The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-04-13

How Workingmen Are Prevented from
signing Tari6 Reform Petitions

How Working mon Are Prevented from
signing rArin Reform Petitions
Thousands Of petitions have been
sent To congress- in favor OF the Wilson
bill and tens Of thousands against IL
After the elections of 1880 ana 1892.
this fact nigh; seem strange 10 some.
Ii so. it is because they do not under
stand the preseot economic situation.
The do not realize to what extremes
political manufacturers will 90 10 pre-
vent the loss Of The pap that has norr-
ished. or rather stimulated. them
Ii takes unusual courage To enable
factory employees To sign petitions
which are not sanctioned by the bosses
Those who have gone amongst the
protected" workingmen and have met
them in their homes and lodges. say
that there are very few tariff reform
backsliders. even during these hard
times-falsely credited 10 the shadow
Of the Wilson bill The workingmen.
however. think il bad policy for them
to sign tariff reform or free trade petit
tions, when such action will imperil
their positions and bring hardship
upon themselves and their families
Besides. they think IL unnecessary.
They voted twice for radical tariff re-
form and they now expect congress to
do what il was elected To do II ii
does not. they are likely to cast about
next fall for new party that promises
to keep its promises
Mr. Il +. Longstreet tells us in the
Courier. of st Louis. how projections.
oppression is applied in Worcester.
Mass. On January 3. Mr.. Thomas F.
Kennedy succeeded in having resoln-
tions indorsing the Wilson bill adopted
by the central labor union of Worces-
ter These were the resolutions which
Congressman j. II. Walker. of Worces-
ter. refused to present To congress and
which were finally presented by Jerry
Simpson, of Kansas. a man not under
the thumb Of protected manufacture
ers, because Medicine Lodge. his home,
is not a manufacturing center.
Mr.. Kennedy. who is laster in one
of the leading shoe houses of Worces-
ter. and who is sober. steady. intelli-
gent and worthy worhingman. expected
TO lose his position. Ills employers
''laid for him but they waited until
February, when matters had cooled
down. before discharging him.
An old man. war veteran. who was
in the thickest of the anti-slavery fight
/ in Kansas feeling confident that he
could secure hundreds of petitions in
favor of the Wilson bill as being in
the right direction" drew up petition.
but upon going To his work that morn
ing he was surprised by the labored ef-
forts of the men to keep out of his
reach. Newspaper reports of his intcn-
tion had anticipated his arrival at the
shop that day. and late in the after
noon he found the explanation TO be
that the boss" had passed the word
among the men in this threatening in
junction: You had better keep away
from that man with his dcvilish here
sizes (" lie is in daily expectation of his
discharge.
Mr. I.ongstreet. who has been active
for radical tariff reform. says that he
has been made to feel the pressure of
protection to such an extent that he
has sold ont his business. and will leave
Worcester 10 locate in less protected
and. therefore. more liberal city.
II j. really a serious matter for work
ingmen in protected industries to ex.
press their honest convictions; without
the secret ballot. in most states in
1890 and 1892. il is not improbable that
/ we would not now know their honest
! convictions were for tar III reduction