Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-14
RAILROAD EMPLOYEES
President Ingalls, Says They Shall Vote Ac-
cording to Their Consciences.
He Discussses the Free Coinage Prop
Osition Mt LeEEth-PrObable
Effect of His Letter.
Special Core sp..ndence of rhe Evening Star.

Bryan was nominated for the preside cy
President ingalls, of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad Company, which employs at
least 10000 men, and large proportion Of
whom live and vote in Virginia, stated that
If the democratic candidate was elected. the
Chesapeake and Ohio would discharge a
number of its employees. stop the big IN
provements the company is making at
edmond, which. it is stated WILL when
completed, represent an outlay of about S.
OOOUO and would also economic in other
directions.
In many quarters, especially among the
employees of the Chesapeake and Ohio the
statement of Mr.. Ingalls, was regarded as a
threat that the men must vote for McKin-
ley, and its effect seemed likely to reach
such large proportions that the democratic
managers in the state took steps to coun-
teract it, The latter even went so far as to
threaten to use their influence to have a
law passed at the next session of the Vir-
gin:a legislature providing for the creation
OF state railroad commission. to the ex-
1stence OF which, 1t is stated every railway
corporation in the state is strenuously op-
p9s=d
The immediate effect of President lngalls.
s!alenleht was TO set the men employed on
and the indications now are that at least
ninety per cent of this class of voters will
cast their ballots for Mckinley in Novem-
No one will attempt to deny that by far
the greater number Of railway men in Vir-
gina are democrats, and in voting for Nc
klnley they will do SO simply because they
believe the success of Bryan would militia lie
against the best interests of the country at
large.
Will Not Discharge the Men.
In order that thee might be no misunder-
standing Oh the subject, letter was sen.
TO Mr. ingalls, asking him whether If one
Of the employees of the Chesapeake and Ohio
for h
Mr. ingalls, sent a reply, as follows: IF any
employe of the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
way Company feels. after studying this
question, that his conscience will not allow
MIN 10 vote against Bryan. and If he feels
that the free and unlimited coinage of sill
yer VIII be a blessing to the country he
should follow the dictates of his conscience
and If any officer of the Chesapeake and
Ohio discharges an employe for so doing
will discharge him
After referring to some matters of per-
scnai interest 10 the person to whom the
letter was addressed, Mir. Ingalls, went on
to say: g. = 20,
There is nc story of history of times Hike
the present The people of this great ma
ton leave their work, their play, the duties
OF life. to discuss an economic ques ton
You hear upon every street corner and in
every place the words honest money
sound money free silver,'=p'16 to l. all
Questions which concern our currency. 1t
seems as II every man, woman and child
was interested. as every one should be- and
1t is one of the advantages of this country
OF ours that such 4 question as this is to
be settled by jury OF the people.
In other countries, perhaps, 1t would be
t2ed by sorereigns, by parliament or legis-
lative bodies: but here propose to settle
it by the votes of the people the ordinary
people, and therefore it is we'll that they
are so much interested; and in the six or
seven weeks 10 come We will be able
trust. to thrash the question out so as to
settle it satisfactorily once for all.
1t IS hard TO write anything new upon a
question about which so much has been
said and written 1t would be Impossible
to write anything more convincing than The
letter Of Gov MCKINLEY upon this matter
a greater political speech was never made
W on any subject than that of ex-Pres.dent
Harrison a few weeks al go. and if any one
wishes - read the technical questions
about finance he can get the speeches made
by Secretary Carlisle last year, or he can
read the speech of Senator Sherman made
the other day at Columbus. and he has
about all the information he can get on the
subject
AS TO the question of whom we are in
debted TO. Who are the great creditors of
this country Not the foreign bondhold-
ers, fer theirs is but a mite; they can lose
1t; they can say they will take their 20
cents on the dollar and write the debt off
their books and never again do business
with the same party. That is the only re-
suit of that. You may reduce the value
or all your deposits in the savings banks
and who loses? The depositors who have
deposited their money there in small
amounts .---F
You may reduce the standard by which
your building associations can pay back
their money: who loses that? The sub
scribers to the building association. Is it
any good TO wrong them? But the great
creditors of this country it's wage earn
ers. The few millions that you owe to the
foreigners. the few millions, that you owe
to the bioated bondholder are hardly a
drop in the bucket compared to the money
that you owe every week and every month
to the wage earners of this country.
The c. and o. Creditors.
THE Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Com
pany last year paid out $4,000 900 Now
who did We pay 1t to? Let US find out
who out creditors who are going to
receive SO cents on the dollar. We paid
out in the interest on our securities to
the 5loated bondhoIders 5000, 600 of the
$lo,OOp,0oo. We borrowed the money from
that bondholder, and we got 1t in good
honest money We got 1t In the money
that has been the standard Of this country
ever since 1894. He gave US good hard
dollars for it, and yet you say you are go
Ing to coin :l1 cent dollars and We must
ing to coin 53-cent dollars and We must
doesn't look to me quite honest but that
Is where several millions will have to GO
Last year We paid out about $1,000. 900 to
people along our road for supplies and
more than $5.OoO,00o went to our labcrers
on the railroad Now who is the bloated
bondholder We are going to wrong and
cheat by that .;-cent dollar?
is it not the men who run our trains
and keep up our track and do our erik
and who is to pay them back? If the free
coinage of silver does what these people
want II raises The price of everything Of
course Ii will. TIE man who sells to me-
the man who makes boots and shoes and
the man who makes clothes will immedi-
ately put his price up, when he gets his
pay In this deprecated currency he will
get more pay for 1t. DO you suppose that
the men who work for the railroads are
going 10 get their pay raiseI? 1t is the
very last thing they do get.
1T has been struggle for the last 500
years among the laboring men to get their
rate of pay advanced but by this gigantic
conspiracy, with one stroke of the pen YOU
cut their wages in two, and how many
years will 1t take to get them back? Take
the man who digs coal out of the earth
He tolls down in the darkness for his pal
try dollar and a half. Today 1t Is as good
as gold You pay him in your deprecated
money, and he has to pay more for his
house rent and more for his clothes and
bread and meat. Who makes it up 10 him ?
How long will II take him to get his wages
raised? Take the poor sewing woman who
tolls nigh and day for her paltry wages to
get a bare subsistence and takes her gar
ments down to the store and receives her