whoiesome. Some of the largest woOen and cot
ton mills Of the country are to be found here
pusating with the beat and throb of mechanical
industry. Marked are the changes in popula-
ton effected during the last twenty years there
Is the impress of Yankee thrift, organization and
orderliness everywhere
In passing up the valley one is naturally A.
tonlshed by the diversfcation of industrie, which
has been effected within comparatively small
area. The Central Falls Wooen Mills Amer-
can Curled Hair Works, the Stafford
Cotton Manufacturing Company, the Hair
Cloth Company. United States Cotton Company,
Royal Weaving Company, the Weatherhead and
Thompson works for manufacturing belts and
spoos for cotton thread. the Crcfeld mills for
making comfOrtables, and the bleaching and dve
works of w. F. & F c. Sayles are all large es-
tablishments employing hundreds of operatives
and producing varied assortment of manufact-
ures. These are at Central Falls on the outer
edge of Pawtucket At Valley Falls are the works
of the American Supply Company The famous
Lonsdae mills are on each side Of the Black
stone, employing very large force and manufact-
uring ginghams, silesias and a great variety OF
dress goods. One of the company's new mills
recently built, and known as the Ann and Hope,
is equipped with improved machinery for making
the finest and most delicate goods At Ashton
are the Berkeley cotton mills and at Albion the
Chace cotton factories are centred. The Manvie
Cotton Mills close beyond, have an enormous
plant and among the heaviest producers OF
cotton goods in the Blackstone valley.
To the manufacturers and employers Of these
villages Protection and the Mckinley act are issues
which easily understood. Without Protection
it would he mpracticable to carry on any of these
industries of the Blackstone. The advantage
which the foreign manufacturer derives from cheap
labor is one which can only he offset by the
tariff The Mckinley act has enabled every man.
ufacturer to keep his factory in full operation.
The production Of woollcn has increased enor-
mousy since the importations have fallen of
SAG, 900 900 while the consumption has increased.
The new tariff has invigorated the cotton and
woollen industries. expanded the volume Of pro-
duction and widened the range of man
ufacture by the introduction of finer
goods. The issues Of the canvass are plain
and clear for the manufacturers; but
rl;o;l,Ia forf fla in vi
lages Without Protection, manufacturing could
only be conducted on the basis of European wages
and the foregn-born spinners, weavers and me-
chanics know what that means. They have an
advantage of 10 per cent over the cotton workers
in England and larger percentage still over those
of Begium, Germany and Italy. Free trade in
wolves the loss of that advantage, If the works
are TO be kept in operation. The Mckinley Acu
has elevated the standards of labor III the woollen
and cotton industries as shown in the new factory
al I.onsdale II has raised wages outright as
shown in factories like tile Royal Weaving Works.
II has maintained steadily the nigh rates OF wages
prevailing in Rhode Island and has done this In
the face of direct cuts of 25 and 80 per cent in
the wages of woolen and cotton operatives abroad.
It. has also provided full employment for every
class of workers by keeping every wheel ana
spindle in motion. The workers in the valley
have greater cause for gratitude to the Republl.
can marty than the manufacturers, and the general
consumers can offer mo complaint. The Mckinley
Act has not increased the cost OF anything pro-
duced in the State of Rhode Island Cotton goods
are lower than they were when the act was passed
Woollens are not higher, and are tending down.
ward.
With an honest vote and fair count there
cap be no reasonable doubt respecting the result
Of the election in Lincoln. The voting list COM
nrises 800 Names Of which 500 are those or
French c Canadians mainly in the village OF Man.
Vile. The Republicans, after their experiences
last year. would have no hope of carrying the
town il the election officers were Democrats, WIN
the aid of the courts INSCRIPTIONS tricksters and
tissueballot workers were defeated, aud the clcc-
tions will be conducted honestly this year under
Republican supervision. Owing 10 split in the
Rcnublican party the Democrats obtained control
of the town in 1882 and they organized at once
a system OF voting on the names OF tomb
stones and non-esdents, by which they kept
themselves in power. y few days De-
fore the town election last year +. l.. Freeman.
"a Republican leader secured the passage OF
legislative act appointing two supervisors for each
party in each Of the two voting districts at
Central Falls and LIMERICK. When the election
WAS held every facility offered TO the Demo-
cratic managers for carrying the town by bare
faced frauds There were three ballots, one for
town officers one for a constitutional amendment
and another on school question, and these were
not deposited in separate boxes The Republic
cans kept tally list OF the voters rs they ap-
peared and checked it of the ballots were
At night when the ballots were
counted % bundle of fifty tissue ballots folded
together like new bank notes was found by tho
Republican supervisors and was set aside. Two
other punches containing fifteen each were after
ward laid aside, and thirty more before the close
Of the count. These tissue ballots Were not
counted at first, and the result of the election as
by the moderator was the choice OF
the Republican candidates by small majority.
Then Mr.. Fitzsimmons, the Democratic leader,
interviewed and insisted that the ballots which had