The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-08

men Read and Nenect.
In Sundays Elmira Telegram appear
ed the following open letter:
The Honorable John r. Farr, and the
Hon. John r. Farr's managers, are bark
ing at the workingman as he passes their
snow. calling attention to the attraction
inside as the ''workingmans friend v
The inside attraction is Mr.. Farr himself,
1t would be perfectly absurd to entertain
Mr.. Farr as the friend of the workingman.
except at the time when he can find him
of service to him. What has Mr.. Farr
done for the working people of this val
ley? How many workingmen does he en-
play? How many mouths are fed through
the employment he furnishes to others?
You can number Mr.. Farr's employees
on the fingers of your left hand. Mr..
Farr claims he was the author of the free
text book. who pays for the free text
books? The people who labor-the miner,
mill hand and every other toilcr Of this
community. Mr.. Farr would have you
believe that the corporations pay the
greater part Of this tax. This Is false
notion. Just think 1t out yourselves. Mr.
Farr builds a house and rents 1t. Who
pays the taxes? The tenant. of course
Mr.. Farr, like every landlord, adds the
taxes and the insurance to the RENTAL
and the tenant pays for both. 1t is the
same way with the coal operator. He
builds a breaker that costs a hundred
thousand dollars. The state taxes that
breaker, and the mine operator. like the
landlord, takes this tax out of the work.
ingmen in and around that breaker or
mine. The working people are the tax
payers, and through the free book sys-
tenn the working people are paying for
school books for the rich mans chill
dren. Mr.. Farr declares If he were in
congress now, he would be introducing
bills to settle the miners strike. Bosh!
There were dozen of such bills before
the late congress and they could not
be pulled through with a pair of oxen. If
Mr.. Farr had love for the workingman
why did he not do something for him
when he was for six years member of
the state legislature?
WHO ARE FARR'S HACKERS.
When the workingman is ready to send
workingman to congress, let him send
the genuine article. To send Mr.. Farr
there now to represent the toilers of this
valley would be reflection upon the in
tclligence and the sincerity OF our work.
ing people. Mr.. Farr and his management
insult dignified labor, when they come up
to 1t and declare, they and they alone
Mr.. Farr's entry into the contest is we'll
known. The men back of him-the men
who dare not come out in the open and
battle like men-are John Fl. Fellows,
John McAskie. Captain Moir and Col
onel Watres. Suppose the workingmcn OF
this city depended upon these half dozen
men for employment. how many would
they employ? Colonel Watres is a mill
ionaire. His wealth is in the waters of
thn ,f,tt, I'D rl., 80
ernment His income is out of those who
must drink water and pay taxes. He
doesn't employ dozen of men. Mr.. Eel
lows is worth many thousand dollars, but
how does he use it. With his wealth
he buys land by the acre. and sells it by
the foot for three and four times what
he paid for it. He lives on the in
dustrious poor man who builds a home
Mr.. Farr is wealthy, too. 1t is only fair
to say he made his wealth out of real es-
tate speculations. He is Interested in no
industries that give employment to men.
A few years ago he purchased at a rea-
sonable price, plot from the Della
ware. .Lackawanna and Western company.
He plotted it out in city lots for the poor
mines and other workmen, and got as
much for each lot as he paid for each
acre. Is that the way to befriend the
laboring man? AS a matter OF courtesy,
>.
Perhaps If they had the opportunity they
would do something for the workingman.
If workingmen of the town depended
upon Mr.. Farr and his hackers there
would be about dozen workingmen here.
DEEDS VS.. WORDS.
Mr. Connell does not go about shout
ing himself the friend of any particular
class. He stands for all-like an honest
man should. What has William Connell
done for the working people of this town?
How many in his employ? You couldn't
count his employees on your fingers and
your toes. The men In his employ, di-
rectly and indirectly. run up into the
thousands. He employs 10O0 workmen
for every working man employed by Mr..
Farr. Between the two men, who is the
friend of labor? Just stop and think
Throw away your jealousy for minute,
and reason like an honest man. Mr.. Con-
nell Is rich You would be, too. If you had
the chance, Mr. Connell made his wealth
out of labor So have all millionares.
Does Mr.. Farr's workingman labor short
er hours than Mr.. Connels? You know
they don't. You likewise know that Will
lam COnnell never asked a man to work
for him for a cent less than the prevail
ing wages. You further know that every
man who has worked and who works for
William Connell respects him. You ,,now
William Connell has not an enemy In the
world except few whpper-snappers of
politicians who can't use him.
What has William Connell done for the
town? You know. What is he doing
now? Take walk this afternoon up to
the site of the old rolling mill. See the
great buildings that are going up there.
Observe what is going on. Take walk
through the South Side-from here to
Pittston-and see the new railroad that is
being built. William Connell's money Is
in that; William Connell brought that in
dustry to this city. 1t represents a new
railway between Wilkes Barre and Car
bondale, with great shops here that will
employ thousand or more men. Thirty
million dollars are to be invested in this
plant. 1t will be a greater industry than
the steel mills. Has Mr., Farr or any of
his hackers a cent in that enterprise?
Take run down to Pine Brook, adjoining
the Carnival grounds. See the immense
that is going up there-the
greatest printing office in the United
States, where hundreds of skilled hands
will be employed before the winter sets
In. Is the money of Mr.. Farr or any of
his rich hackers in that enternrisep Not