Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-01
MAINE AN SEWALL
A Detailed Denial of Mr.. Bateman's
Charges.
1t II Asserted That Others Cut Down
Railroad Wages Against
His Protest

candidate for governor Of that state on
the populist ticket. upon Hon. Arthur Sew
all. candidate for Vice President of the
United States on the democratic ticket, in
letter addressed to Judge James s.
Woods of Texas, would be allowed to pass
almost unread and entirely unnoticed. The
circumstances from a political point of
view are such. however. that deem it my
duty as a citizen of Maine and a democrat,
as one who believes in fair treatment in
all things. to refute the wholesale charges
n ade by Mr.. Bateman against Mr. Sewan
In the letter referred to. not for the pur-
pose of vindicating Mr.. Sewall. who needs
no Vindtcation from any one. but simply to
show that Mr.. Bateman has made state
ment in letter to be read at a ratification
meeting to be held b. the populists some
where In the near future. that is unwar-
raL ted, unjustifiable and untrue.
Every intelligent and fair-minded person
will agree with me that Mr.. Sewall is not
UNIT for the great office to which he as
pres because he has been president of the
Maine Central railroad. and because he is
now president of the First National Bank
OF Bath and a stakeholder and director in
others" AS 1 understand it. the demo-
crstic party Is not waging war upon
tioral banks. nor upon any particular class
or men. On the contrary. 1t is waging
war upon the republican party and upon
all. regardless of politics, who are opposed
to the free and unlimited coinage of silver
at the LEGAL ratio of sixteen ounces of sill
president bank president, ship builder
and millionaire that he is. Mr.. Sewan
has always been an exemplary cit-
zen. a consistent democrat and
stanch friend of silver. Why, then.
should he be regarded by any one as an
unfit leader Of the great party that is
Pledged to the free coinage of both gold
and silver without discrimination. and es-
pecialiy by one who poses in season and
out Of season as a friend of silver? l
admit that 1t Is an unusual thing to find
cially III New York. fighting against great
odds for that which is for the best in
terests of the whole country and the COM
mon people. So much the more. then. is
never sought nor held a public office Of any
kind it cannot be said that Mr. Sewall is
IN politics for private gain. 1t is well
known that he was chosen as a suitable
running mate for Mr.. Bryan without any
solicitation on his part
The Reduced Wages Charge.
Again, Mr.. Bateman charges that the
wages Of the employees of the Maine Cen
trail railroad were reduced 10 per cent two
or three years ago" This is true, but the
cut was ordered by Mr.. George NJ. Pull
man of Pullman car fame, and not by Mr.
Sewall. although he was nominally presi-
dent OF the road at that time. Mr.. Pull
man and Mr.. Lucius Tuttle. now president
of the Boston and Maine railroad. and Mr..
Richard Olney, Secretary of State of the
United States, and others, have got COM
plete control not only OF the Maine Central
railroad but of the Boston and Maine rail-
road also, SO that, when the reduction in
the wages Of the employees of the Maine
Central railroad, as above referred to- was
made, it was at the very time when Pull
man, futile. Olney and company took pos
session of the road. 1t is we'll known in the
England q nrinciDal
son for Mr.. Sewalls resignation as presi-
dent of the Maine Central railroad was on
account of the fll-treatment that he knew
his men were about to receive and which
they have received from time to time ever
since.
Compare the great Chicago strike of last
year with its awful consequences. requir-
ing the services of the federal troops to
prevent great loss of life and property to
the peace and comfort of the men employed
by Mr.. Sewall while president of the Maine
Central railroad, and the conclusion will be
easily reached that Mr.. Sewall is not
universally despised by the laboring men
and those of the middle classes on account
of his cold, avariciouS and unfeeling ma
ture." AS yet that day has not come, and
l pray God that it may never come, when
the President of the United States will be
obliged to cooperate with the governor of
Maine in putting down a riot, brought on
by the ili-trea tment of the employed by the
employer. No strike or other unusual
methods for either retaining their wages or
having the same increased have the men
employed by Arthur Sewall & Company
ever reSorted to. no trades unions or I'M
ions of any kind have ever marched upon
Mr.. Sewall to demand for the laboring man
more wages and shorter hours. 1t can be
said of Mr. Sewall, in all of the great en-
terprises of which he is the head that he
treats his men with due consideration and
is always ready to grant their requests as
far as he is able. No middle-class man or
laborirS man enjoys better treatment today
g11yN1n I'D hv-N
work is steady and their wages instead of
being reduced are as a rule increased.
The Sailors Union Boycott.
Mr.. Bateman further charges that Mr.
SewalTs ships all over the world are I'M
der boycott of the National Sailors Union
on account or the low wages and unfair
treatment accorded the men who man his
vessels. While 1t is true that Mr. Sewall
Is heavy shipowner, 1t is also true that
he does not sail his own ships Every ship
has Its own iIaster. who hires his own
men anu IS res ronsible for their treatment,
Wnether 1t be good or bad. Every man
Who Is ill-treated at sea by the master of
a vessel can get ample redress in the
courts. 1t needs no argument to prove that
the men who have always been and are
now well treated by Mr.. Sewall upon tn.
land would receive good treatment if
employed by him upon the sea. Therefore,
1t is difficult to understand why MIR. Sew
airs ships should be under a boycott all
over the world of the National Sailors
UEion on account of the low wages and
unfair treatment of men" who are not in
his employment and whom he has never
seen.
And again, Mr.. Bateman declares that
Mr.. Sewall is by birth. by instinct and by
education plutocrat in every sense of the
word" AS Mr.. Sewall is well known and
highly respected throughout New England,
as we'll as III other parts Of the country it
Is hardly necessary to answer this charge
However, it will rot be amiss to say that
Mr., Sewall's door is always open to ALL he
is always cheerful and courteous to every
body; he is kind and consderate to those
under him, and he gives cheerfully and
literally to the poor
He is emnently right who says that the
rich are too rich and that the poor are too
poor; he is always eminently right who
says that the rich are growing richer
while the poor are growing poorer; but he
Is Enthusiastically wrong who says that be-
cause man Is rich and the president of
a national bank and a stakeholder and d.
rector il Others" although he has always
been an excellent citizen, he is not worthy
of the suffrages Of the people.
Mr.. Sewnlrs Popularity.
And, last of all. but perhaps not the
least, Mr.. Bateman describes Mr. Sewalrs
unpopularity in Maine thus: mo man in
Maine is more unpopular than he. He will