The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-06-12
H00RAY FOR Mckinley"
The Promised Wave Of Prosperity
Rolls Merrily Along.
The Worst Fooled People Were Those Who
Voted for Mckinley.

The entire plant has been closed
down on account of the strike, and
$500 men are now idle.
Over 1000 men from different parts
of the Reading Iron works, at
Reading, Pa, stopped work last
Saturday on account of reduction
of wages of puddlers from $3.50 to
$2.40 per ton, and others in pro-
portion, about 10 per cent. A pre-
vious reduction took effect March 1 !.
At last falls presidential election
many of the men voted for Nc
Kinley, who was hailed as "The ad
vance agent of prosperity" but
they would do different if they
could vote again. Reading, natur-
ally a Democratic city. was carried
for Mckinley under the promises
of steady work and good wages
The president of the Reading Iron
company, George z. Baer, leader
of the bar of this county and life
long Democrat, bolted Bryan and
made gold speeches. One of the
idle mill hands said: 81 think the
worst fooled people in Reading
were Democrats who voted for Nc
Kinley," Yes, was one of them,"
said another. "Scores of men in
these mills" said a third, "voted
against their own convictions.
Mckinley said he would sooner
see the mills open than the minis
coming silver" remarked a fourth,
"but it looks rather blue for. the
mills" Another one said: "It's
simply a shame how workingmen
had the wool pulled over their eyes,
but don't believe that it can be
done again" For myself l believe
times could not be worse under
Bryan than they are under McKin-
ley" said another. During the
past four weeks no less than four
anthracite blast furnaces in the
Schuylkill valley closed down per-
manently and will be dismantled.
W. w. Ross, a union organizer,
shot and killed himself Monday in
the headquarters of the Chicago
Typographical union. Dependency
over inability to secure work is sup
posed to have been the cause. Ross
was widely known among all classes
of organized labor.
A dispatch from New York, June
s, says: The United Brotherhood
of Cloakmakers bad busy day to-
day. Secret meetings were held in
assembly-rooms scattered through
the East Side to organize the 12,-
600 cloakmakers in New York and
vicinity preparatory to strike"
The Spokane Chronicle of June
9Th says: John A. Finch returned
last night over the Northern Pa.
cific from visit of several weeks
in the east. While absent Mr..
Finch visited St. Paul, Minneapolis,
Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland,
Youngstown and many other of the
eastern cities. Speaking of the
business and financial conditions
everywhere he had been he said that
there was just one word that ex-
pressed it-"Flat." 1T is fiat every
place-there is nothing doing"
Another Wave.
A recent dispatch from Altoona,
Pa, to the Denver News says: /
Six hundred idle workmen are walking
the streets Of the mining town of Gallitzin,
13 miles west of Altoona, because of .
strike caused by the reduction of wages.
June LIST the Mitchell Coal and Coke com.
pany and the Taylor & Mccoy company
posted notices OF per cent reduction
per ton on coal used in coke making. The
men were at that time receiving very low
wages and the proposition to further re-
duce the rates aroused their Indignation.
A mass meeting was called and the
working force of the town turned out
en- masse to consider strike. A con-
spicuous figure in the gathering was q
scarecrow taken from a nelghboring corn
field. On the tattered coat Of the figure
was pinned flaming placard bearing the
"McKinley's advance agent"
After prolonged discussion it was unan.
imously agreed to refuse to accept the
reduction and declare q strike. One of
the speakers, q white haired miner, was
greeted with cheers when he stepped upon
. box and cried: ave can't work for Nc
Kinley wages" After they went out the
company posted second notice,
making q further reduction Of s cents
per ton.
The "wave' Rolling Along.
At noon Monday the entire plant
of the Standard Oil works In Cleve-
land, O., shut down for an indef-
mite period. The foreman told the
men that there would be no work for
weeks, and may be much longer
time. Close to ], 900 men are thrown
out of work by the shutting down.
Macs Not all Wool Either.
In the last campaign the WOOL
growers, accepting the pledge con-
;ained in the Republican national
platform in favor of sample pro-
lection for WOOL" and believing
protection to be the paramount
ssue, cast their votes in the doubt
jul states, for Mckinley, and elected
him.
The tariff bill as it passed the
H.. 81 !