The Advocate and news., 1898-11-16
John WanAmaker, POpullSt, Socialist,
Anarchist and RepudiatlOnlSt.


John Wanamaker took an active part
In the memorable campaign in Pennsyl-
vania in which Quay was openly charged
with his unspeakable corruptness, and
against which he made no defense This
is q speech of his, a good sample,
and you can imagine what the East
ern press would have called him had
he talked this way as a resident OF Kan
sas few years ago:
"The principal allies and partners of
the machine are the corporations. The
$4,000 national and State officeholders,
and the thousands Of other officials con-
nected with State institutions, form a
small part Of the whole number Of ODE
dent machine men who are constantly
at the command of Senator Quay, the
admitted boss of the machine. The cor
poratiOn employees Of the State, who are
controlled for Quay's use, increase the
number to the proportions of vast ar
my.
"The steam railroads of the State en-
ploy IS, 1T men, and pay them annually
in wages $49, 100000. OF this number the
Pennsylvania and Reading railroads fur
nish 1871 and 1908 men respectively.
The Vanderbilt system furnishes 12,432
men; the Baltimore & Ohio, 3,615; the
New Jersey Central, 1894; the Lehigh
Valley, 12,O62; and the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna e. Western, 2,150. The great street
railways Of the State, who have received
valuable legislative concessions for moth
ing, give the machine loyal support with
1903 employees, who are paid in salaries
$6,920, ,692 every year.
THAT monopoly of monopolies the
Standard Oil Company, pays annually
81, 2,500,0 900 to its 5000 employees, who are
taught fidelity to Senator Quay's ma
chine. The Bethlehem Iron Works,
whose armor plates are sold to the gov
ernment for nearly double the contract
price offered to foreign countries, influ-
ence their employees to such an extent
that, in the city of Bethlehem, it has
been found difficult to find men to stand
as anti-Quay delegates.
"The thousands Of working men Of
the Carnegie Iron Works, 1t is said, are
marched to the polls under the supervi-
sion of superiltendents and foremen, and
voted for Quay candidates under penalty
of losing their jobs
"The great express companies, who
furnish franks to machine followers, one
of which is bossed by Senator Platt, with
their thousands of men, can be counted
on for great service to the machine.
"The telegraph companies, whose State
officials, it is said, can be found at the
inner Quay counsels, with the thousands
of employees distributed at every i'm
portant point throughout the State, and
before whom large share Of all-impor-
tant news must pass, is one Of the most
dangerous parts of the Quay machine.
"The interests Of the corporations and
those of the masses have been diverging
for many years, until now what Is for
the peoples good will not suit the Corpo-
rations, and what will seemingly satisfy
the corporations is no longer safe to the
people, The unlimited use Of wealth and
capital, where there is free and full COM
petition, is not to be feared; but capital
licensed by unjust and discriminating
laws is the threatening evil of the day.
Capital, with it's manifold possibili
ties for good in itself, becomes an agency
of wrong and calamity wnen harnessed
with favored legislation.
"Unscrupulous Pennsylvania corpora
tions have been willing to purchase ad-
vantageous legislation, and dishonest
political leaders have made business
of selling it to them
Every act of injustice, every wrong |
that you have endured, and every dollar
that has been tilched from you by the
greed of corporations has only been
made possible by the venality and dis
honesty of those to whom you have dele
gated the power to make your laws. The
Quay machine in Pennsylvania has no
competitor in its line of business. 1t
deals exclusively in legislative privileges
and demands its price, and the corpo-
rations are its patrons. Every franchise,
every privilege, and every law against
your interest and in favor of corpora
tinns and aVerY increase Of taxation |