Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1896 — WICKED COERCION. [ARTICLE]

WICKED COERCION.

PRAATIMD UPON KMPUOYEB BY BIS CORPORATION*.. o*aa*«M*d to Work tar McKinley or Lose Tkolr <T*k*—A* Agon* of Steo MoCormlok H*rvo.tiag Maohtne Company Who Would Mot BaMdoxod. The wholesale bulldozing of their employes by th* railroads and other great oorporatlons, to compel them to vote for McKinley, is a new feature of. American politics, and Is as Infamous 18 it is new. Weak attempts ar* occasionally mad* by the Republican managers to deny that such outrageous methods are being used to secure votes; but th* proof is so plain and tverwhelming that successful denial is Impossible. The Chicago Record, itself a strong advocate of the gold standard, and, therefore, not disposed to misreprelent its own side, contained the following dispatch on the morning of th* I'Jth, from Cobden, Ills., amply conSrming this charge: "Cobden, IDs., Sept. 18.—Jam** Davis, William Wilker, Thomas Smith and Charles Fuller, residents of this place, employed as track layers by th* contractors laying the steel of the new double track of the Illinois Central between Makanda and Dongola, were notified this morning by their foreman, McCoy, to report to him and receive checks for their time. Twelve non-resident laborers received th* •ame notice. McCoy informed them | that tho only reason that he could five for their dismissal was that they were advocating the cause of Bryan *nd free silver too freely. Their place* were promptly filled by Italians. As »oon as the news reached this place the Bryan followers became v*ry angry and excitement is at fever heat tonight." On Sept. 10 the McConniclc Harvesting Machine company of Chicago sent the following circular to all its agents throughout the country: "Dear Sir: We sent you by express yesterday a package of sound money literature. We want by return mall an estimate from you as to how much of this can be used in your territory, and an enumeration of th* kind that will be most effective. We will then send you another supply by express, and will request In advance that you supply it to your travelers and instruct them to use it just the same as though It wer* Advertising matter for the sale of our machinery. “We surely have a right to expect that all McCormick employe* have tho Interest »f the company at heart, and will take up this matter and carry It out a* reguested. Yours truly, “M’CORMIOK HARVESTING MACHINE COMPANY.” Th* idea that a corporation has th* right to th* votes of its agents and employes, and to make mere political servants of them, has not heretofore, we believe, been advanced in this country. Men who sell their labor have not heretofore been compelled to sell their votes with it. They have still been American freemen, at liberty to affiliate with any party and oast their votes as they might please. But the encroachments of modern corporations, organized to promot* party selfish interests do not now, it seems, stop short of attempts to make political serfs of their employe*. Upon reeelpt of the above circular the agent of th* McCormick Harvesting Machine company at Carthage, Mo., who seems to have an Idea that he 1* still a fre* and Independent citizen, in matters political, at least, replied in the following spirited manner: "McCormick Harvesting Machine sompany: Dear Sir—l beg to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of the lOthe Inst. You are on a cold trail. Missouri will give Bryan 60,000 majority. If these letters are written by authority of your company, every Missouri farmer who uses a McCormick harvester, deserves to sell his wheat for'4o cents a bushel. [Signed.] "J. H. WILSON.” This Is a most appropriate reply to such a circular. It is strange beyond comprehension that the McCormick Harvester company, of all the corporations in exlstance, should attempt to coerce its agents and employes to support the existing gold of finance. It has grown enormously rich from the sale of its machines to the farmers of the country. It has no business relations with any other class of people. One would think it would naturaUy oppose th* gold standard, under the operations of which agriculture has suffered nrost and the prices of all farm products have fallen even below the cost of production; and that it would favor the remonetization of sliver, th* immediate result of which would be to make agriculture once more prosperous and profitable. But it has as little regard for its cusomers as for its employes. It will excite no wonder that the agent at Carthage, Mo., should protest against farmers harvesting 40-cent wheat on McCormick machines. Other instances of the attempts of corporations to coerce their employes are numerous. A few days ago Martln Spangler, an expert electrician called at National Democratic headquarters and stated that he, with two other employes of the General Electric | Light company of Chicago, had been ! discharged because they refused to IJoin th* McKinley club. According to Mr. Spangler’s statement, the foremen of th* company approached them last Friday and asked them to join a McKinley club. Spangler and two of his fellow-employes refused to do so Nothing more was said at the time and they wer* paid oft as usual on Saturday night. On Monday morning when they returned to work they were Informed by the foreman that their service* wer* no longer needed. Mr Spangler has worked at his trade throughout Mexico, Central and South America, and in China, Japan, India and several European countries, and sneak* seven languages. H* is thoroughly posted on the effects of a gold standard as compared to bimetallism In the countries he has visited, and ha* been giving his fellow-workmen soma object lessons that could not be answered. For this reason, added to his refusal to wear a Mark Hanna collar, he was thrown out of work. Mr. Spangler owns property in Denver Co!., aad enjoy* the friendship of Ho*. Thomas Patterson of Th* Rocky Mountain New*, M*n. Chart** H. ThmaMt

Benator T*ll*r, and Chairman 1 N. Staven* of th* Silver party national committ**. He wttl talk t* workiagm*a during the campaign. A. H. Spindlar, a conductor on Ifc* South Halatad strMt lln* «< th* W**A Chieago Street Railway ocnagany, reported at National Democratic headquarters that h* had b*«a diachargad by Superintendent Fuller of Mm Went Chicago Street Railway «ocnpany dacause h« would not wear a McKlnl*y button. According to Mr. ■plndlnr'd statement Superintendent FuU*r gave •very employe of the company a MoKinley .button, and ordered th*m to wear It Mr. Spindler threw hi* button away, and was promptly discharged, He state* that th* barn bo**** were directed to pin McKinley badge* and buttons on the conductor* and drivor*. Mr. Spindler has been In th* employ, of th* company three and a half year*. Mi* only offens* was that h* would not w*ar a McKinley button. "It 1* saf* to say,” said Mr. Spindler, “that morn than three-fourths of th* *tr**t railway employe* in Chicago ar* for Bryan, y*t they are compelled to join tho McKinley club* and wear McKinley badge* or loe* their job*. I know what I am saying when I assert that threefourths of the member* of th* atr**t railway McKinley clubs, and so-called sound money clubs, will vot* for Bryan. They say they ar* compelled to submit to coercion on account of theio families, but when they get behind tho Australian ballot-box curtain they will avenge the wrong."

It has also come to the knowledge of the labor organisations in Chicago that a number of the railway corporation* have detectives employed whose business It is to circulatJftmong employe* and "spot" those who are talking for Bryan and free silver. Whenever an employe become* “spotted” by this ••- cret political inquisition charge* ar* trumped up against him and he 1* informed that hl* services are dispensed with. In this way the corporation* hope to avoid charges of direct coercion. Yet such Is the reign of espionage and terrorism practiced by the corporate allies of McKinley and Wall street that thousands of employe* ar* forced to stifle their convictions, join McKinley clubs and wear McKinley badges for fear that starvation to their wives and ]>ables may be offered as a brutal alternative. They will av*ng* the Insult of monopolistic tyranny when November comes. A delegation of Chicago railway employes called at National Democratlo headquarter* and Informed National Committeeman Johnson that they had been ordered to get ready and go to Canton tonight with the McKinley railway employes’ excursion on pain of being discharged In case of refusal. They further claim that more than fifty Bryan men at work for the company wer* thus forced to go to Canton.

And all of this is free America, tool Such method* of coercion and intimidation a* here described, subtle and Insidious, ar* mor* wicked and heartless than if these oorportion* should take shotgun* and seek to compel their employes to go to the poll* and vot* for McKinley at the peril of their live*. The spirit of American manhood would revolt and oppose physical resistance on an equal footing to such an attempt at coercion as that. But it i* a thousand times mor* difficult to resist that more subtle and Inhuman species of intimidation that throttles the wives and children of laboring men with hunger and cold and homeless wandering, if they do not assent to the conditions of political serfdom Imposed. But if this kind of coercion is more wicked it is more effective in arousing popular indignation against those who resort to it. An accounting will be had in due time. These guilty corporations are laying up wrath against the day of wrath. The time will come when those who would set up a system of slavery her* Immeasurable wore* than that from which the blacks of the south were liberated, at such an Immense cost of blood and treasure, will be brought to a strict accountability for their wicked and criminally selfish action*.