Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-08-21
MONOPOLY BUNEoMBE
GETTING PLAYED OUT.


It was in 1886 that coercion Of vot.
ers was first practiced on Q large
scale openly and shamelessly. Mon
opolb stac interests easily succeeded
In soaring so-called "shrewd business
men" with silly stories that should not
have been received six-year-old child
rem. These business men. in their
foolish. but in many cases, honest
terror. turned on their employees and
threatened to close their places unless
Bryan should be defeated. The plan
worked to perfection. Mckinley was
elected. The terrified business child.
rem drew signs of relief while Marx
Hanna and associates, II they had
theslightest sense Of humor at all,
must have enjoyed many q quiet
laugh at the expense Of their silly
fdupes.
Since then the same plan OF coer.
cf0n has been tried again and again.
It ls NO logger as effective as It was
/ 1896, but stin you can fool some
Of the people all Of the time" In
cluded in this portion are many larKe
employers Of labor. as anyone may see
who, win scrutinize the roll OF mem.
6ershtp Of the Natj0n2i Association OF
Manufacturers. ThS lenders OF this
Organization tool up MARX HSnnG'S
work ct throwing a scare Ut etSctdon
time into the business men. but either
because, they lack E1anna's skiIl Gnd
discretion, or because the OFT repeated
| cry Of ~woH" Il sure 10 finally loss
ftsterrorsy their success has not been
: so great. 1t was no surprise to pro
I EressiveS to learn through flilhAil'H
Nnn HnCafNYN -f1,Nk M - aksI la~.uB
Association, or rather the leaders OF
that organization, had used the money
Of deluded followers In lighting Tom
fought against election to congress
EOfs men Ike Henry George, Jr. In do
Ing this, the Association worked
against the interests Of. honest bust.
ness and chAmpioned the cause Of
monopoly. Men like Johnson and
George have been engaged In 3endeav-
ofs to free business fro nlreGtrlction
and domination that makes the life
OF the average business man q des-
perate struggle to avoid Bankruptcy
and ruin. Johnson fought. as George
Is fighting now TO relieve business
men from exorbitant exactions ofland-
lords and other Inonopolists, To re-
lieve them Of burdensone and Unjust
taxes, and to increase the purchas
ing power OF consumers OF their
goods. In the course Of his hght John.
i son had the street railway monopoly
as his leading antagonist. To help
this monopoly, which was ~ hurtful
and oppressive to business men as to
all other classes, the leaders OF the
National Association Of MannfactuE>
ers rushed in to Aght Johnson.
II Colonel Mhlhau had not severed
hisconnection with the association
when he did, but had waited untll
next year to make his confession. he
could probably have told story Of the
fight now being made in the interest
EIof local monOpolies against the cleo
Etion Of progressive charter commits
sion in Cincinnati. This seems Ger
tain on noting not only that the same
old methods Of deception and coercion
are being resOrted to, but that the
same personal campaign Is being made
against Bigelow and other progress
ives, that was made against Johnson
and his aides. Ex-senator Foraker.
mentioned by Mulhall as one OF thu
HI Manufacturers associations helpers.
iss In this campaign fighting as usual
on the monopoly side. The suspicious
fact that the charter opponents dare
not accept BigeioW's challenge tore
veal whence comes their ample cam.
bpaign fund Is also noteworthy. But
the old game can no longer be prac-
ticeed as successfully as 1t once could.
The old cry Of going to close the fact
tories, does not deceive workinEmen
Ito the same extent as It did In Han
4 mas day. Business men also seem to
1 be, getting less gullible, and 1t looks
as though Cincinnati win elect chart.
ar eommission that will do what II
can TO free the city from mo1dpAlJ
control. Monopoly must devise some
| thing new III the bunco line If It hopes
q TO- continue deceiyipg the voters.