Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1897-09-27
AGREEMENT WAS BROKEN
For Over Two Years, but Operator
Chapman Knew What to Do.
ASSISTING THE STRIKING MINERS
Hanna Actually Did Some
thing For Them.
Jackson. O.. September %.

/
Candidate Chapman is consistent in
standing for cheap money" at any
rate. Nearly three years ago he, with
other operators of this district, an
nounced that he would do away with
| scrip, that detestable form of Cheap
| money" that has ROBBED more poor
men than is claimed for the so-called
crime of '73. OF course, the miners
hailed this announcement with joy.
They had an idea that if they were paid
for their labor in cash, they would be
able to make their earnings so farther
and this would certainly be 50.
And after the agreement was made,
Operator Chapman failed to carry out
his end of it, but continued to pay in
scrip, which gave more business for
his national bank, for paper shearing
was its business, as it is the business
of all banks. Chapman's men contin-
ued to receive scrip while the men Of
other operators who entered into the
agreement were paid in cash. Per-
haps Chapman was so ardent free
silver man that ne would not pay out
money as good as gold," for fear his
men might like it too well.
1t was not until the shadows of a
gubernatorial nomination began to cast
in his direction that Chapman saw the
evils of scrip. He sent out his agents
last spring to gather in all the Chap
man scrip that existed. They went to
Wellston, Coalton, Glen Roy and other
points and took it up. At his mines
scrip was not issued any longer, but
cash instead. 1t will be seen that
nomination for governor of the great
state of Ohio will work wonders in the
way Of reform. These agents were SC
faithful in their duties that not piece
Of the scrip can now be found any
where in Jackson county.
Over two years before Chapman had
agreed to stop payments in scrip, but
not until he was after the Democratic
nomination for governor did he take
the trouble to carry out his agreement.
The miners in the Chapman mines,
as in all other mines, have gone to
work after their ten weeks struggle.
Mr.. Chapman heretofore has always
taken a prominent place as the cham
pion OF the operators against the men,
and his foS-horn voice has he entitled
many a time in the reduction Of wages.
His enlargement of the screen so that
wages we're actually cut 25 per cent ia
a sample of his work against the men.
not only in his own mines, but in the
mines all over Ohio, for his competi-
tors were compelled to follow suit and
enlarge their screens rs per cent. And
in the fight of the miners to do away
with the screen, Mr.. Chapman did not
hesitate to lobby against the men who
were too poor to send paid lobbyists
to represent them at Columbus.
And after this record, he now an
nounces that he did all that he could,
"in a quiet way" to raise the miners
wages. "In a quiet way" indeed. How
could Chapman do anything in quiet
way with that voice?
While he has been racing around the
state telling everybody what he was
doing "in a quiet way" Mark Hanna
was accomplishing something. Mr..
Hanna refused to go into any scheme
that would open the mines by force;
Mr. Hanna did everything that was
possible to bring about a compromise
that resulted in material gain for
the miners. and, according to Presi-
dent Ratchtords final letter. prevented
the strike from being a failure in the
matter Of wage-raising.
No one has yet discerned that Chap
man did thing in aid OF the miners
in the late strike. either in a "quie.
way" or in any other kind Of way.