Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1900 — DURBIN AND LABOR [ARTICLE]

DURBIN AND LABOR

His Treatment of Employes Characterized by Fair Dealing. E. C. Toner of the Anderson Herald, in speaking of Colonel W. T. Durbin, the Republican candidate for governor, says: “The last few days letters have been received in Anderson by different parties asking for information in regard to certain reports that have got in circulation in some parts of the state, in connection with Colonel Durbin and his relations as a manufacturer with his employes. It appears that 1 from Some unfriendly source rumors have been started that do him a wrong. “One of tlie reports is that Colonel Durbin owned stock for a number of years in a nonunion bottle plant, and this is being circulated to prejudice the minds of union tradesmen. The plant is that of the Pennsylvania Glass company. The report goes further. It says he caused a reduction of wages in this plant and, furthermore, that on selling his stock in this be bought an interest in another nonunion plant. The report is wholly false. Colonel Durbin never owned a dollar’s worth of stock in this plant, and in no way has he been connected with it ■or- with any other nonunion plant. The story is made out of whole cloth, as any Anderson person, of no matter what party, will testify. “Three years ago Colonel Durbin built aud gave to a suburban Methodist congregation a beautiful church edifice. It is known as the Madison Avi-nuc church. The Diamond paper mill, of which Colonel Durbin then owned a large interest, "is located not far away and many ol the employes are members of this church. A few inquirers say that they have heard that shortly after the erection of this church the wages of the men were reduced aud that such reduction made up for tiie cost of the church. This report is also wholly false. “The wages of the men in the Dla mond paper mill have not been reduced since the plant was built, not even during the panic of the Cleveland administration. When, at that time, business was at the lowest ebb since 1873 and wages were being reduced every where,' Colonel Durbin called his men together. He made a statement to them as to the condition of the market and told them frankly the company was having a struggle to keep any ways near even. He said they would run as long as they could and as steadily as possible, but that under no circumstances would there be a cut in wages. He asked the men to join in the struggle, to turn out a little more and a little better paper if possible, and they would try to do the rest. The results of this meeting were even more than the company had a right to expect, and while other paper mills reduced wages or closed down, or both, the Diamond mill stemmed the wave of depression and came out without the men losing a penny. Colonel Durbin sold his interest in this business 18 months ago.”