The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-10-15
Intimidation and
Coercion Of leoork,nen

Already The campaign of in.
timidation and coercion Of work
men is in full swing by employers
who hope to bulldoZe their men
into voting for Taft. We have
scores of letters from workingmeu
IN all parts of the country calling
attention to certain notices posted
in factories and shops threatening
the men That ''lf Bryan is elected
the plant will close down indeii
nitely the day after election
Other notices promise 'if Taft
is elected the plant will start uE
after election Iull time and keen
going.'
In addition to this intimidation
is privately given by many firms
to all employees that ''ii they vote
for Bryan they will be dis
charged y This attempt by
| threats and coercion to intimidatC
employees and prevent them from
exercising their sacred right CT
casting their ballot according to
their own judgement isknot !, new
campaign dodge, but it:is no less
reprehensiblc for that,ireason
TO threaten a masiAsith loss of
employment in order co intucucc
his power is IL. hcihops. oflensc.
No more dastardly ierln 4s coercion
could be used ,iha1l TO threaten a
man with saIte ':foss of his oppor-
tunity to-. earn livelihood for
himself and those dependent upon
him.
In some states law has been
passed making such an attempt
punishable by fine and imprison.
ment. This law should be rigidly
enforced, and even where there is
not Il specific statute. means can be
found to. punish such practices, if
those entrusted with the enforce
ment OF the laws wil3 hut crt.
Governor CrotherS, OF Maryland,
takes a stand III this matter Of
Intimidation of workmen that
might well be copied by governors
in other states. Complaint was
made to him by workmen that the
owner Of the mill where they were
employed had threatened if Bryan
were elected tnc mill would be
closed and the men thrown out Of
work.
Governor CrotherS says:
AS soon as the matter was re
ported to me. directed the proper
authorities in the county in
question to make a investigation.
The registration and election law
of Maryland, in my judgement,
makcf ample provision for a case
Of this character. In chapter l22.
acts of 1905, page o., after ex-
planning that nothing must be
written or printed on ''pay en-
velope>' to influence employees
politically, the law says, !'Or other
threats, express or implied, intend
cd or calculated to influence the
political opinions or actions of his
employees.
This seems to me to be perfectly
plain. 1t would be ridiculous for
Il law to imply that certain things
written or printed would be wrong.
but that it would not be wrong to
say practically the same thing
The case reported to me is, think
amcnable to the law in question.
and under this law the person or
persons found guilty Of violating
it could. | believe, be both fined
and imprisoned.
A work writes Us from
HOncSdale. Pa:
Republican manufacturers Of
Pennsylvania have notices posted
up III nearly all their factories
telling their workmen that if Taft
and Sherman are elected the fac
tories will continue to work full
time and wages will be increased. =.
Am employed in glaSscutting shop
of T. B. CLARK X Co., which EN-
ploys 100 hands and it has this
notice posted to try to bring the
employees to vote for Taft and
Sherman. Have been told by re
liable persons that Clark in private
conversation has told bis friends
he is shsrt Of orders but that he
in ntendS to work overtime il ncceS-
sary until after election to boom
Taft and Sherman. II YOU re-
member the Republicans worked
this same scheme among the
miners Of Indiana when Harrison
was elected. At that time they
posted notices saving that if
Cleveland were elected the mines
would be shut down and that the
miners would face starvation.
y 81 II -