Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-07-28
Hon. John B.. O'Meara, of ST

= 49, |
Merit Lieutenant Governor of Missouri.
Hon. John B. O'Meara, OF st.
Louis, nominated on the Democrat
ic ticket for Lieutenant Governor, is
one of the strongest men before the
people to-day. He was born and
reared in st. Louis. He has taken
an active part in city politics since
he cast his first vote, Is years ago,
and has participated in all the local
battles in that time. Personally Mr..
O'Meara is a bright, clever, affable
man, a clear-headed thinker and a
quiet but forcible talker. He was
graduated from the st. Louis Uni
versity with Judge Shepard Barclay,
now Oh the Supreme bench, and re-
ceived his diploma at the hands OF
General Sherman, who was very
fond of him. Instead of going into
a profession, as most college gradu-
ates do, he put on the garb of a
workingman and went into a stone
quarry. To-day he is the employer
of over one thousand men and is
looked upon by them as a friend and
a brother. He was the first large
contractor of labor in st. Louis who
conceded an eight hour day to quar-
rymen, and that, too, after the close
Of an election when it could have
had no political effect.
He will be especially strong with
the working men in all the large
cities and throughout the entire
state. He has been an ayowed friend
to organized labor and will poll a
large number of Republican votes.
The Republicans will, of course, at
tempt to break down his strength by
false rumors in reference to his rela-
tons to laboring men. Referring to
this matter, the st. Louis Republic
says:
While every St.Louis Democrat at
all familiar with local politics knows
these statements to be manufactured
out of whole cloth, and that Col.
|O'Meara has ever shown himself to
be a young man of sterling character,
a true Democrat, giving freely of his
time and money in all campaigns,
an enterprising citizen, and a gener-
Gus, whole-souled employer, eve
ready to lessen the burden and inn
prove the condition of his employees,
yet the people of the state are unin-
formed, and for lack of knowledge
might be imposed upon without a
r~efutation Of the calumnies. With
the view Of mailing these statements
at once as campaign lies, they were
calledto the attention of Mr.. O'Meara
yesterday by a Republic reporter,
when he said;
"While these charges are unmiti-
gated falsehoods as to the treatment
l accord my employees and as to be-
ing in bad repute with labor organi-
cations, / am not surprised at their
circulation. I know the source
whence they emanate and the desire
of their coneoctors to injure me and
if possible TO reduce my majority in
the election. What success they
will meet with remains to be seen,
for falsehood often travels fast, while
truth lags, but | shall miss no OPP
portunity before any audience to
meet the charges. The statement
that l have antagonized labor organ
ization is a baseless political cry, as
anyone not familiar with my stand
ing among Iaboring men can readily
find out by going into the unions of
the quarrynen, stone-cutters, granite
cutters, sewer laborers and sewer
brick laborers. These are the class
es of laborers / deal with, and there
| am not only endorsed, but warm
ly so.
81 never did discharge a man on
the question of wages and the only
for the charge is that
some time ago when | had a number
cheap contracts my men Jumped
for a reduction Of hours. My
contracts haying been made on a
basis of 10 hours andtaken at prices
meant absolute ruin I was forced
to decline the request for a reduction
hours. ] told the men plainly
my situation, and that otherwise I
would grant it and would grant it as
soon as I could furnish the contracts
On hand. They were imperative m
heir demands and consequently we
Later their better iudg-
nent asserted itself and they reeog
aized the JUS Iness Of my position and