Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 October 1884 — RHODY SHIEL [ARTICLE]

RHODY SHIEL

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR STATE TREASURER, In a Pickle—The Workingmen Promise to See Him Later. Roger R. Shiel, Republican candrdate for Treasurer of State, having been charged with offences and actions of the blackest on record against the laboring element, for whichja vigorous boycott has been waged against aim. Upon his own appeal to the Central Trades and labor Assembly, fee was allowed an investigation with the following result:

Indianapolis, Ind.,) October 12 1864. J To the Officers and Members of the Central Trades and Labor Assembly: Gentlemen —Your Committee appointed to take evi dence and report upon certain charges pref erred against Roger R. Shiel, Republican candidate for Treasurer of State, beg leave to say: That, as requested by Mr Koger R. Shiel, we received and carefully read and considered the various statements which appeared in the daily Journal, Times and News of October 6, 1884, which statements he caused to be made public before your Committee had finisl ed its labors in said investigation. The charges, in substance, are that Mr. Roger R. Shiel opposed, by every means in his power, the Telegraph Operators in their strike with the Western Union Telegraph Company in July and August, 1883.

Mr. Roger K. Shiel was invited by your ommittee to produce before it any evidence in his possession |hat he might obtain to refute said charges. It was the endeavor of your Committee to a fiord Mr. Shiel any opportunity to meet said charges; to explain them or disprove them, and your Committee postponed its meeting for a period of four days (allowing him twelve days from the date of filing his petition) to accomodate Mr. Shiel and to give him ample time to bring before your Committee such matters as he desired. Your Committee also extended to the ’• elegraph Operators an opportunity to furnish evidence sustaining the charges made against Mr. Shiel. After a very carful and full consideration of all the evidence produced we find.

First—That Roger R. Shiel did oppose, by word and action, the ’ elegraph Operators in their strike against the Western Union Telegraph Company in 1883. Second —That Roger R. Shiel used every means in his power to defeat the 1 elegraph Operator* in their efforts to obtain justice from the Western Union Telegraph Company. bird —That, whether known to the officers of said company or not, he brought and was instrumental in bringing operators from abroad to take the place of strikers.

Fomth— hat said Shiel personally interfered with the strikers at Indianapolis—in this, that he persuaded operator who had been brought from abroad to remain with said company and fill the places of the strikers. Fifth— hat he. not only by word and action, induced operators, who had been brought from abroad, to remain with the company, filling the places of the striked but threatened personal violence against the strikers who were seeking to induce said operators to leave the company. Sixth—That in public utter* anceshe seemed to be favorable to the strikers, yet, by unrea onable and cunning amendments, defeated every

motion nr measure that tended to the solution of said Roubles, and in private talk, and upon the streets, abused, maligned and vilified the strikers, and upon one occasion said: “That the Governor ought to order out the militia and drive them from the strocts Seventh— w e find that all of the charges made against Boger K. Shiel are true. Respectfully submitted, L. H. Me' lellan, Henry C. Deck, , William B. Lewis, # S. Schmalholz, Committee.