The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-30

OF healthy and satisfactory national plo6-
ress
The growth of population in this c9un-
try from the time of the first census was
taken in 1890 has been little short Of
marvellous. Then it aggregated 3,929,2l4.
In 1900, the second census showed that
the total population was 5,SeS.4S3, In a
century our gain in inhabitants has been
&C, 1856, 1871 souls. Truly. this is great
country.
The Republican, Attempt 40 Intimi-
date the Labor Vote
It need not surprise anyone should it
appear that President Cowen, of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railway Company, feels
sorry he spoke as he did about withhold
Ing employment from a certain class of
workingmen in the event of Mr.. Bryan 5
election By this time Cowen knows that
his portrait, like that of his friend Scott,
has been added 10 the Burchard gallery.
and that, instead of making Mckinley votes
by the intimidation of labor, he has capped
the climax of corporate interference with
the suffrage in Maryland, and excited
spirit of determined and stern resistance
to it in the heart of every toiler in the
Commonwealth.
In answer to a telegram from the sBalti-
more Sun" referring to the Cowen threat,
Mr. Bryan yesterday replied as follows:
Have received your telegram, quoting a threat
OF the President of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road to cancel orders fer in case am elected.
There is no reason TO fear depression in case Of
Democratic success. ! imagine that Mr.. Cowen's
objection to my election IS not based much GA
the fear OF business depression as because Of the
fact that | an opposed 10 government by iniunc-
tion, the blacklist, and the railway pooling b. l
which he snt to Washington to lobby for after
he Was elected to Congress and before he took his
seat
His threat is confession that the Republicans
cannot win without Intimidation ! trust may
some day have laws that viii provide a peniten-
tiary cell for the man who attempts 70 use his
power president OF a corporation 10 GISfTan-
chise or cOefce the laboTing who work for the
corporation II an employer is entitled 70 the
votes Of all who are employed by aim the Law
should allow him TO cast the of his en-
ployes. II not entitled to this right the law
should restrain him from using his position 10
terrify those who work under him.
AS usual Mr.. Bryan drives straight at
the point The public hereabcuts does not
need to be told why this magnate of the
national lobby fears Democratic success;
but it is well that the people everywhere
should understand the matter. 1t is quite
true. as the candidate of the masses says,
that his threat is a confession that the
Republicans cannot win without intinida-
ton" They cannot; and they make few
attempts to conceal the fact that it is
upon intimidation, plus bribery and frauds
at the polls, that they depend for success.
Men like Cowen are doing yeoman work
In me cause of the people, by showing
them Just what they have to expect in
respect of their rights as free citizens.
If the trusts and monopolies are given
continued control of the Government.
Political intimidation is treason against
American liberty, and they who practice
IL are outlaws who deserve the hangmdn' S
rope, rather than the penitentiary cell
that MT. Bryan hopes may one day be pro
vided for them.
"If," argues the Tribune of the People,
can employer is entitled to the votes of
all who are employed by him, the law
ehcuid allow him to cast the votes Of his
employees So it should. and in due course
of time, were the trust power peTpetuat2d,
no doubt there would be legislation Iega:iz-
ing a voting trust in the great industries
of the monopolists, by which servants of
corporations would assign and surrender
their right of franchise, deIegating its ex-
ercise to their masters on receiving en-
ployment. Hundreds of thousands of
workingmeR did this in effect in 1896, and
Marcus A Hanna and his coadiutors have
counted upon a still larger number sub
hitting TO the same outrage in 1900. Trust
autocrats of the Cowen stripe are crack
ing the lash in pursuance of that purpose
From all centres of industry we hear OF
unblushing attempts to eoerce labor. In
Illinois, where the organized workingmen
are believed TO hold the balance Of politi-
cal power, intimidation is open, fragrant
ard unblushing- In Chicago last week
thousands of Democratic laboring men were
ordered to parade in the Republican dinner
pail procession, on pain of losing theII
employment. At all the great trust plants
of the State, operatives are being warned
that they will be discharged unless they
vote for Trust Mckinley
Movements of this character, when car.
ried too far, as they have been in thi:
country, are apt to react violently upoI
their authors. The common people-tht
workingmen and the farmers-are still il
vast majority If they decide that the!
viii neither be bribed nor buliied int
placing the whip of the slave driver il
the hands of their wouldbe oppressor
he will not get it. Against the united
masses of the Union the trusts would b,
as powerless as a cork against river il
food.
We are unable to say how far the hon
est voters of the United States are awake
to the dangers that threaten them. Al
indications support the opinion that the!
are very much alive and awake, AS il
often said, if the people vote as the.
shout, there cannot be scintilla of doub
concerning Mr.. Bryan's election by al
overwhelming landslide majority. Blu
there is no way in which appearances car
be counted like ballots. The very condi.
tons Of the Industrial and agricultural
situation conduee to a silent vote, larger
and more difficult to analyze in adYanct