The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1896-10-30
JONES GETS BACK AT HANNA.
The Democratic Leader Replies to the
"Seditiou Circular"

| "Seditiou Circular"
On the evening of Friday, October 81,
Chairman Jones, of the democratic
campaign committee, issued for publ-
cation reply to Mark Hanna's "se-
dition" circular. which was put forth
by the republican leader as an offset to
the first Jones circular warning work.
ingmen that reduction ofwages would
result from the election OF Mckinley.
In his reply Mr.. Jones says:
Mark Hanna has issued a bulletin. Ac-
| cording to this bulletin the workman who
| does ask OF his employer that wages shall
not be cut down In the event OF Mr. Nc
kiniey's election is guilty of sedition.
Hanna has killed the republican party
and committed political suicide HIS
bulletin Issued this afternoon is the most
remarkable production that ever came
from national headquarters. II destroys
the last chance of McKinley's election. II
| proves every charge made against Hanna's
labor record. 1t is the most stupendous
piece of folly ever committed in the name
of politics.
THE chairman of the republican nation
al committee practically admits that Nc
| Einley's election will be followed by
general reduction in wages. He asserts
1 that the workman who asks that his wages
| NC not cut uoWn III MChlnley Is elected Is
/ guilty OF soliciting bribe. He asserts
that II Is folly to suppose that any en-
| ployer of labor would promise not to reduce
wages in the event of McKinleys election.
! He asserts that the suggestion that work
\ men secure promise of non-reduction
in wages from their employers is threat
and that 1t is an invitation to bribery.
"All of which shows that Mark Hanna
has finally introduced into politics his
private methods of subjugafing labor.
/ And Mark Hanna is the official representa-
tive of Mckinley and prosperity His
| form of prosperity seems to consist In
| general reduction in wages and the denial
| of the right of contract or of humble petit
| tion. e. IS
IF this were mere assertion instead Of
statements contained in an official repub-
lican manifesto. no sensible man would
| accept its authenticity. But II Is q natur-
al episode in a campaign conducted from
London 10y way of Wall street.
| Mr.. Hanna's seditton circular Is pre-
| ceded by a short but interesting history.
1t purports to be an answer to a circular
| issued by Chairman Jones. of the demo-
| cratic national committee. 1t Is nothing
| of the kind. 1t is a manifesto launched
| against a newspaper clipping, which Is
part of q daily service supplied to papers
| by the press bureau of the democratic ma
| tlonal committee. Here Is sketch Of
| what led up to the Hanna sedition mani
festo.
"On October q an article was prepared
by the democratic press bureau and pub
lished In several papers throughout the
| country, calling attention to the significant
| fact that not an employer IN the United
| States had publicly or privately offered TO
raise wages If Mr.. Mckinley was elected.
The dispatch continued, with the following
| statement, which called forth the Hanna
manifesto:
They will not even promise to main
| tain wages at their present scale. They
| know that ii cannot be done. They know
that a gold standard makes wage reduc-
! ton imperative. and they are anxiously
/ awaiting the close of the campaign so a. to
be able to put a lower scale into effect with
| out endangering Mark Hannas cause.
If the worKmen of any great factory.
! or of any great industry, are Ii doubt as
to the absolute accuracy of this assertion,
they can easily prove or disprove it. Let
| them appoint a committee and authorize
| 1t to confer with the employers or en-
ployer. Let this committee ask for an
| agreement In writing, either that wages
shall be raised in the event OF the election
of Mckinley, or that the present rate
of wages shall be maintained, or finally
demand an absolute guaranty that no
| cut in wages shall follow the triumph Of
the single gold standard. This will settle
the whole business. Do not take anyone 8
word for it, Have a contract made and
In which there shall be no material wage
| reduction.
This is not an unreasonable demand.
! Mr.. Mckinley is announced as the ''ad-
vance kgent of prosperity. Employers
| are asking their men-and even threaten
ing them-in an attempt to perpetuate the
gold standard, which thus far has been
failure. Ii these factory owners and
| business men have any confidence In their
political sagacity, II they really believe the
gold standard is good thing. they GER
! tainly should be willing to agree not to cut
| down wages just the moment the people
have voted to have four more years of a
| gold regime. Their confidence should go
to the extent of making legal contracts
with the men they are now urging TO vote
for Mckinley and prosperity.
'Workmen are advised TO put their en-
ployers to the test. 1t will cost them moth
ing and may settle a disputed point
This Is what Mark Hanna terms 'sedi-
| ton An inquiry as to what kind OF pros
pcrity the workmen may expect under a
| continued gold standard is denounced as
an attempt to array the industrial masses
| If the nation against their employers
In order to comprehend the Hanna idea
| of the relations which should exist between
| employer and workmen careful examina-
ton OF his proclamation is necessary. He
starts out by denouncing the newspaper
| clipping as seditious bulletin and
the peaceful relations existing between
capital and labor are none too good to do
| even worse
MIR. Hanna then gets squarely down to
business and dashes off the following In
answer to a suggestion that workmen as :
certain how much the Mckinley admins
tration Will reduce their wages.
Here Mr.. Jones quotes a portion OF
Mr.. Hanna's bulletin. Mr.. Jones then
concludes thusly:
What do the people OF the United States
think of that a political doctrine? The
| workman who asks his employer TO guar
antee him against a further reduction in
his wages-in the event that the advance
agent of prosperity is elected president,
| on the demand of the employers-is guilty
| of soliciting u bribe.' That is a step In
advance of government by injunction.
| Every republican paper and every repub-
lican orator in the country is proclaim
ing that the triumph of Mckinley and gold
means prosperity. The railroad COM
panies and the great corporations are de-
| manding of their men that they vote for
| Mckinley. They assure the men that good
times will follow the triumph OF sound