South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-11-01

workers at the Advance Rumeiy Co.
as they pass in and out OF the gates
Of the plant OF the company here.
Until a few days ago when the law
in regard TO the posting Of election
placards in factories was printed In
local newspaper. posters advocat-
ing Hughes election were hanging
in the Rumely factory.
Apparently trying TO appease the
dem ocrats. the placards were taken
from inside the factory and placed
on a bill board just outside the gate.
but still on the property OF the COM
pany. The board is about four feet
by six feet in dimension and il is
Literally covered with republican
posters and literature
A picture taken of the board
shows an announcement Of a Wat
son meeting and other cards. one
OF the posters bears the words
Protection and Permanent Prosper
ity. Choose Hughes" Another pla-
card asks who paid the state debt
and carries figures twisted around
20 make the workers believe the re-
publicans did. Still another requests
the workers 20 remember the tough
times before the war" and elect
Hughes"
Looks Like Coercion.
Democrats declare emphatically
that the poster bearing the words
Protect Your Job. Choose Hughes"
can be construed as nothing other
than coercion. They contend that il
implies that unless Hughes is elect
ed there will be no work for them,
and an implication OF this kind is
punishable by a fine Of not less than
$500 nor more than $1,000 or by
Imprisonment for not more than
one year or both.
Reasons for the interest OF the
Rumely company in the election Of
Hughes are very evident democrats
point out. The House of Morgan,
the big Wall street financial insti-
tuition. is back of the corporation
and George w. Perkins. who led
Theodore Roosevelt back into the
ranks of the @. o. p. taking him
from the progressives, has consid-
cradle holdings in the corporation.
AIC NIOlllu8 hi>On htn.
Republican clubs are being form
ed among empoyes of the Rumely
Co. as a means of finding out how
they stand on the coming election.
Superintendent and foremen are
the organizers and papers have been
passed around among the men ask
ing them 10 place their names up
on them If they care to join the
clubs. If they refuse to join, it is
known that they favor Wilson for
the presidency.
Recently two Polish workers at
the Rumely plant, who had been
Wilson supporters, spent a short
time in the office of the company
and came out wearing Hughes but
tons. Since that time they have been
working for the election of Hughes.
The two men we're working side by
side in the factory when a Mr. Shell
don came to them from the office
and asked them 10 come in. The
change in their convictions took only
short time. but Wilson supporters
here are investigating with consid-
cradle success the cause of the
sudden change.
Hold Political Meetings.
On last Wednesday. oct. %. the
Niles & Scott Co. held a political
meeting at the factory from l O'Clock
until 1870 o'clock which all of the
empl Eyes attended, their time go
ing on just the same. A Mr.. Lowrie
of indianapolis spoke 10 them, ad-
vocating the election Of Hughes.
IL is held that methods of this
kind constitute aid" in electing
Hughes. Corporations are not al
lowed TO give financial help or aid
to the success of any political party
and those that do can be punished
under the Indiana statutes. The
posting of placards threatening or
implying suspension of work or
calculating 20 influence the vote of
employees is illegal
What Law Says.
The corrupt practices act pass
ed by the Indiana legislature in
1911 defines those who are guilty
of violating the act as: Every per.
son who being an employer, pays