The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-05-19
IN THE GRIP OF BOSSES.
Scheme to Keep Fishermen on shore to
Prevent Losing Their Votes

oregonian.
a gentleman from the WASHINGTON side
OF the lower Columbia. quite familiar
with the troubles now existing between
the fishermen and the packers, arrived in
this city yesterday and registered at one
OF the hotels. where he was seen BY a re-
porter Of the oregonian. Being a bus
mess man whose interests centered in the
revenues that the fishermen derived from
their labor. he objected to his name being
used in connection with his utterances
His standing however. is vouched for
and his thorough knowledge, gained by
years OF experience OF the political sit
uation in Oregon and Washington. gives
insight into his utterances. lie said:
The fish industry is one that affects
not community, but the entire state.
IL involves millions of dollars In cap,tal
and labor, and its success means success
for the state, and its failure means gem
eral losses throughout the whole state
l don't think the public generally under
stands the great importance OF this in
dustry to Portland and Oregon, and the
fact that the whole gist OF the present
senseless strike rests on a political issue.
in which the poor fishermen are being
used as paws by the politicians OF Clat-
sop county to pun the chestnuts out OF
the political furnace next June The
fishermen, / am satisfied. would long
since have accepted the reduced rate ana
gone TO work. had ii not been for certain
political bosses. who cuuningly worked
up the men 10 the point OF holding out,
on false hopes thai the packers would
eventually have TO give in and pay tie
five cents demanded by the Fishermsn's
Union The whole thing Is being engin-
eered by four men. These and the candi-
dates from Clatsop county are mlnipuIat-
ing the union and making the fishermen
believe whatever they want. Just now
It suits them 10 keep all the fishermen on
shore until after the election II the
men were to go to work, and the bulk OF
them, on election day. would be on the
water. and their votes would be lost
This lesson was learned by experience
either two or four years ago, at which
election one Of the bosses was defeated
by about 800 votes, being about the num-
ber OF men who were on the river fish
ing. and who could not come IN to cast
their votes.
This year. in order to get a cinch on
all the men, the strike has been fostercd
and the men so worked Up that nothing
short Of cents will be accepted. The
bosses are equally aware that the pack
ers cannot possibly pay the cents. as
they are losing figures, and with the
two elements at daggers' points, the DO
litical bosses have expended their time
in the last few months in keeping the
ele nents apart, namely, by successfully
urging the fishermen to hold out for FIVE
cents. This game win he continued un-
til after the election, when. with every
fishermen's vote cast where wanted, IL
will be found convenient to show the
fishermen that as the season Is well ad-
vanced. four cents would better be ac-
cepted. and so discourage a continuance
Of the strike and let the men shift for
themselves.
You mark my words II is a deep
game those politicians are playing, and
so far they have been so successful that
It has made them a little boastful, and
they have been talking on the side a
little too much for their own good They
expect to land every fishermen at the
polls. and. as the poor. ignorant devils
are half-staryed down there, they will
be ready to vote any way they are told.
After election they will be dropped as
they will then be OF no further use to
them.
To-day the fishermen's union held a
meeting in Astoria to again consider the
proposition whether or not they would
accept the four cents or hold out. I saw
a dispatch received by a business man in
this city about an hour ago. which con-