The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-23
CHEAP, NASTY FAKE.
THE KIND OF CAMPAIGN MATERIAL
THE POPoCRATS USE.

A Shop Employing Eight Men Exploited rs
d "Factory" of Great Dime nensiopsA SAM
pie OF the Petty Lies With Which Bryan
Is Bolstercd.
The advocates of free silver have done
some notable things in the way of cir
oulating forgeries during the campaign,
but they have done nothing quite so
ludicrous in the fraud line as the effort
which was made last week to convince
the public that Mr.. Bryan's cause was
booming among the manufacturers. On
Wednesday last it was announced all
over the country that "a ''big stove fac
tory" in Ohio had promised TO raise the
wages of its employees il Bryan should
be elected, and the dispatch was ex-
plotted by the free silver journals with
the most sensational of headlines, read
ing in one case something like this:
"For Bryan--A Big Stove Factory at
Newark, O.-Ten Per Cent Increase In
Wages Promised if Bryan Is Elected
Management Says Free Silver Will
Boom Business. The dispatch which
CtIlt tuls
read substantially as follows:
NEWARK. o., Oct. 7.-It has been many days
since factory notice promising increased
wages has been seen in this vicinity, but the
employees OF the Central City Stove works
here have been notified that in case of Bryans
election increase OF ~ per cent in their
wages would be given.
The company's president, G. ". Cunning
ham, has been n lifelong Republican, while the
heaviest stockholder, W. n. Fulton, although
q banker. Is an enthusiastic silverite. Nearly
all the employees are Republicans, but all are
Bryan supporters
President Cunningham says the reason the
promise Of better wages was made was that
the company feels confident free coinage would
stimulate business, especially in tho west,
where the trade OF the concern largely lies.
He cited the fact that molders' wages before
silver's decentralization were higher than they
arc today and pointed out how all manufac-
turers OF stoves voluntarily increased wages
in 1879 after the passage of the Bland act.
Naturally most persons who read the
dispatch concluded that the concern spo-
ken OF was Of great Importance and that
its promise to raise the wages of its en-
ployees in case of Bryan's election ',as
significant Of deep rooted conviction
OH the part Of the management that
such election means prosperity to the
country. 1t was expected, no doubt,
that the announcement would thrill the
hearts of the workingmen all over the
land and bring them in battalions to
the support Of the Chicago ticket
| 1t is q pity, on some accounts, to dis
pei this fond illusion, but justice to the
| truth compels statement OF what this
| gigantic stove manufacturing concern
| really is. A letter TO George II. Barbour
| of this city from the largest iron COM
mission house in the United States says
Regarding the Newark article we beg to say
| that the Central City Stove works 10 con-
Germ with capital of from go TO $1,000,
| with credit limited tho poorest crerit for that
/ amount Of capital. The number csomployees
| il six. and IL never employed moro than eight.
There is but one historic parallel, SO
| far as we know, for the impudent as
sumption that it was Of any conse-
uuence what this gigantic concern. with
a capital of from $1,000 TO $4,000,
! promised its six employees or how its
| management felt in respect TO free sill
yer. 1t is the proclamation issued by
the three tailors of Tooley street. Lon.
| GOn, ana slkheu We, tio iSoPo va
England OF the two the free silver
| exploitation Of this stove company
story is really the more farcical.
If the whole thing were not so su'
premely ridiculous it might be worth
while to note tho fact that one OF the
bitterest wrongs of which the free sill
yer men have complained has been the
alleged attempt Of gold standard man
ufaoturers to secure the votes of their
employees by declarations as to the
effect upon them of electing Bryan.
Surely if the gold standard manufaotur
ers have been doing this thing it is nc
worse in them than in the "big stove
factory" whose president, although q
banker, is all enthusiastic silverite. -
Detroit Free Press.