Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-11-05

In the hurly-burly of the Ohio cam
paign the Congressional contest in the
Sixteenth district across the river is
by no means lost, sight OF. There are
five counties, namely, Monroe. Belmont,
Harrison, Jefferson and Carroll, in the
district, and the Republican plurality
one year ago was 1850. Even Repub-
licans are willing to concede ]. j. Gill
cannot poll the vote of the late Captain
Danford, and that a big change from
these figures is certainty. There are
divers circumstances that make the
Hon. L. Spence. of Martins Ferry, a
strong candidate before the people. not
the least of which is his eminent at.
tainment as business man and his
sterling integrity in public as we'll as
private transactions. The people feel
he is one to whom their interests can
be entrusted and who could not be in
fluenced to sacrifice principle to the
greed or ambition of the average poll
tician. Another thing which has count
ed for much in his campaign is his I'M
blemished record as an employer of
labor. Although connected with ex-
tensive manufactures for the past
twenty-five years he has never had a
strike in any Of the plants over which
he has had exclusive control and his
course has been one of uniform fair
ness toward the army of men who have
been either directly or indirectly under
his supervision. Whenever the en-
ployes of the Standard mill had
a grievance, they first carried it to
Lavosier Spence and there remains yet
for single man to say he was ever
turned away without satisfaction. He
has ever stood between his men and
the greed of the corporations with
which he has been connected. In 1896,
when the employees of the Aetna-Stand-
ard were given to understand they were
expected to get out and march for
Hanna, Mr.. Spence tore down the no
tees that had been posted about the
works and told the men that they could
consult their own conscience and polit-
ical preferment in the matter without
fear of losing their jobs The kindly
offices of Mr.. Spence in this and scores
of other instances have not been for
gotten and the fact will be verified at
the polls ON Tuesday.
An instance which occurred during the
past week has done much to augment the
current which has been steadily drifting
toward the Martins Ferry man. On
Thursday Mr. Spence called at the office
of the Aetna-Standard, now a branch Of
the American Tin Plate Company, and
asked permission to go through the mil.
He wished to meet the men, many of whom
had grown gray in his service, and also
the sons who look upon Mr.. Spence almost
with paternal veneration. The trust man.
ayers, however, told the candidate he could
not meet the men. and unceremoniously
turned him down. Details of the incident
have reached the workmen and /. mas on,y
made them warmer supporters of Mr..
Spence than they were before. The idea
that man who did so much to establish
the industry and who was honorably con-
nected with 1t for score of years, should
ical beliefs has incensed the entire CON-
munity.
Another fact which argues much for the
Democratic Congressional nominee with
the voters along the river front is the
stand which he took against the sale OF
the Aetna-Standard at the time it was
absorbed by the American Tin Plate Co.
He was opposed to selling the plant to the
trust and delayed the deal until forced 10
yield by the other stockholders. Fearing
as he did the future of the plant and I'M
Outstanding the methods of giant corpora
lions ne expressed himself a. the time in
language that could not be misunderstood.
He has since had no reason to change his
opinion upon the subject OF trusts and
has repeatedly confirmed his former judg-
ment. AS one who has the highest welfare
Of his own town and surrounding commu-
nifty at heart, he views with no little
misgiving the more recent sale Of the West