The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-17

Declined, With Much Regret-Too
Busy to Campaign.
Washington, Oct. 16.-A delegation
OF about 300 members of the wage. earn
ers patriotic league of Maryland called
on Secretary Carlisle at the Treasury
Department. this afternoon and invited
him to make an address before the wage.
earners of Baltimore ut his earliest con
venience. The delegates wore conspicu-
Gus badges, bearing the legends: Honest
dollar for honest toil;' patriotic de-
fence of national honor" The delega.
tlon marched to the south front of the
Treasury building, where they were
Joined by Secretary Carlisle. II. X. t.
johnson, president of the league. in ad-
dressing the Secretary, said that the dele
cation represented the Wage Farmers
Patriotic League, of Maryland, with a
membership of over 5000 REPRESENTING
the bone and sinew of Maryland's indus.
tries. The delegation had been selected
by the league from the various manufac-
turing establishments of Baltimore.
While the league, he said, is non par
tlsan body, the delegates here to-day are
democrats. They are Carlisle and Clevc.
land Democrats, who do not believe that
I
Ell, ana who have determined in this cleo
ton to sink party and stand for the
honor of our nation. I'VE propose, sir, at
TINS election, Democrats though we are. ,,
SAID the speaker, ''to cast our votes for the
only candidate possible of election nj this
time
w. III. 0. Thompson, member of the
executive committee of the league, fol.
lowed briefly, urging the Secretary to de-
lever the address ut the earliest possible
opportunity.
+Nter three rousi ig cheers had been
given for the Secretary, he mounted n
small platform and expressing his re-
grets that he could not accept, spoke
substantially rs follows:
81 am very much obliged to Won for
your very kind invitation, and very sorry
1t is not in my power to comply with
your request. My reasons are we'll I'M
derstood. My business has been so ar
ranged that can make several speeches
IN my own State, but it is not possible
for me to 20 elsewhere But there are
one or two things, suggested by your
spokesman, which would like to say to
YOU"
''Tell the TRUTH shouted voice.
"l'll try to-" replied Mr. Carlisle ''If
there is any lahoring man in the United
States, he proceeded ''who really be-
lleves the money he receives for his toll is
too good, that it will buy too much food
ana clothing for himself and family, or
pay rent for n better house than he
should have, then it is his duty to vote
for free and unlimited coinage of silver at
the ratio OF Ii to /. If there is any In
boring man who has saved money out of
his earnings, and has deposited it in n
savings bank or IL building and loan ASSOC
citation or II life insurance policy for the
protection of his family, ana he desires to
have the proceeds of that investment re.
turned to him in dollars worth half rs
much as those which he paid, he also
should vote for silver at 16 TO |. On the
other hand, every man in the United
States, whether he works for wages or
not, who desires to preserve what he has
accumulated, or what he may hereafter
accumulate, he ought to vote against sill
yer at III to |, and for the maintenance
OF sound and stable currency. While
every man whose wage compensation is
fixed is deeply interested in the outcome
OF this contest, those men who work for
railroad and transportation companies,
many of whom are employed in your
city, have special interest in the uues-
ton. Their employers are confronted
with situation which will prevent them
from increasing wages unless they can
increase their business, and they cannot
increase their business unless they in
crease their charges, and say to YOU
that If an attempt were made to increase
railroad tariffs, the very people who de-
mand silver at 16 to | would he the first
to demand that such an increase be pro-
hibited.
"Thc man, therefore, who works for II
transportation company would find him
self the helpless victim of policy which
diminished the purchasing power of his
wages about one-hnlf and compelled him
to work on and on for the same number
OF dollars he received before thus de.
stroying all hope of Improvement of his
condition. But, gentlemen the labor
ing men have their own fate in their own
hands,
y voice: ''IIurrah for Carlisle
The !aboring men have the power to
protect their wages and their country
against financial ruin and dishonor if
they are intelligent enough and patriotic
enough to exercise the right of suffrage
so that no man hereafter will dare to ap-
proach them with wild and revolutionary
schemes of civil government. Gentle
men, / thank you, and tender. to each and
everyone OF you my best wishes for your
success in whatever calling you NAV be
engaged.
THE BALTIMORE CONTINGENT.
Baltimore, Md, Oct 16.-Two thou
sand work inOman loft bara tn-D;.,b, -,.o.