The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-06-18
If Indiana Representatives
Bill Is Passed, Employer
Cannot Dictate to Employe
on Politics.
|STAB AT UNDERWOOD
BY STEEL COMBINE
Is Believed to Have Influ-
enced Boehne in Introduce
ing His Bill-Measure Will
Probably Pass.
BY SYDNEY ESPY

which shut down their plants In order
to influence voters, or attempt to die
tate legislation by such underhand
me thods, are to be amenable to pun
ishment hereafter if a bill which rep
Iresentative Boehne of Indiana. has in
troduced in the house becomes law
Representative Boehne goes further
and would also make it a crime fol
any corporation to display on it's fac
tory walls placards and signs hint
ing that employees shall vote such
and such ticket if the wish to retain
their positions.
During the debate on the free list
bill, Representative Underwood of AL
ALBANIA, startled the house by q state
ment that the Steel trust had attempt.
ed to dictate what stand ne should
take on tariff revision. The bill put
woven wire on the free list, and, just
before the bill came to vote in the
house, Representative Underwood re-
Steel trust had ordered the work stop.
ped on an immense new plantation in
the course of construction in the Ala
bama representatives district
To Influence Him.
1t was declared that the action OF
the corporation was because OF Mr.
Underwood's tariff views, as a mem
ber and chairman of the allpowerful
house committee on ways and means,
which has the framing of all tariff
legislation. Representative Under
wood recognized in the action of the
Steel corporation direct slap at his
rights as member of congress to
vote for. and to urge legislation he
believed to be the best for the coun-
try. He flung defiance in the direc-
ton Of the Steel trust and declared
amid the applause of his colleagues
in the house that he would not change
his views. ~.. f+
The Bohne bill is believed to have
grown out of this incident.
1t has frequently been charged in
former campaigns, especially those ef-
fecting national elections, that large
corporations have used intimidatinG
methods toward employees. Factory
walls and premises were adorned
with placards predicting the empty
dinner pail and no job in the event OF
the defeat of a certain ticket 1ndi.
rectly, large corporations have been
accused by members of congress af
ter elections of attempting to influ
ence the courts.
Fought Underwood.
The alleged action of the Steel
trust in the Underwood district, how
ever, is one of the omst flagrant in
stances of the attempted influence Of
business upon legislative affairs. The
Steel trust fought Representative I'm
derwood when he was last up for ell
ection, and made a losing fight, mas
much as the masses seemed to be with
the Alabama representative and
against the trust. Representative Un
derwood was returned to Congress by
an overwhelming majority, and, az
soon as it had been ascertained that
ways and means committee, tn Ala
bma representative began to lay plans
TOR a revision Of the tariff.
When the free list bill was present
ed to the house, it was found that
among the hundred or more articles
free list, was woven wire and wire
fencing. The Steel trust, already al
out with Representative Underwood
because of his advocacy of lower du
ty on iron ore, grew indignant thai
another slap had been made at it:
product. s
1t was announced that the trust hat
found it necessary to close down worl
on it's new plant. This threw out o
employment some three thousand mer
according to statements made on tht
house floor at the time the matter
was brought officially to the attention
of that body. These three Thousand
men. the steel trust probably figured
would be resentful toward Mr.. Tn
derwood, the chairman of the commit
tee that had brought in a bill obnox
ious to their eppbyers.
Underwood is Game.
Representative Underwood told thu
house, however. that he was wiling II
take the risk of discomfort back home
and that he would proceed to urge ths
passage of the free list bill. regard
less OF any methods pursued by hi!
political enemies to influence hi
course as a member OF the house Mr.
Underwood fought for the free lis
bill TO the end that it passed tn,
house by large majority and just q;
/. it had come from the Democrat,
ways and means committee.
II is not certain that congress cal
! Continued On Pan Tyol