The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1908-09-23
The REAL INTERESTS
OF WoRkiHGMEN
Question Of Vote Must BE Answered
by Effect ON Opportunities
For Labor.

For Labor.
1t lies with the workingman who
desires to vote intelligently in the
coming election to sit down and rea-
son out the probable effect OF the cleo
ton OF Mr.. Taft or Mr.. Bryan. In
so far as 1t is a business question
which affects his opportunities for
employment, the comfort of his fam
lily, and the bringing up OF his chill
dren, 1t Is question which should be
considered without passion and with
out regard to class prejudice. Mr..
Bryan or Mr.. Debs may succeed in
demonstrating to their own satisfac-
ton that they are the only friends of
labor. The real question for the In
telligent laboring man is not merely
the genuineness of their friendship,
but what good 1t is likely to do him.
The question which the business
man is asking himself in regard to.
the election is, what assurance 1t will
give him of the opportunity to en-
bark with safety and success in new
enterprises. II he believes that the
election Of Mr.. Bryan will keep the
country in state of unrest and anx-
Lefty, then 1t is certain that he will
make no plans to extend his plant or
establish new one. 1t is certain also
that he will keep the product of his
mills down to the minimum of visible
demand. Railways, deprived of
traffic in new building materials and
manufactured goods, will find their
earnings at low ebb. and will make
no effort to improve their equipment
and extend their lines. If Mr.. Bryan
should be elected, even II no serious
panic ensued. 1t is practically certain,
from the attitude of the business COM
munity, that there would be doubt.
hesitation. curtailment of output, and
the abandonment of projects now be-
ing formed for adding to the produc-
ing and distributing equipment of the
country.
What do these things mean to the
workingman? When the American
Locomotive Works passes Its dividend
1t means a serious loss to those who
have invested in It's stock When It
goes further and closes its plant at
Providence, as 1t has recently done,
1t means that working men are
thrown out of employment. Already
as result of the shock of last au-
tumn business generally has been
curtailed about fifteen to twenty per
cent. This is disclosed by the falling
of In the gross earnings of the rail-
ways, as well as by the receipts of
the government. 1t required some
months for the railways to pull down
operating expenses to compensate the
reduction IN gross earnings and bring
net earnings into corresponding
proportion. This is being accom-
plished, in many cases, by the dis
charge of competent employees and
the reduction of wages. Every such
event diminishes the consuming pow
er of the country and tends to accen-
tuate the evil of diminished produc.
ton and stagnant trade.
The influence Of the election OF Mr..
Bryan would be disturbing to the
business community. Whether there
is justice in the distrust which is felt
for Mr.. Bryan Is not the practical
question. 1t is question of fact.
Mr.. Bryan has not only committed
himself in the past to projects like
free silver, which every other civil
lied country has abandoned, and to
government ownership of railways,
but he has not sought to reassure
business men recently as to definite
and sincere change of attitude on
these questions. On the. contrary, the
convention which nominated him at
Denver declared that IL an emergency
again arose requiring the issue of
currency there should be currency
ISSUED and controlled by the Fed
eral Government" In other words,
the panacea which Mr.. Bryan offers, |
now that he has abandoned free sill
yer, is another plunge into the mire
of greenback imitation.
Whether this is right or wrong In |
itself 1t means an upheaval in our ex-
listing monetary system, which II 1t !
were within the range OF practical
legislation would lead every prudent |
financier to convert his resources into
gold obligations or to transfer them
abroad. It is this sort of pronounce
ments which have hardened the heart |
of the business community against |
Mr.. Bryan in spite of his many at |
tractive qualities and which would |
tend to make four years OF his admin
istration years of restricted trade, 81 |
lent mills, idle cars, and perhaps even
depression and panic approaching the /
severity of those gloomy years which
followed the panic OF 1898.