The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-06
Comment on Late Leading Features Of the
Struggle Between Gold and Silver.
.AR. AxTELL'S ATTEMPT At COERCION
.efC. g o. Employees into Voting the
L Republican Ticket Calls Forth
strong Denunciation = Governor
Psttison for Bry English Money
s-sfcKinlcy-Coch Statement.
fstaunton Yindicatorl.

8 Mr.. Decatur A0tell, who is in the en-
s ploy Of n gnfat corporation, the Chesa-
Speake and Ohio. and whose salary would
doubtless buy couple of farms IN Au-
I Eusta every year, is now engaged in de-
/ jiyering addresses through his hat to
such persons as read the Richmond
Times and oth,r Mckinley journals. He
lays down eleven propositions which he
reinforces by arguments gathered from
! the Mckinley papers showing why he
cannot vote for the Chicago nominees.
Here Is the first:
First-Because / cannot support a
platform nor vote for nominees that adj
sSocste measures which ii adopted by the
country Will make It necessary to reduce
the wages of 5000 emploNis OF the com
pany am connected with ana to dismiss
Hundreds of them. If there were no 9th
Err. this reason alone would be sufficient.
This thinly disguised threat, this carly
= IN the campaign, to reduce the wages
I Of the Chesapeake and Ohio employees
will give those who read Il n good idea
Df the character OF the fight that is now
I on between corporations and the people.
what possible ground could free coinage
Z give to reduce the wageS.of railroad EN-
Z poye5? What ground to "dismiss nun
drsds Of them?" If there is a good crop
s I'm the country the roads Will need thu
same number of men to move 1t: free
growing nor make them grow--it Only
gives better prices for them. The rail-
S roads will certainly not reduce theiI
8 freight rates on account of free coinage
they Will get the pay they do now. why
Z then should they reduce the wages OF
& 5000 employees" If the currency is In.
Hated of course the freight and passen-
ger rates Will be higher, the rsceipts
greater, and naturally the gentle and
generous Axtell will raise the wages OF
q the 5000 employees higher. The solici.
tude of Mr.. AXtell for the 5000 employees
ts very touching, but very diaphanous
why If the big corporations thought free
silver would really lower the wages oil
their employees. they would be howl.re
Tor 1t. 1t is because they know II vii
not lower, but raise those wages, thai
makes them oppose IT,
With $1,000 per annum employees like
s Mr.. Ingalls,. supplemented by we'll pale
smaller fry like Mr.. Axtell trying to writ,
down the Democracy of the land in II.
efforts to give the people financial eman
cipation. the peoplr can form n pretty
good idea of the fight that is going on.
AS Mr.. ingalls,, who lately wrote II
the same strain, and Mr.. Axtell are
Eourting the friendship of and giyinr
their aid to the McNinleyites as tina
organization, both in the Nation and II
the State, is likely to be overwhelmingI,
swept away by the silver wave, and a.
the silver Democrats Will carry Virginif
IN 1893 by an even greater majority
i. Hhan they will in 1896, it seems that a.
fhe employees of corporation the gen
hemen named would bitter serve thei,
y masters by Remembering that whatever
may be their individual opinion abou
silver, 1t Is rarely disputed that "silenc.
Is golden"