Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-01
Facts Concerning Alleged Coercion of Uniop
Pacific Employees,
JUDGE SANBoRN ASKS FOR A STATEMENT
Assistant General Solicitor Furnishes the
Information Requested.
ALL EMPLOYEES MAY VOTE AS THEY PLEASE
scnthing Rcbukc 10 the bryan Hust-
Icrs who Report thnt Railroad
Men Are Forced Into Nc
kinIcy Ranks.


for the purpose of influencing votes, none
have been so base as that which is being
circulated regarding the coercion of en-
ployes by the management OF the Union
Pacific system. 1t is reported that the en-
ployes are being compelled to enter the
sound money parade OF Monday evening and
that Union Pacific property is being used
for political purposes. That the facts in
the matter have been grossly misrepresented
is shown by the following kilograms on the
subject In the absence Of General Solicitor
Kelly OF the Union Pacific system, his as
sistant, William j. Carroll has taken the
matter in hand and entered an emphatic
denial of the charges. In order that tho
kilograms might be read by Union Pacific
employees generally as soon as passible Mr..
Carroll at noon decided to give them out
for publication.
The telegram to Judge Kelly from Walter
H. Sanborn. circuit judge OF the federal
court at st. Paul, reads follows:
st. PAUL Mimi, Oct. 30.-G NJ Hitch
cock, publisher World-Herald wires me that
the Union Pacific management is preparing
to furnish material for Mckinley parade;
that new material, especially for use In this
parade, has been ordered at the expense
OF the Union Poetic; that evidence is ample
that the Union Pacific management has been
turned into a Mckinley campaign COM
mittee and that the property OF the road
is to be used for partisan political purposes.
"Is there any truth in any OF these charges?
None O. the property or money OF the Union
Pacific or OF the receIvership and none Of
the authority or positions held by any OF
the receivers or any OF the employees must
be permitted to be used to forward the in
terest of Mckinley or Bryan or for any po-
litcal purpose whatever. | hold you re-
sponsible and require you to see that this
policy is strictly pursued. II any other
course is or has been contemplated by any
one, see that 1t is not followed. II any
employe OF the court under this receiver
ship uses the property of the Union Pacific
or his position or authority as an employe
for partisan purposes, discharge him. This
receivership must not be used for political
purposes"
CARROLL'S CAUSTIC REPLY.
Mr. Carroll's telegram In reply follows:
"OMAHA, Oct 31.-Your telegram TO Kelly
reaches me in his absence; he is now en-
route home After careful investigation
find the management is not preparing to
furnish materials for any Mckinley parade
or that new material has been ordered at
expense of the Uni n Pacific for that purpose.
The only basis for the charge is the fact
that certain subordinate employees bought
from the supply department railroad Ian
terms and requested the supply agent to
furnish them blue glasses. which, not hav-
ing sufficient in stock. he ordered for that
purpose; but not at the expense OF the rail-
for and the
expense OF the men buying them.
''The custom of sale OF supplies to em-
ployes is an old one, never before ques-
toned.
"In all other respects Hitchcock's state
ments are absolutely false. 1t seems very
evident that he is merely attempting to use
yourself to bolster up his cause. and your
name to frighten Union Pacific men from
exercising their political choice.
Individually the large majority of Union
Pacific employees at Omaha are supposed to
be for Mckinley, and many of them are Or
ganizing for marching in the procession
Monday night The management and OFF,
GERS have no control or interest in these or
ganizations No officer of the receivers, 30
far as ! can ascertain, Is exercising any
authority for political purposes during this
campaign. liz "lIltl puipoStiy
refused to sign documents circulated by
employees for political purposes, knowing
that Hitchcock would certainly misrepresent
the fact. You may expect an avalanche Of
lies to emanate from the source mentioned
during the campaign" =.
FACTS IN THE CASE.
So far as the story that the Union Paciac
is allowing its property to be used the facts
H. lA.
issued by the Union Pacific to George e.
Wilson and w. Il. Reid, two employees, for
300 lanterns. Employees of the Union Pacific
have long been in the habit Of purchasing
supplies for their individual use through tho
companys Eupply department because in
that way the articles desired could be bought
cheaper than in any other way. The trans
parencIcs we're ordered OF A. Carleton.
painter OF this city. by W. Il. Reid. All OF
these supplies arc purchased by the
voluntary contributions OF the employees
themselves. No financial aid from the Union
Pacific company. from the national. state
or county republican committees has been
asked. or would be accepted. Twenty or
twenty-five OF the employees In the head
quarters. mostly clerks got together and
decided to make arrangements for equiping
the railway division OF the sound money
parade. SO far as tho use Of the lanterns
is concerned, 1t is a fact that many OF them
we're used In tho democratic parade Of four
years ago One Of the prominent officials
OF the road, who Is a sound money democrat,
this morning said: Hitchcock ought to
keep his mouth shut about using the COM
pany property Cor in previous years We
have hustled around here and borrowed 1t
for our own democratic PROFESSIONS"
Many OF the men Sho are interested In the
success of the coming parade can testify that
they borrowed lanterns for use In the
democratic paraies Of tour and eight years
ago
InyestlgatIon OF the story about republlcas
coercion at the uaion Ptelle shops seems q