The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-19
A WORKINGMAN'S VIEW.
A Glass Workers Reasons for Voting
the Republican Ticket.

Thomas A. Downs, of OresteS, Madison
county, Indiana, is a union glass worker of
considerable prominence among his fellows.
He is a deep-thinking man, and has the
fullest confidence Of his fellow-workmen
and of his employers alike He is promi-
nently connected with the glass workers
unions, and is looked upon as a leader of
men. On account of his prominence and
high standing among mis- fellows what he
says will carry weight. T'he following is a
letter written by him to a fellow-workman
in the glass trade, and was printed soon
after being written in the Alexandria Trib-
une:
your letter of the sd was received to-
day. Replying to your inquiry as to what
my attitude and personal feeling towards
the candidate you refer to is. 1 will plead
guilty of plagiarism and say | am a Repub-
lican: II. this answer needs any interpreted
ton ] will add that it means that / propose
to vote the straight Republican ticket.
las a working man, depending on the
fruits of my labor for an existence. would
consider 1t an injustice TO myself and lam
lily to do otherwise. No matter what my
personal feelings might be towards any or
all of the candidates, would not let per-
sonal enmity stand between me and my own
welfare, and any man that will allow 1t to
is poor citizen and an enemy to his own
family. His, Importance and influence can
be measured accordingly. AS election day
draws near 1t occurs to me that there is
either overconfidence Indifference or too
little. interest manifested by the working
people as to the result of the present cam
p2ign; this should not be.
Two years ago we voted and worked for
good government, this year we must vote
and work tn maintain and perpetuate. good
government. Contrast the industrial and
financial condition of the country as ii ex-
lists to-day and as it existed two years ago.
Since the day that the result of the presi-
Dental election was known until the present
time there has been a constant increase in
the volume Of commercial activity: there
has been constant increase in the demand
for labor, and as a natural result wages
are better--and still no noticeable increase
in the cost of living expenses. Take our
own trade for illustration. You know what
the advance agent OF prosperity mas done
for us; 1t is fresh in your memory that on
the passage of the Wilson bill we submitted
to reduction of from Is to 80 per cent. In
our wages; you remember that we submitted
to this reduction without A protest, knowing
and realizing the fact that the night was
not between us and our employees, but be-
tween us and foreign products; you remem-
Der that notwithstanding the great reduc-
ton in wages, only about 90 per cent. OF our
own could find employment, while last year
there was not enough window glass workers
in the country to man all the plants that
desired to operate, and last, but not OF least
Importance, you remember that our wages
have been restored and that We are again on
the road to prosperity and happiness. This
gratifying state of affairs does not exist In
our trade alOne the change is felt and 3p-
preciated by all classes and I'm all sections
Two years ago this little city was a pic
ture of desolation and true monument Ia
Democratic misrule; you could walk the
street from early morn till dewy eve and
not hear the sound of q hammer-excepi
probably where some misguided individual
was pounding himself for voting the Demo
cratic ticket-you could walk the streets
from early morn till late at night and see
no sign OF animation in the industrial world
no Improvement In public or private prop
erty-nothing but desolation and poverty