The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-02
MANUFACTURERS ANNOUNCE THEY
 ARE FOR WILSON
Prominent Makers of Shoes Attract Attention By
 Public Endorsement.
OWN WHOLE TOWNS
 IN NEW YORK STATE
Employ 12,000 But Make It Plain They Shall Influ-
 ence No Mans Vote.

Binghampton. N. Y, Oct. 2.-Coin-
 Hughes to Binghampton, H. B. Endi- colt and George F. Johnson, owners of the largest shoe factories in the
 world, and after whom the thriving
 suburbs of Endicott and Johnson City
 are named, issued a public statement
 enthusiastically endorsing President Wilson's policies and strongly advo-
 eating his reelection.
 Partners in the firm of Johnson,
 Endicott & Company, and known in
 the shoe industry throughout the
 world, MT. Endicott and MT. John
 son are employers of nearly twelve
 thousand operatives who with their
 families practically constitute the po- pulations of the two towns where their
 principal factories in this state are located.
 The public declaration for President Wilson, jointly signed by MT. Endicott
 and MT Johnson has attracted more attention than MT. Hughes presence.
 MT. Endicott resides in Massachusetts
 and is one of the most conspicuous figures in New England financial cir | cles. MT. Johnson resides here and | has been prominently identified with l all civic movements planned for, the betterment of this city and the towns where his factories are located. Their 1 statement is a remarkable answer to Candidate Hughes characterization of
 the prevailing prosperity as a"fooPs paradise"
 | As a result of the marked business
 prosperity here the large body of | working men have supplied a new
 Democratic slogan, "A Fat Pay En- velope," to supersede the time-worn
 Republican cry of "An Empty Dinner PaiI.''
 ! If MT. Hughes campaign speeches here made any impression upon the
 voters, they have been more than off
 set by the statement of MT Endicott
 and MT. Johnson, who are held in the
 highest esteem by the citizens of this locality. The statement is as follows: l "As we have been asked frequently
 how we feel as to the coming presi- dential election, we are pleased to
 make the following statement: | We shall vote for MT. Wilson We
 believe MT. Wilson deserves we'll of his country. He has handled the for eign situation with fine courage, and | remarkable ability. He handled the | recent railroad crisis in a masterly
 manner. We believe he took the only possible means to avoid strike. He has earned and deserves the confi- Gence of the people. He has attended strictly to the business of government
 He is not wasting time, criticizing other candidates but is attending to the business that the people employed him to attend to.
 GAS matter of jntarast bis community a few figures are furnish eo. January 1, 1914, we employed
 6,291 people; January 1, 1915, we em-
 ployed 7,2s6 people; January 1, 1916,
 we employed 9,704 people; September 28, 1916, we employed 11,76S people. At the present rate of increase, Jan | uary 1, 1917, we should employ 12. = l coo people. Percentage of increase, | from January i, 1914 to January 1, 1917, 105 per cent.
 We believe the reelection of Pres ident Wilson and the return of the present administration to power will
 fe the best for the country. It means another four years, under a wise, faithful and patriotic president. 'In making this simple statement,
 it is not our wish nor thought to urge | any of our employees to vote against
 their own convictions We yield to
 every employe the same right that we
 claim to ourselves, namely, the right
 to vote their own personal convictions. But if this statement of our own be-
 lief influences the vote of others in
 favor of the President, we shall be
 pleased and gratified.
 | H. B. ENDICOTT | GEO. F. JOHNSON"