Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-13
A FRAUD EXPOSED.



The advocates of free silver have done
some notable things in the way of circulat-
ing fOrgereS 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 ..7 public that Mr..
Bryan's cause was booming Samong the
manufacturers. On Wednesday last 1t was
announced all over the country hat big
stove factory" in Ohio had promised to
raise the wages of its employees If Bryan
should be elected. and the dispatch was eX
plotted by the free silver journals with the
most sensational of head lines, reading In
one case something like this: For Bryan
"A Big Stove Factory at Newark, o.
Ten Per Cent Increase in Wages Promised
II Bryan is Elected-Mapagement Says
Free Silver VIII Boom Business" The dis
patch which came after this startling an
nounccmCnt read substantially as follows:
NEWARK, o., Oct. 1T has been many
days since a factory notice promising In.
creased wages has been seen in this vicinity,
but the employees of the Central City Stove
works here have been notified that in case
of Bryan's election an increase of 10 per
cent in their wages would be given.
The companys president, C. w. Cunning
ham, has been lifelong republican, while
the heaviest stakeholder w. N. Fulton, al
though a banker, is an enthusiastic silver
lite, Nearly all the employees are republi-
cans, but all are Bryan supporters.
President Cunningham says the reason
the promise Of better wages was made was
that the company feels confident free coin
age would stimulate business, especially in
the west, where the trade of the concern
largely lies. He cited the fact that molder5'
wages before silver's demoneti2atlon were
higher than they are today, and pointed
out how all manufacturers of stoves vol
UNFAIRLY increased wages in 1879 after the
passage of the Bland act"
Naturally most persons who read the dis
patch concluded that the concern spoken
promise to raise the wages OF its employees
in case Of Bryan's election was significant
OF a deep rooted conviction on 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 wOrkngmen all over
the land and bring them in battalons to
the support Of the Chicago ticket.
1t is a pity, on some accounts to dlspel
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 commission house in
the United States says:
Regarding the Newark article we beg to
say that the Central City Stove works is a
concern with a capital Of from $1,000 to
$1,000, with credit limited, the poorest credit
for that amount OF capital. The number of
employees Is six and IL never employed more
than eight"
There is but one historic parallel so far
we know, for the impudcnt assumption
that 1t was of any consequence what this
gigantic concern, with a capital of from
81 900 to So 900, promised its six employees
or how its management felt In respect to
free silver 1t is the proclamation issued
by the three tailors of Tooley street, Lon
don, and signed, we, the People Of Eng
land" OF the two the free silver eXploita
tion Of this stove company story Is really
tho more farCical
If the whole thing were not so supremely
ridiculous it might be worth while to note
the fact that one OF the bi!terest wrongs of
which the FREQ silver men have complained
has been the alleged attempt OF gold stand
ard manufacturers TO secure the votes Of
their employees by declarations as to the
effect upon them OF electing Bryan. Surely
If the gold standard manufacturers have
been doing this thing it Is no worse in
them than in the big stove factory" whose
president, although a banker is an en-
thus .astiC silveritc."