Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-10-01
COERCION THE GAME.



National Democratic and Silver Head
quarters. Chicago. Sept. IS. 1896: A
the campaign PROGRESSES it becomes
more and more apparent that the heads
of the great corporations are following
Mark Hanna's advice in regard to the
methods to be employed to gain the
vote OF their employees. Coercion of the
most fagrant type Is being employed
on all hands to stem the tide Of popular
sentiment in favor of Bryan. Nothing
like it has ever occurred before in any
election in this country, The slogan
of the so-called Campaign of educa-
tion" has come to be 'svote as tell you
or starve." Hanna knowing so well the
potency of this argument has impressed
its Importance on the managers of the
railroads and other great corporations
and they are carrying his idea into ef-
feet in the most shameless, brutal man
ner.
| In some instances the employees are
! given TO understand that if they do not
vote for Mckinley the shop win be
closed and they thrown out CT employ
ment. In other instances, particular
| ly in case of the railroads, there Is no
| mincing of matters, and the men are
told frankly and bluntly if they do not
vote the way the company wants them
they will be discharged. Here is the
testimony of q man who works MS car
cleaner in the Chicago, Milwaukee .&
st. Paul yards: "About a week ago my
foreman came to me and said he wanted
me to join a railway mems Mckinley
club. I told him took little or no in
terest in politics, and did not care to
join. He then told me plainly that If I
did not join he would get man in my
place who would join. There are plenty
of men who are out of work and would
be glad to take your place. he said. and
concluded the best thing to do was to
join the club. am assessed 35 cents a
week and only get $1.25 a day. There
are 800 members of the club, and am
satisfied the great majority of them
have been coerced into joining Just as
was"
Superintendent Hubbell, of the Chi
cago division of the Rock Island rail-
road, found there was a strong silver
sentiment among the men of his divi-
sion, and a few days ago determined to
give them an "obieet lesson" He dis
charged 66 trackmen who were getting
from $1.25 to $3.50 per day and put in
their places Italians at so cents day.
And what made the matter all the more
offensive was the employment of the
padrone to boss the men and get Is cents
of their wages to do it. The Rock Island
has ON its pay rolls IL campaign orators
who are going to all points on the sys-
tam and haT~v-o
full results which will come to the woTk-
ingmen if Bryan is elected.
Several of the big factories of the
West side are giving their men an hour
TO listen to the talk of campaign orators
in the interest of Mckinley. The Crane
Manufacturing company, the Fowler
company and the Featherstone company
all give their men an hour in the after
noon to listen to gold arguments. When
committee from the Silver club Of the
Typographical union asked Mr.. Crane
for the privilege of having its speakers
address the men he said he would only
consider the proposition en- the under
standing that the speeches should be
written or printed and submitted to his
censorship.
And SO it goes. On every hand comes
evidence of the worst intimidation and
coercion of employees in the interest of
the gold ticket. It is form of intimida-
ton which is effective because It is in
sidious. The argument that the inter-
est of the workmen must be identical
with that of his employer is being used
for all there is in it. That with oEen
threats of discharge for friendliness for
Bryan is driving many of the timid ones
into the Mckinley camp, but reaction
is setting in in opposition to these
feudal methods which will react on the
republicans in way they little dream
of.
The average American workman is .oo
independent and patriotic man to
let such an insult to his manhood go
unrebuked. One of the employees OF q
big firm said the other day at demo-
cratic headquarters: "The old man can
make me wear a Mckinley button all
right, but thank God he can't tell whatI
will do when I get inside of the election
booths. He has his inning now because
/ cannot afford to assert the manhood
In me, but will get even on election
day."
This is the sentiment of every Amer
ican workman and Mr.. Hanna already
realizes that his coercion policy Is a bad
mistake. He is attempting to call or
the bulldozing employers, and assures
worlingmen that they will be permit
ted to vote as they please" This is q
great concession for a man of Hanna's
stripe to make, and people who only
work for a living should be duly CRATE
full.