The Nevada County picayune., 1908-10-22

If is a Well-knOWn IaCt that at the ,.st meeting of the Democratic nation. "i committee a special fund of S5 GOO ros appropriated and set apart for the avnress purpose of punishing any per. ar or corporation which endeavors to soarce employees to vote for MT. Taft Snecial counsel will be retained and ,,gorous prosecution will follow.
 Iudge Wade said today: We r,ioht as well settle the question dur. ing this campaign whether under the law an employer may club his en- nloves into voting as he directs. Threats of reduction i1 wages or prom lee of higher wages as inducement to yote for Taft is bribery plain and sim. pie.
 such tactics in this election, because tbe American laboring man cannot be brIbed nor scared into submission 10 inc will cf his master in matter as sacred as the ballot, but l think it is the duty of this committee 10 protect inc American workingman from such methods The employer has no legal right to insult his employees by such notice as the following:
 The reduction of ten per cent in waeqs last winter was to have been re- stored when business conditions would warrant it. While We are busy at pres ent, we feel tl-at it's continuation will de- nend upon the result of the presidential Election and that if MT. Taft is elected a general improvement in all lines cf brsinoss will result on November 22th we will. therefore, restore the old rating fo all employees whose wages Wfra re- dneed ten per cent last winter. provided Mr Taft Is elected president.
 Signed \. ;. EN BLAND,
 President.
 This is attempted bribery and pun ishable as such. We are satisfied that such offenses will be few
 We will give due publicity 10 every effort to coerce labor. The people of the country want to know what kind of men are managing the manufactur- ing and railway companies who pros per upon the patronage of Democrats and Republicans alike. It may be that Democrats will continue their busi- ness relations with people who stoop to bribe or coerce employees to vote against MT. Bryan, and then again they may not. l kind of like the tone of the following letter sent out by . prominent travelling man in Iowa:
 Dear Sir: As the travelling salesman of - my house does considerable ship ping in Iowa. Your freight agent has been anxious to receive these shipments. 0nr house wishes to ship its product over the shortest line and the best rate obtain able I understand from your employees, that you are attempting to coerce them to vote for Judge Taft. but vet you are willing to accept shipments from those who are supporting Mir. Bryan.
 If this k the policy of your road to coerce your employees. il Is well that the public may know it. that they can give their business to that road which permits its employees to vote as their Judgment dictates
 Sincerely yours.
 'I do not give the names, because the writer received immediate assur- ance that no such effort would be made, and in politics we should be careful not to do injustice 10 anyone But we will see that we get the name of every guilty employer, and will see that he gets full publicity both before election and after election.
 The slip in the pay envelope few days before election advising how 10 vote won't go this year as it did in 1896"