St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-11-13
Governor John p. Altgeld.

EDITOR CALEDONlAN:-l believe that
the worst enemy to this country is the
man, or men, who try to array one class
against another. Altgeld charges Mr..
Hanna, Mr.. Carnegie, Mr.. Depew, Mr..
Pullman and others, with being corrup-
tionists, moral lepers, etc.
II the thousands of workingmen could
be made to believe this wild assertion it
would be unsafe for the men mentioned
to travel about the country or attend
to their ordinary business. What are
the facts about these men being of bad
character, or as men working against
the best interests of the working classes
of the people?
Mr.. Carnegie when young boy just
old enough to run on errauds was the
son of a poor widow, he was employed
as messenger in the railroad office at
Pittsburg, Pa, and by strict attention
to his duties he won the confidence OF the
officials whom he served. After a time
another until he was high official with
salary sufficient to enable him to earn
a competence. Then joining in business
with other men who had capital he
amassed a large fortune. No person,
until now, ever accused him OF beng
dishonest. II his sole aim was 10 amass
wealth, why has he used millions OF his
money in building, furnishing, and endow-
ing free libraries for the benefit of all
classes of people, particularly for the
benefit of such people as have no money
10 buy books?
The life history OF Mr.. Pullman is SINH
lar to Mr.. Carnegie's. He has built a
town on a desert and has planned from
first to last to make it an attractive place
for workingmen to live. Schools,
churches, places of amusement, fine
streets were built, all good enough for
any city. Sanitary measures were taken
by providing good water and a system
of sewerage that has been pronounced
by a committee from the common coun-
Gil of the city of Boston as the best in the
country. All these things were done for
the workmen. Mr. Pullman did not live
there and his company did not charge a
price for rent that would give any profit
on the cost OF all these things that were
constructed solely for the convenience
and comfort OF the workmen and their
families.
Mr.. Depew was employed as lawyer
by the New York Central railroad
many years ago, and has learned rail-
reading so well that he now is not only
LAWYER, but general referee, like
dictionary, in all business matters that
relate to the management and opera
ton of the road, He has always been
true to the rights and best interests OF
the employees as well as the company.
1t was reported at one time that the
state legislature of New York proposed
some law that would interfere with the
rights of the workmen on the N. Y. I.
R.R. Mr.. Depew was reported as DEFY
ing any one to prove the charges made
against the men, and asserting that
there were men in the employ OF the
company, in the shops, and on the road,
as engineers and conductors, that were
we'll qualified to fill any office in the
state. The people OF New York state
have substautiated the statement OF Mr..
Depew by electing a conductor as secre-
tary of state, and appointing an ola
engineer railroad commissioner, while
all the cities are yearly electing EN-
ployees of the road supervisors, alder
men, and to other responsible positions.
The writer of this article had the honor
of being unanimously nominated by the
republican party for mayor OF the city
of Rochester when employed on the N.
Y.C. R. R. as an engineer. No surprise
was manifested by the people or the
company. As a rule the otficils OF the
road have always been divided IN poll
tics, and they never tried to force the
men to vote contrary to their choice.
No greater libel was ever uttered than to
charge Chauncey M. Depew with beng
an aristocrat and tyrant. have been
in his home and was treated as well as
ever was in any farmers house in YER
mont.
Mr.. Hanna, Mr.. Carnegie and Mr.
Pullman have been the means oil en-
ploying thousands OF workmen at good
wages and they have very materially