Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-11-30
WAS IT NOT
A CONSPIRACY?
MONEYED MONOPOLISTS 'MkNIP-
ULATION OF VOTERS.
Can Ii BE Possible That Such
Things Can Overcome Us Like N
sum mer Cloud and Not Excite
Our Special Wonder Shall Capi.
tai Forge the Fetters for the
Limbs of Ereelnen.

TAI fOfge the reuters hOr the
Limbs Of Freemen.
The News would have hesitaied to
make so bold charge, involving, as it
does, so great part of the people OF
this nation in so unpatriotic an enter
prise. But when SO thoroughly al
Independent journal as The New York
Herald makes statements to that ef-
feet, the News cannot hesitate to say
that what We have heard so many
men declare to be their suspicion is
now coming to be recognized as fact.
The Herald intimates that there was
conspiracy among manufacturers and
employers to force their employees into
voting the Republican ticket by cut
ting down wages Immediately after
the Democratic success Of two years
ago. The Herald is independent in
politics-is found fighting shoulder to
shoulder with either Republicans or
Democrats, as justice may demand.
Here is what the Herald says:
"Some persons combine politics
with business and manage to make
the combination pay. This is a gen.
eral remark evoked by a peculiar
circular which will be found in another
column this morning. 1t is circular
sent out by business firm to its em-
ployes notifying them of the reetora-
tion of the standard Of wages which
prevailed before tho election of Mr..
Cleveland in 1892. The President OF
the company boldly states that his &C
ton is the result OF the recent cleo
ton.
" Soon after the election of 1892 of
President Cleveland, the apostle OF
theories and misery says the circular,
the country was plunged into COM
mercial and financial depression"
This firm reduced wages in lS93-now
it raises them to the original grade on
account of the Republican victory of
November G.
"This is not an isolated case, and
such acts appear to be nothing less
than political persecution and dis
elimination, and by no means in ac-
cordance with American ideas of JUS
tice. The sudden closing of shops and
factories and the wholesale cut in
wages i'll December, 1898, now seem to
have been done for political effect"
This is the remarkable language
with which the Herald introduces an
article several columns in length filled
with evidences OF the existence OF
conspiracy:
Wages depend upon politics. Sea-
bury & Johnson declare that they
have restored the pay of their EN-
ployes because the Republicans won.
Was there conspiracy? One EN-.
ployer admits that wages were reduced
to frighten the workingmen. En-
ployes were made to believe that
Republican victory would help them."
The Herald reporter who interviewed
the manager Of Seabury & Johnson's
business, after vainly endeavoring to
have him illustrate in what manner
the Democratic success of 1892 had
injured the business continued his in.
quiries:
What reduction in wages did you
make in 1882" l asked Mr.. Hop
ping.
From ten, fifteen to twenty per
cent" answered that gentleman, and
now salaries will be restored to what
they were before"
l asked Mr.. Hopping if his business
did not derive some benefit from the
Wilson bill, and he replied that
neither the Mckinley nor the Wilson
bill made much difference to them.
Then Mr.. Hopping made the astonish-
ing statement that during the panic
they bought more cotton goods
cotton is used in plasters. 1t will be
remembered-thant they had done be-
fore since"
When you are wearing Seabury
& Johnson's corn plasters remember
that this combination OF reduction and
restoration has the outward appearance
of coercion and bribery. One more in.
stance quoted by the Herald is as fol-
lows:
"I was talking this morning with
partner in a big printing house, who
told me that in consequence OF the
Republican victory of November his
house was going to start up on full
time. What l exclaimed, do you
mean to say that you have kept the
wages of your employers down for pol
itical reasons?" Certainly he replied ;
we wanted them to vote the Republi-
can ticket, and they have done it,
But these examples in far away New
York are not the only evidence of an
existence Of the conspiracy. In a GER
tain Pierce county coal camp, after the
passage OF the Wilson, bill wages were
reduced, the excuse given being that
foreign compe tition under the Wilson
bill had necessitatedit. The observani
miners, however, have noted no fall
ing off in the output of coal nor in the
prices charged for it by the company
and though many have taken the
company's hint and voted the Repnbli
/ can ticket nearly all have shrewdly
concluded that the reduction wa
simply club to beat them back into
, the Republican line.
2 The fact is that the Wilson bill car
not be amended by Republicans nor thu