The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-11
Hundreds of Clubs Organized by Rail-
road Men, and Many More in
Process of Formation.
PRESIDENT INGALLS, SPEAKS
DENIES COERCION STORIES. AND
SAYS HE is FOR M'KINLEY.
Thousands of Employees of Roads
Running Into Chicago Preparing
to Visit Canton.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1o.-When it be-
came known several weeks ago that John
K. Cowen, president of the Baltimore &
Ohio railroad, had ordered some 200. 900
copies of various sound-money speeches
and other documents, and had distributed
this literature among the army of en-
ployes of his road, and when the activity
of NJ. F. Ingalls,. president of the Big
Four and the Chesapeake & Ohio railroads,
in setting before his men the dangers that
threatened them from free coinage, a great
howl went up from the Democratic con-
gressional committee, that great corpora
tions were unfairly using their authority
over their employees to force them to vote
the Republican ticket. Chauncey NJ. Black
now comes forward and states that the
great Pennsylvania railroad is coercng its
employees, and from Wisconsin and Michi-
gan come similar charges from the free
coinage managers who are shocked and
indignant at the action of the railroads
in flooding the shops with sound-money
literature. 1t is also charged that the rail-
roads are assisting the Republican national
committee and the congressional commit
tee very largely by transporting material
free of charge, and that the roads running
into Canton are carrying thousands of
visitors to Major Mckinley, practically free
of charge.
Inquiry among railroad men proves that
the managers of the great corporations
have been undertaking, by means of sound
money literature, to counteract the effect
of the incendiary speeches which have been
made along the lines of their roads by
candidates Bryan and similar demagogues.
But it is absurd to claim that any rail-
road president or the head of any other
l,fc
any indicated ticket. The secret ballot
system has been adopted almost univer-
sally in this country 1t certainly prevails
everywhere within the circle of influence
of the corporations charged with attempt
ing to bulldoze their employees. Employers
of labor can flood their shops and factories
with literature. and if they were foolish
enough to attempt it, they might even give
their men orders to vote, in a prescribed
manner, but the moment any voter enters
the Australian booth, he is his own master.
The truth is that the Democratic man.
ayers are badly scared. Reports from the
East show that not a single electoral vote
and less than dozen Congressman are to
be expected from New England, New York,
Few Jersey and Pennsylvania. Maryland is
conceded to the Republicans by every man.
and it is a question if more than one
Democrat is sent to the House. The re-
ports from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan. Wis
consin, Illinois and Kentucky sent to the
Democratic headquarters are most dis
coura ging, and, in addition, the managers
find that those Eastern business men who
formerly contributed the bulk of the cam
paign funds to the Democrats, have now
identified themselves with the Indianapolis
sound-money movement, and, instead of
contributing their funds to the Popocratic
han bai
usual quota to defeat the Popocratic ticket.
1t is believed that the Indianapolis Demo-
Gratis will before long concentrate all their
efforts on electing sound-money members
of Congress, whether they be Democrats
Republicans.
1t is a curious fact, by the way. that
neither Mr.. Babcock, chairman OF the Re-
publican congressional committee, nor
Senator Faulkner chairman of the Demo-
cratic congressional committee, care to .
make any predictions regarding the next
House of Representatives beyond the usual
stereotyped claim of a majority. Both
committees this year have practically
and have worked entirely in cooperation
with the national committees in charge of
the congressional campaign, because, with
rare exceptions, the Congressman in each
district have been rJnn1ng on the platform
of the respective presidential candidates.
1t is intended by each of the charmen to
turn over the presidential work in a few
days to the respective national committees
and to devote the last six weeks of the
campaign purely to the Assistance of the
congressional candidates in the districts
The complexion of the House in the next
Congress is of paramount importance with
result of the presidential election. If
Mr.. Bryan should be elected and he were
not sustained in the House by over
whelming free-silver majority, the Repub
Hcans and the sound-money Democrats
could combine again to tie his hands. On
the other hand, Major Mckinley. if elected,
will need an equally strong majority in the
House to enable him TO carry out his plans
for readjustment of the country's depleted
finances. The complexion of the House
will depend, will the presidential cleo
ton on the outcome in the Middle States.
Even if all the Representatives from the
South and West should be silver men. the
latter would not be in the majority. There
must be at least twenty districts or more
carried in the middle and Eastern States.
Sneecb hx In