The Portland daily press., 1896-09-07
SEWALL'S CITY.
Gen. 7. w. Hyde Tells of Wages Past
and Present.
Examples Furnished by His Own Em-
ployes-How the Son Made Better
Living Than His Father.
ESPECIAL TO THE PRESS

Living Than His Father.
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1
Bath, Septembe Der 5.-Another enthusiasts
ito Republican demonstration is taking
placs here this evening and judging from
the crowd that gathered to see the pa
rade and hear the speeches, the home OF
Sewal Is becoming more and more Re-
publicanized every lay. The crowd on
the streets this evening was truly i'm.
mense and the procession, consisting of
q band. drum corps, the Young Mems
Republican club and the Mckinley Vol
unteers, was warmly chsered as it
marched through the streets.
Upon reaching the Alameda the crowd
made q rush for seats and soon the big
building was well filed with people. The
speakers were Gen. Cyrus Bussey of
Washington, D. G., and Hon. orville
D. Baker of Augusta. Upon calling the
meeting to order Chairman Geo. Ii. Clark
duced GEN. I. W. Hyde as the presiding
officer. Gen. Hyde said: ga speaker
for the other side said in this hail that
the condition of the American workman
was never as bad as 1t is today except
in the years 1878 to 1878. I dispute
that statement and can give you few
proofs from personal recoilections. At
was at a premium, went into business
in a modest way in the Bath Iron foun-
dry. At that time, one of my men was
cleaning cast irons and receiving for it
$40 a week. He paid $16 for his flour,
s12 for his coal and 55 cents for his but
ter. Today his son is employed by me
at the same wages. He pays IS for his
-four, So for his coal and ~ cents for his
butter. The son, to equal the purchas-
ing power of his fathers time, should re-
oeive about 81 per week. His father, to
have an equal amount of purchasing
power. should have received over $2U per
week. The free coinage of silver means
lower wages for workmsn and the farm
ers and mechanics of Vermont have
found it out. With wages at Is cents a
day, as in Japan, or at 30 cents day as
be prosperous. We could build the ships
Of the world on the Kennebec But I am
believer in American progress and
American civilization and to get them
we must pay our American workmen
American wages.
: elm Italy short time ago asked a
hotel porter what he received for wages.
AAO E0P4AO0 w Couto uuu us Uluu6f. i
asked man Iaboring on the streets in
Milan what he received. He replied 45
cents. II Jour American laborers were
like the foreigners, / should expect to
see the election of Bryan and Sswall l
feel like taking of my hat to sume OF
our workmen for their skill and brains.
l would not ask them to vote on one
side or the other. They have brains
they can take care of that themselves and
can take care of Maine on September
IA.
"You are all interested in the welfare
of the Bath Iron works. Many of us
are getting a living there. In u short
time. bids will be put in for five vessels
to be built by the government. If had
any idea Bryan and Sewall would be
elected. I would not dare bid on those
contracts, for they would want to pay
US 30 cent dollars and that would mean
RUM
Hon. o. D. Baker and Gen. Cyrus
Bussey, who spoke on the currency ques-
ton, were warmly applauded.