The sun., 1896-10-25
BEGGARS, SAID Mr.. BRYAN.
HIS EPIzHET nv WASHING TON TO
WINDOW GLASS WORKMEN.

HIS EPITHET ~ WASHING row TO
WINDOW GLASS WORKMEN.
Tho Fun Story OF the Attenpt or Del
eention 20 Prevent the Reduction
OF the Tariff Window Giass-Hu
Also Called the WorkiuEmon Robbers.
HARRISBURG, Pa, Oct. 24.-"You are q rob-
Der! You are public beggars!'
This harsh language was applied By William
Jennings Bryan while n member Of Congress TO
a body Of window-glass workers who appeared
before the House Committee on Ways and
Means In behalf Of q tariff to protect their
labor, in September. 1893. Mr.. Bryan was n
member Of the Ways and Means Committee.
and did all he could TO destroy every vestige Of
protection to labor in tho compilation of the
| Tariff bill that 10 now law. This abatement is
| sworn to bv James Campbell OF Pennsylvania,
one Of the best known window-plass workers in
| the United States, a man who has been fore
| most In the efforts of working men before Con-
Rress TO give protection to American labor, and
| by Charles Bryant Of Anderson. Ipd., another
| wlndow-glass worker. well known TO members
| OF tho glass blowers associations throughout
| the country. Their afhdavits are:
"A committee representing the window glass
workers organization OF America, composed OF
John p. Eberhart. President; A. NJ. Hammet,
| John Kealey of jeanette, Pa; Charles Bryant
| OF Alexandria, Ind, and Joseph higgins OF
| Bridgeton. v. j.. were sent to Warrington IN
| December, 1898. to protest against any reduc-
| tion of the tariff on window glass. We produced
conclusive evidence to any fair minded man
that q reduction Of the tariff would result in a
reduction of the wages of the workers. Not
| withstanding that evidence. the tariff was
| reduced and reduction OF the workers wages
| followed. w. ]. Bryan. now candidate for Pres
| ident on tho Democratic ticket. wns member
| OF the Ways and Means Committee at that
| time. and after tho committee had adjourned a
manufacturer who was present got into con-
| versation with Mr.. Bryan. and was explaining
| to him the beneficial results that the people of
| this country had received under the protective
| tariff system. and II the tariff on window glass
| was reduced. as they proposed he would be
| forced to reduce the wages Of the workers.
| which he had no desire to do.
MIR. Bryan looked him straight in the eye
| and said You are rnbbe-' Ono of our COM
| mittce spoke UT and said:
Mr.. Bryan. II tho employer is q robber
what are the workingmen He promptly re-
| piled:
"You are public beggars.' Ono of our COM
mittee said: We do not consider 1t begging to
ask for protection against tho cheAp-pa!d
labor OF foreign countries.' He said: Never
theless you are public begEars.' and with that
he left the committee room.
after the Ways and Means Committee had
adjourned. JAMES CAMPBELL
Oct 12. 1896.
personally appeared before me- J. D. Pat
terson. Mayor OF Harrisburg. James Campbell.
who. being duly sworn, doth say that the fore
going statement Is true and correct.
-. d. PATTERSON. Mayor.
ANDERSON. Ind. Sept. 25, 1896.
Mr. Charles E. Flood. NoundsrtLs. ". Ia.
- Srp. oP ha Inst
You asked me to take oath to what stated in
answer to your former letter. In substance I
said that myself aud others wero sent to
Washington in 1898 for tho purpose of
| making n statement before the Ways
and Means Committee In reference to
the tariff on window glass. Some of our
mon had q conversation with Mr.. Bryan
after the full committee had adjourned. / was
not present all the time they were talking
tariff. but was present and did hear Mr.. Bryan
say: You are public beggars.' The answer
was made: we do not look upon 1t as begging
To ask for protection against the importation OF
foreign product He then suid: 'Neverthe-
less. you public beEgars.' He left US with
this. To all this swear. Yours truly.
CHARLES BRYANT.
"Subscrbed and sworn to before me this the
10th day of October. 1896.
EDMUND JOHNSON,
At the time of the above occurrence Con-
gresham Bryan was striving with might and
main to com pletely destroy the system Of meet
ing Government expenses by import duties and
substituting them with a direct tax upon in
comes. The direct tax became law and was
set aside as unconstitutional. While In Con-
gress Mr.. Bryan mado many utterances of
equal violence against q protective tariff law.
Among other things he said. In answer to
question by Congressman McKenna Of Cali
fornia. March 10. 1899:
1.-THE protective policy is similar to the pick
pocket policy OF putting mans hand into
another mans pocket and extracting money
from it."
In the debate m the floor Of the House. upon
the present tariff law. Mr.. Bryan said
"Our present system is vicious system.
created br the necessities of war and continued
by favoritism."
Again. he said:
THE purpose of the protective tariff was to
transfer money from one mans pocket to an
other mans pocket.
In tho same connection Mr. Bryan declared
that a tariff for revenue only could not be
levied without Its authors so arranging sched-
ules as TO make 1t n tariff for protection. and
therefore he was opposed to tariff because he
was opposed to q protective tariff. He believes
In meeting all tho expenses OF tho Government
by n direct tax upon the people and in having
absolute free trade.
Sent Bryan n 170S Silver Dollar.
SEDALrA. No.. Oct. 24.-Frank NJ. Dejarnetto
of this city sent by express yesterday to Will
lam Jennings Bryan. care of the National
Democratic Committee. Chicago. a snt!n-lined
morocco box In the centre of which was silver
dollar Of 1893. Tho only thing that appears on
the face Is the word Liberty" IN large. bold
letters, and the figures "179s." On the milling
Of tho rim are ths words "One Dollar, one hun
dred cents, unit"
Chairman Corcoran Resigns.
Boston. Oct. 24.-Gen. John w. Corcoran,
Chairman OF tho Democratic State COMMITTEES,