The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-23
Meat Industry Said To Be U.s.
ing Questionable Propaganda.
Waging Gigantic Fight Against
KenyOn-Kendrick Bills.
FAKE WIRES TO CONGRESSMEN
Packer Agent Signed Voters
Names Without Consent.
Armour & Company Mentioned
by Senator Harris.

Washington. Aug 23.-What is re-
garded by officials as the most far
reaching propaganda to flood the
country and congress since German
activity. was at its height is now being
gradually revealed TO Washington. it
was learned today.
It Is propaganda directed against
the Kenyon. Kendrick and seventeen
other bills TO regulate packers.
Forms of Propaganda.
According TO documentary evidence,
the pressure that is being brought to
bear on congress in opposition to the
regulating bills. takes the following
form:
1-sending teIegrams to congressman
and senators signed with the names OF
residents Of the legislators districts; with
out. it is alleged. the constituents knowl-
edge IN many instances.
Agents appearing before commercial
clubs. farmers conventions and other or
rnnizations and persuading them TO send
kilograms 70 their national representatives,
opposing the pToposed legislation,
Many such kilograms are repudiated by
Independent action Of the organizations.
3-Following by n detailed system Of
assembling newspaper clippings every arti-
Gle that may be deroEatory TO the packers
and sending the magazine or newspaper
editor statement of the packers position.
4-Distribution Of booklets and PAM
phlets and paid advertising mediums
Senator Harris Makes Charges.
Senator Harris, Georgia. expressed
all these charges today. He read into
the Congressional Record recently
letter from j. r. Wilcox, Fitzgerald,
Ga, stating that a telegram the sem
ator had received signed u. r. Will
COX" was filed by a packers agent
without the knowledge of Wilcox.
The Telegram protested against the
Kenyon and Kendrick bills, and was
as follows:
Am not in favor OF federal control
meat packing industry. Kendrick
tS2l99), Kenyon (S2202) bills"
Subsequent letters received by Sem
ator Harris, including a letter written
by the manager of the Western Union
at Fitzgerald, and a copy of a letter
from Wilcox to one OF the packing
companies, brought the following
sta atemeuts:
THAT previous to the filing of
the book OF night letters, including
that of Wilcox. the Western Unio1
manager II Fitzgerald had handled
numbe- Of books from various pack
ing house representatives on this
same bill"
2-That the Western Union man
ngcr could not recall the name Of the
man filing the messag ges including that
OF WILCOX but that he made him out
statement against "- and com
pany" which he paid.
3-That later Wilcox had a conver-
saton with the packers representa-
tive and that the agent admitted he
sent the telegram giving as his ex-
cuse that he did not think Il would
make any difference to Wilcox II he
sent them"
The attention of Senator Harris was
called to the telegram feature Of the
propaganda al the time congress was
flooded with messages protesting
against the Kenyon and Kendricl bills
Armour Co. Mentioned.
Harris received three or four hun
dred from Georgia. letter acl1nowl-
edEing tthe receipt Of the various mes
saGcs was sent out by Senator Harris
Harris received reply from Wilcox
declaring he had never sent such a
telegram as the senator referred to
The letter in part, which was read into
the Congressional Record declared:
understand from the Western
Union Telegraph company operator
here that these kilograms (to two SEN
ntors and one representation were
sent by a representative Of Armour &.
Company, they. or he taking the lib
erty OF signing my name to these tele-
grams without consulting me or re-
cciving any authority from me what
soever to do so, and, TO say the least
OF II. I do not approve of any such
methods as they are using to influ-
ence the defeat OF any bills that might
.> come before you"
Senator Harris replied to Wiucox
asking for any further Information
and received what was purported to
be a copy OF a letter from the Fitz-
gerald Western Union manager to the
district commercial superintendent AT
Atlanta. \
Hackers in n Denial.
Letters forwarded by Wilcox show
that Wilcox on August wrote a
packing company in Chicago, other
than that named in his original letter
to Senator Harris informing them
that he did not approve Of such ac-
ton as had been taken The CORE
spondence does not show why he
wrote this company instead Of the
company named in the Congressional
Record.
The packing company wired and
wrote Wilcox denying they had such
a man in their employ and -dIsclafn-
ing such action as Wilcox outlined.
"The name of the company doesn't
matter" said Senator Harris, in dis
cussing the correspondence today
whether he told Wilcox. when he
met him. that he WIS employed by
one packer company or another, IT is
evident this telegram and many others
were filed by packer representatives
without the knowledge of the sup
poaed sanders