The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-09-17
VITAL WASHINGTON NEWS
rAvENNgR WRITER AND THINKER" GIVES ua ,.s
FACTS As THEY REALLY EXIST

Washington, Sept. 14-Further evi.
dence of how the multi-millionaire
woolen trust magnates protect" their
employees in return for sufficient pro-
lection to allow them to overcharge
90,O00,000 American consumers on ev-
cry article of clothing they buy. is re-
vealed in the arrest at Lawrence,
Mass, of William NJ. Wood, head of
the Woolen Trust.
Mr.. Wood is charged with placing
dynamite in the homes of S5, Sc and
81 a week foreign millworkers in an
attempt to discredit their cause while
they were on strike last winter as a
protest against reduction of wages.
Mr.. WOods's arrest is worthy of the
attention of every man, woman and
child in the country who wears wool.
ems. Because of the fact that Mr..
Woods and his fellow woolen trust
magnates contribute heavily to Repub-
lican campaign funds, Congress has
been in the habit of placing the tariff
on woolens high enough to keep out
all competitions, so that the wooden
trust could be free to charge any price
they desired, up to the limit of the abil-
ity of the people to pay. The result is
that Americans are paying from thirty
to one hundred per cent more for wool.
en- clothing and blankets than the resi-
dent of Great Britain pays.
The story of the career of Mr.. Wood
provides curious paradox. He is the
oppressor OF 100000 miserable New
England textile workers; few years
ago he was one of them. In his youth
he felt the sting of hunger himself, but
now he Is pitiess in his thoughts of
his employees. He has grown enorm-
ously rich, but declares that from $4 to
SO week is enough for those who la
Dor in his mills.
II is said OF many captains of in.
dustry that they are Ignorant of the
conditions of the workers who earn
their fortunes for them; that II they
knew the distress of their employees
they would seek to remedy It. Not so
with Wood. He knows. Their distress
he sees. Their cries he hears.
Woods father was Portuguese-Jew
emigrant. He labored in a cotton mill
and died of tuberculosis, disease
common to cotton and wool spinners.
The fathers name is believed to have
been Alphonso LeEiair, or LeVair.
When the wooden mill employees,
which are composed of AZ different ma.
tionalties, most of whom cannot speak
In English. went on a strike the faith.
ers and mothers decided to send their
babes and little children away to
friends in other cities in order that
they might not suffer from hunger dur
ing the strike. Mr.. Woods agents
beat the women, and tore the little
ones from their mothers arms when
the children were about to be placed
on trains. Thus did Mr., Wood 'pro-
tecf' his employees.
Are the American people willing to
continue to contribute to Mr.. Wood by
paying more for shoddy than good
woolen clothing sells for in England?
Or do they want the tariff on woolens
reduced? There is only one day every
two years when the consumers have
an opportunity to express themselves
on this subject. That day comes on
November 3.
Republicans for Wilson
Thousands Of progressive Republic
ans will vote for the Democratic nom.
inee for the presidency, in the opinion
of Rudolph Spreckles of San Francis
co. close friend of Senator LaFollette