Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-05-14
BARRE VT, MAY IA 1902
THE sRTIKE AT RUTLAND.


Some Of the extreme Mccullough
organs which are more deeply inter
ested In scoring a political point than
in the industrial peace and prosperity
OF the state have fairly gloated over
the fact that there was a small strike
in one Of the shops Of the Vermont
Marble Company. Some Of these
papers think 1t is curious political
act that a strike should have occurred
at just this time, 1t certainly is.
During the nineteen years that Sena.
tor Proctor managed the business and
the thirteen years that Mr.. Fletcher
Proctor has managed it, in period of
thirty-two years, there has never been
any difficulty OF this character. Now
because Mr.. Fletcher Proctor has per-
mitted himself to become a candidate
for governor at the wrong time, Jas
some OF the bosses think, the use Of
any kind of weapon to attack and dis
credit him is considered by some PEG.
pie entirely proper. Yes, it is al curl
GUS political fact that such difficulty
should occur at this time, and it is
also curious with what avidity certain
Mccullough organs IN distant parts Of
the state secure details with which to
magnify the incident, and with what
satisfaction they dwelt upon 1t. The
same sinister interests which sought
to profit by the affair undoubtedly
contributed In their own peculiar way
to bring it about
The plain facts Of the case are that
the whole difficulty was regarding
an incidental matter. The men did
not leave the shop as has been claimed
upon any demand for a general in
crease Of wages. The whole number
that went out never equalled one
twentieth Of the company's employ.
ees, and upon reflection they Of their
own accord voluntarily returned to
their work upon exactly the terms and
conditions in every respect existing
when they left it.
The Hardwick Gazette and Essex
Junction 81 indicate papers with this
Incident for text are trying to ar
raign the working men Of the state
against Mr.. Proctor politically, but
such an appeal, and especially such a
pretext for it will not commend it.
self TO right thinking people. In
this appeal Mr.. Proctor's political
opponents have the assistance of the
"Worker," the New York organ Of
the Socialists, which in its issue of
May LIST says:
tit is to be hoped that the marble
workers and other workingmen Of
Vermont will strike at the ballot box
against Senator Proctor and his class
and the system which allows them to
live in luxury without doing any USE
full work. Socialism would mean the
owne rship Of the quarries and mills by
the people who do the work and
would give the product of labor to the
laborers,
Although the advertised price of
the "Worker" is two cents per copy,
by some curious coincidence it was
sold on the streets Of Rutland by
special neweboys on the evening Of
April 30, at one cent per copy. Who
paid the difference in order to dis.
tribute freely this socialistic demand'
Will the Mccullough organs that have
exploited the affair answer?
Another, and more serious question.
Are The people Of Vermont prepared
to endorse this Socialist propaganda?
In their attempt to get a blow at Mr..
Proctor these organs of Gen. McCul.
Tough have fired too big charge and
the gun has kicked. Socialism has
never before been an issue in Vermont
politics. 1t looks as though an effort
was being made to bring it up this