The San Francisco call., 1908-09-01
PROSPERITY CARDS.
PLACED UNDER BAN
Kern Resents Placing of Plac-
ards in Factories as Attempt
to Influence Voters


INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. SD. NJ
Parry, eX-president of the national
association of manufacturers and a
prominent republican and manufacturer
in Indiana, in reply to a letter from
John w Kern, democratic nominee for
vice president, today announced him.
self opposed to posting of so called
prosperity placards" in factories.
The correspondence follows:
Indianapolis Ind Aug 81.
D. NJ Parry. President Parry Manufacturing
Company-My Dear Parry: / am inclosng a
newspaper clipping which reports the posting
Of SO called prosperity placards'' in manufac-a
turing establishments over the country, and
am Interested in learning how the distinguished
eN-president OF the National Association of
Manufacturers, David NJ. Parry. stands on this
proposition Of beguiling coercing the work
men Of the factories TO vote the ticket of a
party which many believe has become tie party
Of tarifhzed trusts rather than a party of the
people You will note that these placards read
TO the effect that ION the day after the elec
ton Of Taft and Sherman this factory will
start up in full force"
The intent of the placards is obviously to
frighten the public as well as the employees
directly affected into belief that the success
Of the democratic party would work injury
10 business and industrial interests. i, of
course, resent entirely injustice any at
tempt to place such imputation upon the
democratic party and l must presume that the
Oenehciaries of the tariff tax to such
1ustthable extent that they fear any revision
ward.
have had much pleasure in the last year
in reading several articles written by you, in
which you show yourself to be sincere ad
vocate of letting down the tariff bars between
the nations 10 a reasonable extent for the benefit
or our exporting industries. and ! am led 20
believe that many other manufacturers hold to
like views In the light of the fact that the
present high tariff has not maintained pros
Derity. / would like TO ask whether the posting
ters'' does not SAVIOR a good deal of trying
m afgfu lpfg is lSp
Believing that you do not sympatllize with
shis placard scheme and hoping to hear from
JOHN w. KERN.
The reply follows:
John W. Kern, Indanapols-My Dear Mr.
Kern: have your very interesting letter con-.
your mind at once Of any doubt as to where
stand on this matter l will say that no such
placards will be posted at the plant Of the
Parry manufacturing company.
have had a good deal to say in the past
about the abuse OF power by the labor unions
some people tell me have said too much on the
subjeet-but have yet to say word in favor
OF any abuse of power by the employer. And it
is an abuse of the power of the employer TO
intimate TO the empioyes that his services will
not be needed If he does not vote certain way
When a is made. to believe that his bread
and butter depend on how he votes he Is no
longer free to air his own judg1nent--he is de-
priyed of the most important of his citizenship
upon all efforts to sway the. Judgment of men
other than by methods Of proper argument and
persuasion uQtlDctUrcd Wild coercion.
l am sure that the great majority of manu-
facturers of the country will refrain from post
ing the Objectionable placards, and that
mainly because 1t would be taking unjust and
distressing advantage of the employe. There is
the further reason also that most manufacturers
run their business In accordance with the demand
for their products and not in accordance with
the political barometer. 1t is poor business
judgment; on the face of 1t, to post promise
to run a factory full time in the event Of any
one's election4 for there is chance you know.
that the promise may have to be made good
In the face Of adverse business conditions. Should
the promise for any reason not be made good
the employer would be guilty of bad faith
with his men. and if the employer does not keep
faith with his men he can not expect his men to
keep faith with him.
/ think 1t impossible to fix date for the
return of full prosperity. 1t must be remem-
i,ered that there are economic causes for bust
ness reaction which are quite beyond the power
of the political parties to control-this thing
prosperity has its limitations
But the recuperatiye powers OF the country
are such that assert with confidence
that times Of industrial depression can not long
continue, and this also regardless of which
course i'll considered legislation and the con-
tinued existence of pHblic evils obstruct the
path to prosperity, and perhaps if my distin-
guished acquaintance. William J. Bryan. aud
my esteemed friend and fellow townsman, John
W. Kern were really anarchists or socialists.
enemies OF individual or property rights,
might feel justified in posting uD some kind
Of plaeard but despite my republca1isin
not bring myself to any such notions concern
no more sympathize with the statement that
Bryan is the enemy of industry than do
with the statement that Taft is the creature
of the trusts and for Kern's possible cleo
tion being menace | say positively, it is
absurd.
As for the tariff ] think she country is to
be congratulated in that both parties promise
its readjustment. | am free to says that the
Parry manufacturing company is willing to
see any duties imposed for the protection Of
the buggy business go on the trading list in
negotiating with foreign countries for reci-
prOcity treaties. and there other manufac-
turers IN a similarly generous mood.
In recent poll of the national association
of manufacturers majority of tsImembcrs
declared In favor of revision, and since man
ufacturers will not be disposed to buy heavily
Of raw material when there is a possibility
of cheaper prices for such material through
a relaxation of the tariff, believe that a
speedy revision viii materially assist In re-
storing business TO normal conditions OF course
this revision not be accomplished the first
day after the election, but matter who Is
elected, and to my knowledge. the prosperity
placards' proposition has not received the of
ficial Endorsement of the manufacturers asso-
citation.
do mot beiieve that business scares." got
ten mp to influence elections. are calculated
TO help legitimate business. and therefore they
should not be encouraged by business men,
!