Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-22
BRYAN SCORES
INTIMIDATION
OF EMPLOYEES
EFFORT TO C0ERCE RAILWAY
MEN AROUSES HIM
DELIVERS ScATHING CRITICISM
IN OHIO SPEECHES
Declares Ward HeeIer a Moral Char
acter Compared to Official Who
UtiIizes Power to Bluff
Toilers
[By Associated Press.l

IBy Associated Efes&s
NYE EWARK, O., Oct. 21.-T
III say to you that the little
4N ward heeler who goes
around and bribes a man for SIS
is a moral character beside the
man who attempts to use his
power to intimidate those who
work for him and to buy them by
a promise of increase or threaten
them by promise to decrease.
Thoroughly aroused by what he
termed a new menace through the pub
lication today in press dispatches OF
charges to the effect that officials of
the New York Central lines had sum-
moned their workmen and informed
them that if the Democrats won the
election there would be 10 per cent
reduction in wages, but that If they
lost there would be an increase; Will
liam ]. Bryan in before breakfast
speech to a vast throng, followed by
more similar speeches later, poured a
volley of criticism into the Republican
party for it's campaign tactics.
Receives Loud Cheers
He threw into his utterances ali the
vigor he could muster and his words
were greeted with loud cheers.
The second invasion of the native
state of his Republican opponent was
begun by Mr.. Bryan at this place, he
having come here direct from Louis
vile, KY, during the night.
The program for the day included
fifteen stops, concluding at 9:45 tonight
with speech at Williamstown, w. Va.
In his address here Mr.. Bryan said:
Il am glad to come again into ONO.
/ am glad to come at a time when
Democratic prospects are so bright
that even the Republican national COM
mittee is compelled to confess that the
Republican candidate must come back
to fight for his own state.
He went out west to fight for the
west, but he now finds he has difficulty
enough at home and cannot spare any
time for the west.
II am glad they are beginning to
realize the forces that they have to
contend with and the greatest obstacle
| that they have is the record of the
party that they must defend. "
Twelve Years of Power
Twelve years of power, With presi-
! dent eulogized in the platform, and a
! senate that they can not apologize for.
and a house presided over by "a despot
and yet they cannot defend their rec
ord.
Twelve years of power complete,
they have been able to pass every law
they wanted to pass; to repeal every
law they wanted to repeal, and they
have had Republicans on nearly all the
federal benches, and yet what is their
condition?
"Fhey feel that in every state of this
Union the tide is running against them
and they face deserved defeat for their
betrayal of the American people by
their officials.
"They have disappointed the laboring
man. they have refused to listen to
his plea; they have denied him the
remedies that he deserves and now,
when embittered by disappointment
and indignant at mistreatment the la
boring man attempts to show his citi-
zenship, declare his independence and
register his protest at the polls, they
proceed with their attempts at coer-
cion.
intimidation Last Resort
This mornings paper gives an illus
tration of attempted coercion"
He then read from a dispatch in a
Columbus paper which stated that 500
workmen at the Big -Four railroad at
Belle Fontaine, part of the New York
Central system, had been called to-
gether in the shops and notified that if
Bryan was elected there would be a
10 per cent reduction in wages and that
if Taft was elected there would be
an increase in pay and work
The dispatch stated these officials
were making tour of the entire sys-
tenn for the purpose of making the
same announcement to all the employees.
"Fhere, my friends" said Mr.. Bryan,
sis the statement in Republican paper
of the threat made by the officials of
great railroad system.
"They threaten to punish men for
voting the Democratic ticket by a 10
per cent cut in their wages and they
promise to increase their pay and their
work If they will vote the Republican
ticket!
Il say to you that the little ward
heeler who goes around and bribes a
man for five dollars is a moral char
acter beside the man who attempts to
use his power to threaten those who
work for him and to buy them by
promise of increase, or threaten them
by a promise of decrease.
Voters Given Figures
ST want American people to under
stand that we have something like
a million and a half of railroad en-
ployes, and If the managers of these
roads can enter politics and coerce
lildl Ildlly llSlI lIlSll independently SleC-
tions are past in this country; and
If these men can put into office men
hostile to the laboring man, then by
these coercions they can force upon
the laboring man any antagonistic leg
islation they desire.
1.-THE Republican party has refused
to give the laboring man a place in
the presidents cabinet, when our party
promises him that if we succeed there
will be a spokesman for the wage
Garner in the presidents council cham
ber.
when 1 say to the laboring man
that If I am elected want one of
their representatives in my cabinet to
advise with me about labor--when I
say that, these men representing the
railroads go out and tell you unless
you relinuuish your claim to represent
tation in the cabinet. they will reduce
your wages and make your conpensa-
tion smaller than 1t is.
I'VE tell the laboring man that il
we win we will amend the antitrust