The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1902-10-15
LABOR LEADERS
ATTACK PATTISON
Knights of Labor Publish Him as
the Foe of Workingmen.
VETOED THE EDUCATIONAL BILL

He Is Also Charged BY Them With
Helping to Form the Coal Trust De.
spite the Protests Of Railroad Men,
An Article That Is Attracting At.
tention.
(From a Special Correspondent
Washington, Oct Z. - Not only is
organized labor in Pennsylvania OPP
posing the election of Robert E. Patti
son. but laboring men all over the coun-
try appear to be keeping very close
eye on the outcome of the Pennsylvania
campaign. The Knights of Labor in
particular are fighting Ex-Governor
Pattison by every means in their
power
The last issue OF THE Journal" the
official organ Of the Knights of Labor,
contained page article from the pen
OF John w, Hayes, general secretary
treasurer Of the order. II is direct
attack upon Ex-Governor Patuson for
his hostility to laboring men and labor
unions while he was governor before.
The article goes on to prove that Mr..
pattison is an enemy to popular edu-
cation as shown in his vetoing of the
Compulsory Education Bill when he sat
in the executive chair. Mr.. Hayes in
his article on Pattison's hostility to
education says:
VETOED EDUCATIONAL BILL.
''The legislative committee Of the or
ganization (Knights OF Labor had
this matter before il for consideration.
A bill was prepared and introduced,
juggled with for some time, and altered
and amended, but finally passed both
houses of the legislature. True it was
not all that We desired; but il was a
bill that once a law could be amended
from time to time until all that was
desired in the way Of good law had
been secured. In this, as in all former
cases, Pattison was pleaded with to
sign the bill as it came from the legis-
lature. But in this he was obdurate.
His interest in having children at the
coal breakers instead of in the school
room was paramount and he vetoed
the bin"
The general master workman OF the
knights OF Labor writing at this time
on the action of Governor Pattison
said:
IF Governor Pattison could have
travelled through the state and loitered
awhile by the roadside he might have
heard the hiss of the serpent that is
coiling itself around children of the
poor and fastening its poisonous fangs
upon the vitals Of the commonwealth.
Whether he knew II or not his action
pleased those who would make the chill
dren of men hewers of wood and draw
ers of water until oblivion, which
comes only through drink or death,
which would ease the strain"
In an editorial in THE Journal OF the
knights Of Labor" the following ap-
pears:
WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING.
Ex-Governor Pattison is again a
candidate for governor OF Pennsyl-
yania, and the question of his fitness,
his honesty, and his friendship for the
cause of the toiler is to be weighed and
decided by the voters, and especially
by those voters who are workingmen.
When he was last a candidate for the
same important Office, he had the
strong support of organized labor and
was elected. and he failed us in our
hour of need
He is the sponsor for the coal trust
and was at its baptism, and he probably
still favors it in the prolonged strike
now proceeding.
Every friend of labor and those who
exist by the well doing of the toilers
should be united in one phalanx against
the coal combine. They are united to
crush organized labor, and all who love
fair play and fair pay must unite
against them and those who side with
them.
FAVORED THE COAL TRUST.
Judging the present by the past, it is
fair to assume that Pattison is a side
partner Of the coal combine, or, at all
events, is favorable to it, as he was in
1872. He evidently favored the coal
barons then, in spite of his oath to sup
port the constitution of the state of
Pennsylvania, which was nullified
when the combine was organized, and
the fact was officially called to his at
tention. He was furnished with evil
dence and maps showing that compe-
tition was being wiped out and the law,
which was quoted, evaded and dis
obeyed.
President Roosevelt said in an in
terview, published in the Philadelphia
Record, Sept 6, 1902, that There is a