New-York tribune., 1900-10-20


DISCOURAGING START
Mr.. Bryan entered the enemy's country i'm
mediateiy upon leaving Syracuse this morning,
his train stopping at the gigantic works OF the
solvay Process Company. a highly prosperous
corporation which manufactures soda ash. The
workngmen Of this concern are well paid and
they listened listlessly therefore to five-nin-
ute speech from Mr.. Bryan in. relation TO trusts
and standing army. a few miles further
at Skaneateles Junction. Mr. Bryan had an
audience Of hundred farmers. and strove to
excite their fears that spectators would reap all
the profit they should derive from the sale OF
farm products. Auburn. the former home Of
William II. Seward. was reached next. and Mr..
Bryan prepared himself for his first speech of
importance of the day. He conducted to
carriage at the station and taken to Seward
Square. Here little platform had been erected
at one end Of the square Looking out from II
Mr.. Bryan could in front Of him at a little
distance Stewards statue and beyond. the man
sion in which he lived just before his death. Mr..
Bryan referred to Seward and Lincoln in his
speech which followed, and sought apparently
to make his hearers think that the Republican
party had departed from their beliefs. Mr..
Bryan, however, put the main burden Of his
speech in expression OF his wrath over
statement made in Auburn by Colonel E. D.
Metcaf, the treasurer and manager Of D. NJ
Osborne & Co.'S large plant for the manufacture
Of harvesting machinery, that the time when
the works would again be in full operation de-
pended upon the result OF the National election.
The Auburn Daily Advertiser of yesterday
says that the following statement was then
made by Colonel Metcalf:
In the event of the election OF Bryan what
then?" was asked of him.
''Ther,,' answered Colonel Metcalf with much
esrnestness. "the plant will he closed
Mr. Bryan saws that such statements are
made for political effect and to coerce employees"
That is not So" answered Colonel Metcalf
emphs ticaly. I am out Of politics and 1 de-
clare upreservedIy and in all sincerity that the
Osborne plant would not be operated All our
competitors are waiting as we are for the out
come of the election. 1t is not true that the
Western plants are starting UP. as has been pro-
claimed from Bryan headquarters. They have
been working with reduced forces Of men, as we
have been doing since September, but at no
time have there been less than five hundred men
on the rolls here. Our rolling mill was started
Up a week ago to-day and the malleable works
opened Monday, and the number Of employees on
the pay rolls has been increased to 100 but I
know that our Western competitors will not re-
sumo operations until they are assured that the
business world is not TO be paralyzed by Bryan's
election All Of the departments of our works
viii gradually start in operation until the full
complement Of twenty-seven hundred men is
employed. but this all depends upon the result
Of the election
A STATUE FOR Mr.. METCALF.
Referring TO Mr. Metcalf in his speech, Mr. |
Bryan said:
have had my attention called to the fact
that you have here great manufacturing plant |
and that at the head Of II stands a man by the |
name OF Metcalf. Mr.. Metcalf is reported in |
your Republican paper saying that in the |
event Of my election the plant will be closed. 1
want lc tell you that to-day the argument OF |
the Republican party is not based on human |
rights but it is based merely on commercialism |
and on business. There stands a statue of the |
greatest man your city produced until Mr.. Met |
calf arose. and there is the finger pointing up |
ward. and believe on the pedestal you will find |
the inscription There is a higher law Now, |
when our good friend who stands at the head |
Of this great manufacturing, concern is called to |
his fathers propose that you erect a statue Of |
him rear by and have his finger pointing down |
ward and say, There is ,asi@Wer law, Lincoln |
said that the Republican party believed in the |
man ana the collar; but in the case Of conflict |
it believed in the before the dollar To- |
day the Republican party believes in the dollar |
first and the afterWard, il at all, and to- |
day, when you confront the Republican party |
with the charge that ii is abandoning the Dec
laration Of Independence with the charge that |
It is destroying the foundation of the Govern |
ment with the charge that ii is disregardng |
the doctrine that governments derive their Just |
powers from the consent Of the governed. what |
IS their answer? IF you dare to the |
Democratic ticket and manifest an interest in |
the old principles we will close down our factory
ana destroy your town. This firm in your city |
threatens 10 close its factory. That is an old
trick They did it in 1896 and yet after the !
election many that had threatened to close the |
mills If was elected cut down wages and made |
their men suffer after Mckinley was elected If |
this company tells you that it cannot do bust |
ness under Democratic Administration. I ,
want you TO remember that we will have just |
as many farmers here under g Democratic Ad- |
ninistratiOn we have under a Republican Ad- !
ministration, and they will have to use az !
ricultUral implements and somebody will have to |
make them, and IL these tell you that they |
are going to close down, they simply tell you |
that they going to let other people do the /
work and make implements for the farmers be- |
cause they won't do work under a Democratic !
Administration. / want you to look into their |
charter and see If you find in ii anything that |
lican Administration but forbids them doing |
business under a Democratic Administration |
l believe the time has come when the cor |
poration should be compelled TO keep its hands |
out OF politics and attend TO its own business !
for which it was organized. I am not willing |
that the independence of the citizen should be |
destroyed and IL it is right for this company |
- coerce its employees. il must be on the theory
that who stands at the head Of a corpora |
tion has right to the votes Of its employees and /
let US have a law enabling Mr. Metcalf to vote /
as many times he has employees so that none |
of the employees will get away from him. But /
it the vote belongs to the citizen, then let US |
have law that Will make It penitentiary Of |
fence for man TO try to rob another man OF |
his citizenship because he works for him. |
want you who labor to understand that when /
you work you give TO the who employs YOU !
fun recompense for what he pays you for If /
YOU did not he would not employ you Why go |
on the theory that who works for an |
other man ought TO be under great obligations /
for a job? Why, my friends Mr. Metcalf would
not employ one single man II that man could /
not make enough 10 make his own wages and |
something besides for Mr. Metcalf to pay him |
for employing him. Then IL you give a full |
return for all that you get why shouldn't you !
have your citizenship your own, and why
don't you resent this damnable insult that is |