Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-29
Get Into Politics Thru the Hold
ing OF Economy Meetings"
at Division Points
ENGINEERED BY COMPANY MEM
BY Innuendo Men Arc Given to Under
stand That 4hey Are Expected to
Vote for Certain Legislative and
Congressional Candidates = Not Out
of Politics.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
! Des Moines, May 29.-The railroads
are in politics this campaign. They
are doing their political work thru the
medium of economy meetings" which
| they are holding at the various division
I points. It will be remembered that in
j the campaign two years ago when the
/ railroads net earnings were big they
engaged in politics by calling the men
! together to special cars. These special
cars toured thru the northern part Of
the state and the Workmen were
brought In and filed thru and were in
! structed how to vote. 1t was claimed
/ by the railroads that these cars were
for the purpose of instructing the men
on railroading but 1t is noticed that
they were sent thru the state just dur
ing the campaign two years ago and
! have not been used since and were not
used before.
| Now it is economy meetings" One
was held at Valley Junction the other
day. They are being held at all the
division points. The railroad sends out
1 a printed announcement Of the meet
| ing and signs the names Of workmen
| to 1t. Many times the workmen whose
| names are signed to the announce
ment do not know Of the meeting and
4 do not know that their names are be-
| ing used till they see the printed no
| tices.
| These meetings are run by what the
men call company men," A company
man is not an official. He is a work.
man who Is always for the company.
These company men get up and talk
at the meeting and tell how it is to
/ the interests of all that the railroads
be helped out during the hard times
and that they ought not to use more
| couplings and pins than they have to
and that either wages must be reduced
or freight rates raised unless the men
can be so economical with supplies
that a saving can be made that way.
By innuendo and suggestion the men
are given to understand that there has
been too drastic legislation and that
candidates for legislative and congress
sional positions who are of the drastic
stripe should be defeated. 1t is all done
very delicately and nice.
Not many months ago President
Winchell of the Rock Island road ad-
dressed the Des Moines Commercial
club and informed his hearers that the
Rock Island was out of politics. He
said he believed it was a mistake for
the Rock Island or any railroad to mix
in politics and he proposed to trust
their interests to the people in con-
fidence that they would get square
deal. The Rock Island is the leader in
holding the ECONOMY meetings" at its
division points and at these meetings
the men are made to understand how
they are expected to vote. Furthermore
when President Winchell addressed the
railroad mems reunion at Fosters
opera house here Tuesday night, he
could not refrain from making an ad-
dress that the audience took as being
| against the progressive movement and
really a political speech.
A railroad employe who was a cam
didate for the legislature has been in
formed by the company that his candi-
dacy is embarrassing the road. The
mans name for obvious reasons cannot
be given. He had the alternative Of
remaining in the race as a candidate
for the legislature or lose his job, and
he could not afford to lose his job, so he
dropped out as a candidate. He had
been candidate for some time and
was not molested till it was discovered
that he was about to win and that he
;; was for Cummins. Then he was in
formed that his candidacy was not in
favor of his employers.
At one division point, which went for
Cummins two years ago, much to the
chagrin of the railroad, there are
host of railroad men, and almost to
the man they are for Cummins this
year. Several Of them attended the
railroad reunion in Des Moines this
week. One of them declared that while
there was not Cummins button to be
seen on railroad man at that point,
because they did not dare to wear
them, yet practically every man would
vote for Cummins.
If anyone thinks that the passage Of
the Peterson bill and the primary
and anti-pass bills have resulted in
forcing the railroads entirely out Of
practice, he should mix quietly with
lot of railroad employees who have
confidence that he is not a "spotter for
the road and he will learn many
things The railroads are not out of
politics Not yet President Win
chell several months ago said the rail-
roads had learned their lesson. He
may have been sincere at that time,
hut the old habit seems to he too
strong with him. If he would wait till
after the primary election to hold his
economy meetings" and had re-
Trained from making the speech that
he did at Fosters Opera house the
other day, and If the other line of road
had allowed it's employe to stay in the
race for nomination to the legislature.
it would be much easier to believe
that the railroads are out Of politics.