Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-10-14
GOV. STONE CALLED DOWN.
Railroad Men Are Not Being Intimidatcd
in Favor of Mckinley.

in Favor of Mckinley.
If a railroad man who, having the ex-
perience of lifetime, attempts to make
a talk for sound money and explains to
his employees why free silver would be
the ruin of the country and greatly i'm
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 E. Stillwell, president of the NJ, X.
& T.. and yice-president of the Pittsburg
4 Gulf. recently addressed a large num-
Der of the employees of his company upon
the great financial issue of the day, and
Immediately Coy; Stone in one of his
fire-eating speeches charged Stillwen
with coercing the employees. Mr.. Still
we'll 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 l have
been intimidating and coercing my employees
into voting for Mckinley. l have delivered
two lectures to my employees at their re-
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 a 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 cOercing my employees, | will donate the
expenses or anyone you may send 20 make
the necessary investigation. and if you find
that | have ever asked any one of my en-
plOyes who they were going to vote for and
furnish proof, l 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
Mr.. Bryan of the embarTassment 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
ernOr has become noted-without any
foundation whatever. If the time has
American citizens are precluded from
free speech and free thought the peo-
pie ought TO know it. If 4 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 soyernement, then their nefariouS
scheme might be enforced upon the peo-
pie. but thank heaven this is still free
country and the old tag, 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
ment from such men as Gov. Stone who
stoOp to prevaricatiOn in order to carry
point.-Springfeld MOI Republican.