Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-10-02
TO RAILROAD MEN.
PROCLAMATION OF THE AMERICAN
RAILWAY UNION.

Tho Contents Of an Important Document
which Was Ignored by Chicago Newspa-
pers with but One Exception-Every
American Workman Should Read II,
National Democratic and Silver Head
quarters, Chicago, Sept. %, 1S96.-With
single exception, the Chicago news
papers" did not regard the recent
proclamation Of the American Railway
Union as of sufficient Importance to
deserve mention. The one exception
was the Chicago Record, which pub
lished the address in full, and thereby
demonstrated that it was willing to
perform the common duty of a daily
newspaper.
livery American workman should
READ and study this address. It makes
no adherence whether or not he be-
longs to labor union. In plain, candid
terms 1t throws a flood of light upon
the attitude now assumed by the great
railroad corporations. Do you desire a
government by injunction? Do you de-
sire TO forever surrender your right to
appeal for redress of grievances?
IN scores Of small cities you will find
a mail car. which once in a while ia
used as a trailer" to a trolley train. In
other istances slot Is cut in the side
OF an electric car, and it thus becomes
United States mail car and the little
trolley road becomes a part of our ma
tional postal system. Do you know why
this has been done? Here is the reason:
whenever the street car company gets
ready to reduce wages-which will be
Just after Mr.. Mckinley is elected. If
such calamity ever happens-they
can do so and by an injunction restrain
the men from quitting work. If they
quit work they interfere with
the United States mails" Do you see?
This Is called government by injunc-
ton. 1t is another name for white
slavery.
There is nothing imaginary about
this. 1t is not something which may
happen. 1t is something which has
happened and which will happen again
unless the American people put a stop
to 1T by defeating the men who are
spending millions to elect Mckinley,
with cry Of sound money. II you like
the scheme vote for it. Here is the adj
dress issued by the men who were the
first victims Of a government by in
Junction:
Address to Railway Employees.
To Members Of the American Railway
Union and all employees in the United
States:
Greeting:-The undersigned, consti-
tuting the board of directors of the
American Railway Union, desire to adj
dress you upon matter of momentous
import in connection with the great po-
litical campaign now in progress. You
have no doubt been struck with the I'M
precedented activity and astounding
tactics of railway owners and manag-
ers in this campaign. High officials are
going up and down the lines addressing
employees and warning them against
the frighful consequences of free silver
coinage. Roundhouses, depots and
shops have been temporarily changed
into political wigwams. Sound mon
ey" clubs have been organized and en-
ployes intimidated to join them Cir
culars and campaign documents are
being delivered to employees with their
wages, and In many instances en-
ployes are given plainly to under
stand that their continuance in service
depends upon their supporting the
gold standard candidates. In this pro-
ceeding, the money question only is
permitted to be discussed, and only one
side of that.
Now, what of all this? The railroad
managers are overwhelming employees
with predictions of frightful disaster
which will follow in the wake of free
coinage. Wages will be cut in two,
they say, thousands will be thrown out
of employment and the country ruined
This one issue is forced upon employees
to the exclusion of all others. Their
minds are not to be diverted from the
free silver calamity single instant. 1t
is to command their united, ceaseless
and terrified gaze to the very election
booth, SO that by no possibility may
the discovery be made that sound
money" is only pretext for deceiving
and hoodwinking employees, and that
railroad managers have a totally differ
ent motive for transforming the cor
porations they represent into huge Re
publican machines in this campaign.
The money question has been in
American politics in all its various
forms since the foundation of the gov
eminent. When have railroad corpora
lions organized, drilled and openly COM
manded their employees to vote the
company's ticket? Never before to
an extent that would even remotely
compare with their brazen activity in
this campaign. Employees have yielded
up everything, and now they are to be
stripped of their votes and deprived of
their last means of protection against
oppression and injustice.
And now, we ask, why this unheard
of activity on the part of railroad man
ayers for Bryans defeat and McKin-
ley's election? How is it to be accounted
for? We appeal to railroad employees
to pause and think. The like of the
present situation has never been wit
messed. The country stands amazed
in the presence of such bold, bald and
STAINLESS intimidation. Again, we ask,
what does it mean? What can be its
significance? Why such ceaseless
stupendous and desperate efforts to
control an election? Is it on account
of free coinage? No! The absurdity
of the prosition is evident upon the
very face of it. That railroad com
panies have some interest in the mon
ey question is conceded, but that they
would turn earth, heaven and hell on
that account, to prevent an injury to
their poor employees" is not only
ridiculous, but an insult to every en-
ploye of common intelligence who is
not wholly the property Of the COM
pany.
They have been cutting the wages of
their employees by all the means in
genuity could suggest and if they be-
lieved free silver would "cut in two