The San Francisco call., 1896-11-02
LABOR STANDS
FOR PROTECTION
Cry of the Calamity-H
ers Falls on Barren
Ground.
All This Talk of Coercion Proves
to Be Simply a Campaign
Dodge.

The cry of coercion" as raised by the
calamity-howlers has no foundation in
fact, as a canvass of the various LABOR or
ganizations yesterday clearly demon
strated. 1t was generally admitted to be
the despairing cry of the siIver-mine own
ers' press, which for months past has
waged warfare based on repudiation and
unsound doctrines.
The wage-earners of San Francisco, with
few necessary exceptions, have volun-
tarily supported the principles advocated
by Mckinley and will tomorrow give a
substantial blow to the hue and cry OF
coercion which has been raised by the
Bryanites. They wanted to wash off the
stigma of defeat in the waters of fraud,
but the thing would not 60 down with the
working people. They stand for sound
side talk, least of all coercion, will keep
their ballots from expressing their convic-
tions on election day.
The strongest possible evidence of this
is found in the action of the California
Labor Convention yesterday. The men,
bers thought so little of the story that
they refused to seriously consider it, W.
Macarthur of the Coast Seaman's Journal
and well known in labor circles was in
clined to laugh at the whole matter. He
had heard such things, but when 1T came
to question of proof he said it was not
forthcoming. For this very reason he de-
clined to believe that such conditions ex-
listed except in the minds OF the repu-
diators. The secretary of the Labor Asso-
citation entertained the same views.
Allen Park, paperhanger by profess
sion and popular in labor circles, declared
that he knew of no case where labor had
been requested to cast its vote with the
proprietors. He did not believe that such
thing could exist nowadays.
Theodore Lynch, secretary of the Lib
erty Branch and mem Der of the State ex-
ecutive committee, Socialist Labor party,
said:
81 am not aware of any influence being
brought to bear on any OF the wage
earners of nv acquaintance to vote thei
employers wishes next Tuesday and on Y
heard of such influence incidentally,
when nv attention was drawn 10 it bv
the remarks of Governor Budd, published
In the Examiner. That such a thing is
not altogether impossible, however, / am
not pre- pared to say. considering that most
men are influenced to-day in voting by
shelr necessities, whereas under Socialism
all men would be free to vote their con-
vlctions, as under a cooperative COM
monwealth all citizens would enjoy in
dustrial as well as political equality"
and motormen seen not one even limited
at other than free and unrestralned
vote. No request had been made to vote
for Mckinley or Bryan and so far as they
knew the other employees had not been
approached. The same is true of the men
working at the Union Iron Works and
other large establishments. They would
vote as they had marched Saturday, for
Mckinley and protection. and that, too,
wit out any hint from the s'bosses." The
sentiments of r. English, foreman of the
City improvement Company, practically
expresses the feelings and ideas of those
interviewed. He said:
All this talk of coercion is mere fol-de-
roi-a ciaptrap sori OF scheme to distract
public attention from the real issues. But
the working people cannot be fooled by
such thunder. They appreciate protection
and they understand the meaning OF sound
money. They do not have to be 'coerced'
INTO voting their convictions.
The Improvement Company employs
100 men, and so far as know not one of
them has been even requested TO cast his
vote for either Mckinley or Bryan. l
honestly think all this talk is scheme to
apologize for The poor showing the silver
men will make at the polls. What the
worklngman wants is sound money and a
chance to earn il -