Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 20 October 1921 — Page 1

THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER IN DELAWARE COUNTY THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT

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VOL. 1. NUMBER 41

MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1921

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE

Bill Hohn, Strike Breaker, Acts As Personal Representative of Bunch-Fman Board of Strategy

The Post-Democrat does not want to put itself in the position of opposing real democrats for office, but it does take considerable delight in exposing shams not only in the republican party, but in its own party

as well'.

The alleged candidate for mayor on the democratic ticket, who boasts that he was nominated by an aggregation of democrats, republicans and socialists, was responsible for the nomination of William Hohn, democratic nominee for councilman from the

seventh ward.

Mr. Hohn, as far as we know, is a good citizen and a good democrat, politically speaking, but he has made the mistake of allowing himself to be used as the confidential representative of Dr. Bunch in a number ox matters in which he would be much better off

if he had not acted.

Recently a committee of three was sent to City Chairman Ray Andrews after the Bunch board of strategy had deeded that Mr. Andrews must be removed from the position of chairman, by some hook or crook. Mr. Hohn was one of the committee and, according to Mr. Andrews, he made the blunt statement that it was the ^iyish of the candidates and committee-

men that Andrews resign.

Mr. Hohn has also been exceedingly active in connection with the Buncih effort to remove the publisher of the post-Democrat from the office of democratic member of the board of city election commissioners. Apparently Plohn was, selected by Dr. Bunch to organize the matter, for it was he, it is said, who appeared to be the mouthpiece of the ex-mayor in denouncing the Post-Democrat as a “republican” newspaper and in organizing opposition to its editor as member of the election committee. Mr. Hohn admitted at a meeting of the committee and committeemen that he was not personally acquainted with the editor of the Post-Democrat and

He said Hohn declared that he could not afford to lose the time, and that besides he, being a member of thei green bottle blowers’ union, was opposed to a strike made by unorganized workmen. In other words he was such a good union man that he re-, mained at work while his comrades went out to secure shorter hours and more money. t . { The seventh ward is made up almost exclusively of working men and working men ought to hang together in all matters pertaining to their wel-

fare.

The Post-Democrat is not publishing this for the purpose of casting any reflections either upon the democracy or the good citizenship of Mr. Hohn. We are merely making the statement in order to carry out our inflexible rule of relating facts regardless of the consequences. The fellow workmen of Mr. Hohn declare that a strike was called for a certain Monday morning at nine o’clock, in case the management of the factory refused to accede to their demands by that hour. The men say that at 8 o’clock Mr. Hohn and two other men hurriedly lelt the plant and were not there when the general walk-out took place an hour later. They say this plan was arranged by the superintendent, who gave the three men the opnortunity of escaping the anger of their comrades when""the strike occurred. The men say these three men came back to work the next morning and remained on the job throughout the strike, notwithstanding the fact that a heroic battle was b<ging waged to secure a better deal for

the men.

As a result of the strike wages were increased, but the men declare that the partial success of the walkout was not due in any way to Mr. Hohn anci his two strike breaking comrades, whose refusal to strike handicapped

the efforts of the strikers.

Very naturally the laboring men in

, . j x „ the seventh ward do not relish the idea as his name does not appear on our f iR b K bei on the dem _

mnon list, it must ’be

fact that Doc Bunch, who took considerable credit and raked in many voles because of his wind work during the strike, is now using a man charged with breaking the strike as his messenger to help put over the plans hatched by the Bunch-Finan-Daniels

board of strategy.

hearsay evidence alone.

It is true that Mr. Hohn is not acquainted with the Post-Democrat editor, but it might be stated that we are acquainted with many workingmen residing in the seventh ward, comprising the nineteenth and twentieth precincts, who took part in the big strike of the spring of 1917, and these men are responsible for the statement that Mr. Hohn was one of three men in his department at the Number two plant of the Warner Gear who refused to go out on a strike, but remained at work wffiile others with moi*e courage stood the

brunt of the conflict.

According to the statement of one of the men who worked with Mr. Hohn in the transmission department at the Warner Gear, a man who says he is willing to back up his statement with an affidavit, and that others will do the same if necessary, Mr. Hohn was requested to eo out with the other

men, but refused.

APPEALS 1878 VERDICT Paris—Seking vindication through the latest rulings of science as to arsenical poisoning, Claude Dauval has asked the reversal of a verdict which in 1878 sentenced him to life imprisonment for murdering his wife. He was Released in 1902, but is still legally a criminal.

U. S. TENNIS STANDARD London—Efforts are being made to enlist the government in a campaign courts for the public. It is claimed that American courts are now the best in the world.

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The Railroad Strike

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If the plans of the four railroad brotherhoods mature, two million railroad workers will go on a strike a week from Sunday and the country will witness the most titanic struggle in all history between capital and labor. The newspapers of the country, including the two Muncie daily newspapers, are almost unanimously lined up on the side of the railroads, and are endeavoring to discredit the workmen and prejudice the public against them. Unfortunately these controlled newspapers have apparently succeeded in accomplishing their purpose. ^The slogan, started on its way by paid propagandists, that “this will be an unpopular strike,” seems to have taken root. It reminds us of the Germanized slogan, pushed to the front by German marks, that “this is an unpopular war.” The people have not heard the whole truth about the railroad situation. They should understand that the railroad workers are not contending alone for themselves, but for all the common people of the United States. Freight rates are criminally high and are causing much of the economic distress which now prevails. When the last cut was made in the pay of railroad men the railroads promised to decrease freight rates accordingly. Instead of keep- 4 ing their word, they increased the rates.' The government of the United States, completely con- || trolled, from the president down, by stand pat republicans, | will line up with the railroads, which are owned and control- ™ led by the centralized, organized, wealth of America. | If the railroads are allowed to win this victory, without | some steps being taken to safeguard the interests not only y of the railroad employes, but all other citizens as well, the J entire nation, with the exception of the Wall Street gamb- || lers and the paid servelings of the financial autocracy, will

suffer a terrible blow.

Remember, it is not the railroads themselves, but a small, unseen group of Wall Street financial wizards, whose names never appear in connection with railroad matters, who are in control of the transportation of the country. The men whose names appear as president, vice president and directors of the roads are mere messenger boys of the men behind the scene. \ Do not allow yourself to become the unconscious mouthpiece of the men who are trying to steal the earth and fence

it in. «

There are some misgutided individuils in Muncie who hope to prejudice the laboring men of Muncie against this newspaper because it is opposing the election of Dr. Bunch for . mayor. They seek to establish something which is not true, namely, that one cannot oppose Bunch and still be a friend of the laboring man. Surely the laboring men and women of Muncie are not so forgetful of local history that they fail to remember the stand the editor of this newspaper h^s always taken in regard to labor. The former publication edited here by him., the Muncie Post, never failed to take a firm stand in behalf of laboh. The laboring men here ought to remember our fight against the unendurable slaveiry of a discredited blacklist system. Our exposure of the methods used by an alleged employment office, conducted by a man in the employ of manufacturers, led .0 a complete destruction of the system. Early in the year 1917, wien the price of living began to eoar and wages remained practically stationary in Munci^e, the Post battled for the rights of the laboring rpan so vigorously that it was boycotted by big interests who were too short sighted to see the trend of the times. 1 . v?l Working men and women in nearly every factory of any importance in Muncie struck for higher wages and more reasonable hours, and during the trying weeks of tl8e big strike demonstrations the Post remained the firm friend and supporter of the strikers. It will be recalled that while the full demands of the strikers were notlnet” concessions were made in the way of increased wa ges and better working conditions, which went a great way in the direetkm of healing the breach between employer and laborer, but the big business interests, refusing to recognize value to a community of a newspaper that tells the truth occasionally, at least, withheld their support and it was compelled to suspend publication for lack of support which would have been freely given if the Post had turned its back on labor and played up to the big money crowd, as other newspapers in the city did during that tryng period. Our efforts, both individually and through the newsnaper, were so well known at that time that a federal officer, sent here to look into the strike situation, made numerous inquiries and investigations as to our activities along that line. We were personally questioned by the official, who went away not only satisfied that no unlawful act ■ had been committed, but that the strikes were justified by conditions. When the men in the zinc mill of Ball Brothers factory struck, a meeting was scheduled to be held in a pool room near* the factory one night and the editor of the Post was requested to meet with the men. Dt. Bunch, who was about to become a candidate for mayor was also invited. We attended tbs meeting, heard the complete story from the workingman’s side, and were so thoroughly convinced of the justice of their demands that we advised the men to stick with the ship and win a certain victory. Dr. Bunch disregarded the invitation to meet with the men, fearing that it might have some ill effect on his candidacy. The strike at the zinc mill was of short duration. The management of the factory arranged a meeting with a committee of the strikers, views were exchanged, and the men were taken back to work with every demand more than fulfilled. The laboring men and Muncie knew at that time that the Post was their friend and they know it now* The Post-Democrat has been running nearly a year, and like its predecessor, the Post, it has been, and always wi 11 be, the true friend of the toiler. Its files certainly disclose the. fact tb it it has been loyal to the common people of Muncie and that it ba» never • hesitated td'atiac R big ntility interests and other combinations of wealth which seek to impose burdens upon the man who works for a living, and God helping us we will continue to champion and defend the interests of the weak and defenseless as long as the breath of life remains and our ability to construct sentences in the English language continues. The road to luxury, ease and enrichment, lies along the path of least resistance. The great laboring mass of Muncie is without money, power or influence, except as a voting body. Capital apd merchandising here is thoroughly organized, with two daily newspapers supporting their cause. Labor is disorganized and is so thoroughly at the mercy of organized wealth that it is without power to retaliate against those who would penalize a newspaper that dared to espouse labor’s cause. Even a blind man ought to see, therefore, that the newspaper which speaks from labor’s standpoint, must do so from the profound conviction that it is right, and not for mercenary reasons. Labor has no financial rewards to offer. Organized wealth is liberal with its literary defenders. The Post-Democrat is labor’s friend because it believes the man who works in a mill is just as good, and just as worthy of the good things of life as a bank president of a railroad magnate. The professional politician plays to labor because labor has the most votes. Dr. Bunch is a professional politician. He professes to be a great friend of labor but the record discloses that he does nothing for labor after he gets in office. We know hundreds of laboring men in Muncie who are capable of filling the various appointive offices within the gift of the mayor of our city, yet we know of no instance where labor was recognized during the six years Dr. Bunch served as mayor of Muncie. If Dr. Bunch really believes what he professes to believe, that the laboring man is % the chosen of God, he would have rewarded the men who elected him by giving labor ade- J quate representation on his various boards and commissions and by filling important and ❖ lucrative appointive positions with intelligent men and women coming from the ranks f of labor. J; His conception of labor is, that the laborer is only fit for some subordinate job, and J; is not capable of filling a position of responsibility. To show his contempt for labor, he f brazenly uses as his official messenger and catspaw one of the men who helped break the % strike a,t the Warner Gear factory in the spring of 1917—a man who is said to have % told his, striking fellow workmen that while his heart was with them, he could not afford to * lose the time. % And it certainly cannot be said of a man who surrounds himself with a coterie of % professional gambler^, with the promise th^t they can operate practically without re- % strictions in the event of his election, that he is the friend of the laboring man. In the * long run, the bulk of the money won at the gambling table comes from the men who work % in the factories. These men cannot afford to lose their earnings. The gamblers them- $ selves know this, and do not relish it, but with a big gamblers’ organization, with all the competition it implies, they cannot choose their customers. They must take on all comers *;♦ in order to stay in the game. They would prefer unorganized gambling, with its atten- % dant opportunity of selecting victims who are able to lose their money, but under the | Bunch regime they Hhve no chance to act in moderation. - * If the laboring men and women of Muncie will take the word of a true friend for it, they will heed the advice of the Post-Democrat and oppose the election of a man who seeks t their votes merely for his own advancement. | ; t

Gentry, Resort Owner and Bunch lieutenant, Retailiates on Woman Who Paid And Turned Rebel

BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR SHEEP MEN IN NATION

Situation Appears Good, Despite Present [Depresaion and Low Prices

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There is a bright outlook for the sheep industry in the nation despite the depression and the low prices of sheep and wool, according to Mark J. Smith, who has just begun his work as head of the wool marketing' department of the Ohio Farm Bureau federation. He points out that in all the 11 Western range states, which contain 70 per cent of all the sheep in America, a recent survey shows a reduction of from 10 to 45 per cent, according to the state, in the number of sheep owned by farmers. This discloses, he says, the fact that those farmers are compelled, because of economic stress, to go out of the slieep business.

Texas now hai the largest number of sheep in the United States, while Ohio, which onci was second, is now fourth in holdings, according to Mr. Smith. The faci of the reduction of holdings in sheip country indicates, he believes, thalj presently there will be much fewer jheep to supply both the wool and rritton markets. Furthermore, the Omand is for much better animals t m in the past, which are going into te hands of men better able to condi t the industry. Many ft 31s Running Information i the office of the federation show that 90 per cent of the woolen mill are running at capacity, but withi it stress or overtime efforts. At the hio Wool Warehouse on South High s eet, R. S. Hammond, manager, asser that the medium wools are movin a bit more slowly. There is very litle wool in the hands of Ohio farmen according to Mr. Hammond.

The public- is said to be buying cautiously, though steadily, and there is a demand for goods that sell just under the federal tax lirpit. Continuance of the emergency tariff, which elapses in six weeks, or a "tariff as satisfactory, it is said will give strength to the market. There is a feeling among wool men, it is asserted, that fine wools will show a bit more strength and demand.

STRAWBERRIES SCARCE Paris—Final reports of the damage caused to strawberries by the summer’s unprecedented heat indicate that next year there will be practically no crop. ^COLD-SHOULDER_TO WALES Lahore, India—At a mass meeting held here resolutions were adopted condemning the visit of the Prince of Wales to India and declining tq. welcome him. *

The things which have happened to Maud Chapman, a colored woman who operates a resort and “tiger” in the more or less celebrated redlight district south of the railroad, should furnish food for reflection for those who refuse to see any connection between the candidacy of Dr. Bunch and the operations of an organized group of law breakers. Maud Chapman’s home was raided by the police Monday night about 11 o’clock. She was arrested and a quantity of liquid, commonly known as “hom£ brew” was confiscated and she is now under bond to appear in the city court to answer to a charge of violating the state liquor law. Directly across the street from the Chapman home, Elmer Gentry and a crowd of men and women revellers, all said to be intoxicated, were assembled in a notorious resort, operated by the daughter of a woman who boasts that she will be the queen of the redlight when Bunch is elected. The party had assembled to witness the raiding of the resort of the humble colored woman. Several weeks ago Maud Chapman received a visit from Elmer Gentry, a notorious character who was sent to prison with Horace Murphy and Rollin H. Bunch. The woman declares that on that occasion Gentry collected five dollars from her for the Bunch champaign fund. The money was paid in the presence of a witness. Later she and the witness, it is said made affidavits to the effect that she had paid the money

to Gentry.

In a second affidavit she is declared to have said that Gentry called again and told her she would get in bad by buying whisky of any one opposed to Dr. Bunch. Monday afternoon of this week Gentry called at the Chapman home in an intoxicated condition, it is said, and told her that she was “in bad” and that he intended to have her pinched and driven

out of town.

Monday night she was raided by the police and Gentry and his party were across the street in another resort to witness the fullfillment of Gentry’s threat, AND THE RAID CAME OFF

ON SCHEDULE TIME.

One of the women in the Gentry tion of Rollin H. Bunch. It is rule party stated Wednesday that Gentry | .qr ruin with these people and aptold them Maud Chapman was to be ' ^ ~ -* •

raided at 11 o’clock. She said Gentry was drunk and that he told the landlady to start up the electric piano and turn on the porch light' so the entire party could go out on the porch and witness the raid and see the dooi of the Chapman place kicked in. She said Gentry told them the raid was tc come off in fifteen minutes and that it did happen about fifteen minutes later, and that the door was kicked in.

as prophesied by Gentry.

She said the landlady refused to light up the front porch and start the music. Instead she put out all the lights and the party of men and women, including Gentry, went out on the porch and waited for the raid to come off. She said other resort keepers in that "heighborhood, hiving advance information of the coming of the police officers, were out to wit-

ness the raid.

This sordid adventure merely goes to show the boldness of the group of mercenary lawbreakers who hope to regain control of the city by the elec-

vparently they are too short sighted to see what is going to happen to all of them if they do not abandon their crude and ridiculous purpose of pena-

iizing ail who oppose them. It is certainly a fine state of affairs

when Elmer Gentry, a known gambler, resort owner and ex convict, is able to foretell with accuracy what the police are going to do, and is so "Secure of his position as Bunch lieutenant that he assembles a drunken party in a tiger and resort across the street from the place to be raided to see that everything" goes off all right. The question now arises, (and there is not much question about it) who is running the city and the police department, Mayor Kelly and Chief Carey, or Doc Bunch and Elmer Gen-

try ?

Such things as this could not have happened prior to the time Mayor Kelly, in a moment of folly, turned ovet the police department to Roll Bunch by permitting him to name two members of the board of safety (Continued on Page 2)

i The Law Disqualifies Bunch

The democrats of Muncie have been disfranchised, by the refusal of Roll Bunch to get off the ticket, as effectively as if the law specifically stated they were not able to vote. The Tucker law, passed by the last legislature, declares that any person, convicted of a crime against the United States and sentenced to federal prison for a term exceeding six months, shall be ineligible to hold an elective or appointive office in the state of Indiana. Roll Bunch was convicted of a crime against the United States and was sentenced by Judge Anderson to the federal prison at Atlanta for a period of two years, and served eight months of it. , * Can anything be clearer than the fact that any man or woman in Muncie who votes for Dr. Bunch on November 8 is deliberately disfranchising himself or herself? The law is now in force and it will be in force on election day when the votes are cast. If you vote for Bunch you will be voting for a man whom the law declares cannot serve as mayor if elected. Monday is the last day for withdrawal from the ticket and it is apparent that Bunch does not intend to withdraw but is going to carry out the dismal farce to the end. Thd law has been declared constitutional by the best lawyers in the state. Bunch ^ays it is not, but that he knows differently is evidenced by the fact that he refused to test out the law before the election. His obstinacy has made it impossible for the democrats to place a man on the ticket who can serve. Even if Bunch receives more votes than Quick, the latter will be mayor, and not John Kelly, as some seem to think. The courts have declared that votes cast for a candidate who is notoriously ineligible to hold office shall not count. In other words if voters deliberately elect to disfranchise themselves by voting for a candidate who is legally barred from holding office, it is their lookout. It will be the same as if no votes were cast for Roll Bunch, and his opponent, Dr. Quick, will be declared elected. Dr. Bunch hasn’t one chance in ten million of becoming mayor of Muncie and he knows it. He merely wishes to display his power, using thfe democratic party as the goat.