Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-10-22
GOV. STONE CALLED DOWN.
Railroad Men Are Not Being Tntimidated
in Favor of Mckinley

If Il railroad man who, having the eN-
perience of Il lifetime, attempts to make
II talk for sound money and explains to
his employees why free silver would be
the ruin of the country and greatly inn
pair the operation of railroads as well
as affecting the wages of the employees,
then he is put down by the free silver
advocates as coercing the men under him
into voting for Mckinley.
A. Il. Stillwell. president of the NJ, X.
& H.. and vice-president of the Pittsburg
& Gulf, recently addressed Il large num-
the great financial issue of the day, and
Immediately Gov. Stone in one of his
tire-eating speeches charged Stillwen
with coercing the employees. Mr.. Still
well addressed the following open letter
to Gov. Stone:
Sir-~I understand that you have been init.
mating in some of your speeches in favor of
William j. Bryan and free silver that have
been intimidating and coercing my employees
into voting for Mckinley. l have delivered
quest. explaining my views of why coun-
try could not be prosperous on silver basis.
have never asked one of the 5000 people
on cur payroll who he was going to vote for.
| understand that this is free country and
that every man has right to cast his ballot
for the men of his choice. Certainly bust.
ness man like myself. who is in charge of
large industrial and commercial interests. is
better fitted to understand what is necessary
to a business country than people like you,
who have had no business training and eX-
perience.
If you wish to investigate this matter Of
my coercng my employees, l will donate the
expenses OF anyone you may SEND to make
the necessary investigation, and if you find
that l have ever asked any one OF my en-
ployes who they were going to vote for and
furnish proof, I will donate $1,000 to your
campaign fund. which you can use TO pay
the expenses of Mr.. Bryan in case he visits
the state again. This will relieve you and
MI. Bryan of the embarrassment which
must have been occasioned when he was
asked to pay his fare after visiting and
speaking at Kansas City.
Up to date Gov. Stone has not called
for the $1,000 to be used in the Bryan
campaign fund nor is he likely to call
for it. His charge was like great
many other assertions for which the gov
foundation whatever. If the time has
come when any particular class of
American citizens are precluded from
free speech and free thought the peo-
pie ought to know it. If a governor of
a great state has the liberty and privi-
lege to coerce his subjects by his elo-
quence certainly the president of rail-
road should be granted the same privi-
lege If the Popocrats could seal the
mouths of all the sound money men and
contiscate all the newspapers that care
to speak for the honor and integrity of
the governement, then their nefarious
scheme might be enforced upon the peo-
pie. but thank heaven this is still a free
country and the old flag, the emblem Of
American liberty, still floats, Gov. Stone
to the contrary Notwithstanding. The
people love free speech and that right
they will revere without fear of punish
mcnt from such men as Gov. Stone who
stoop to prevarication in order to carry Il
point-Springfeld (Mo) Republican.