The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 2, 1896, Page 10

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1896. WHY THE WORKER WANTS McKINLEY FOR PRESIDENT. Citizens of all classes, as may be noticed by the subjoined interviews which took place yesterday, concur that the real issue before the voters at the pending Presiden- tial election is the protection of American industries, and that protection cannot be had in any way other than the election of William McKinley for President of the United Btates. Industrious attempts to befog the minds of voters, which are being made by Democratic stump speakers and struggles to evade responsibility for falling wages and hard times generally, have not fooled “the common people” any of the time. They are fully awake to their own interest. COMMON-SENSE BEATS TH EORIES. NIOCHOLAS J. BATTEATTE is a coffee-packer employed by the Washington Manufacturing Company on First street, near Market. Mr. Batteatte has been em- ployed by the same company many years and is well known all along First street. He bas a handsome home at Elmburst, which he has earned by industry, economy and the exercise of native shrewdness. He said at once, when the subject of his political intentions was broached: “I am going to vote for Mckinlgy, for I can see clearly that my interest lies in that way. The interest of all others similarly situ- ated—that is, men who depend on regular employment and a fair rate of pay for work performed—is the same as 1 find mine to be. The more we import from Europe or from any cheap-labor country, the worse off we shail be. Of whatad- vantage can it be to any workingman if home products are cheapened by the in- troduction of foreign products if he has no work and consequently no money with which to purchase anything? Prices have fallen some on various products in the past few years, but no one can say that the condition of the working- men has been improved. The contrary is the fact, and this is too well known to need any discussion. While times have been getting worse for the laborer and the wage-earner because the tariff tinkering has let in a flood of foreign-made goods to take the place of our own products, we have also, during the same Democratic administration, had an example of Democratic financiering. The Government, in a time of peace, has so handled matters that it has been driven to borrowing $262,000,000, and still we are not happy nor prosperous. The reason for voting for McKinley for President is that he is the great protectionist, and I have no dount®hat if he is elected he will carry out that policy to the best of his ability if he has the Republican majority in Congress to back him. I do not understand the financial question. I do not believe that silver is a cure for all hard times. The best cure for idleness and scarcity of money is business and the ability of people to buy what is manutactured.’’ DEMOCRATS MADE TIMES HARD. THOMAS D. PHILLIPS is the foreman of the bookbindery of Payot, Upham & Co., stationers, at the corner of Battery and Pine streets. Mr. Phillips bas been engaged in the bookbindery business four- teen years and has worked in Boston and Chicago. He has been with Payot, Up- bam & Co. during a long term of years. The bookbinding trade cannot be thor- oughly acquired in less than seven years, Mr. Phillips says, and competition which threatens to destroy the industry of local bookbinders 1s a serious matter. Mr. Phillips spoke positively and with an abundance of practical information when be said: “Iam a McKinley man on the protection issue. Protection has the ten- dency to keep up wages and American free trade tends to bring American wages down to the European level. Protection will do more than anything else can to hold American wagesup. I donot believe either in free trade or in a low tariff which leaves out any part of the measure of pro- tection which labor needs to make it well paid. Wages have failen largely since the inauguration of President Cleveland, and the tendency is still downward. I have no figures to demonstrate what effect the Democratic policy has had on labor, but it is a matter of common knewledge that these are hard times and that all the years since the Democratic party came into power have been bad years for men wori- ing either at skilled or unskilled labor. There are not needed figures to prove that to be so. Yes, free trade brings into competition with this business the produets of Europe in bindings, stationery and so gn. It is a bardship when a man has spent from five to seven years to learn this business that he should be compelled, through the laws made by Congress, to compete with the cheaper labor of Europe. I have not considered the money question fully. I consider that the real issue is protection.” FREE TRADE IS A MENACE. 8. W. LATZ is an all-round mechanic, who has lived in San Francisco since 1854, He resides at 1911 Geary street. *I shall certainly vote for William McKinley and the policy of protection to American labor.” said Mr. Latz. “I have observed enouch of the course of affairs to know that free trade is not a good thing for the man who is compelled to labor for wages. How can it be? The foreign manufac- turers hire their workmen at a price away below the American scale, and if the goods made abroad are brought in competition with the goods manufactured in the United States that amounts to bringing the foreign laborer face to face with the American laborer as a competitor, Only acertain amount of wares and manufac- tures will be needed in any event. «8o, if a part of the supply comes from abroad and that portion is produced at lower than American wages, two things will happen. The first is that the demand for less goods of home make will drive the American workman to idleness or else force him into other lines of work which are already overcrowded. The second is s that wages must fall when pitted against lower wages, or when the ranks of the unemployed are overfull and supply an over- stock of labor. I prefer that the rate of American wages shall be kept up as high as possible. The election of Bryan for President could not supply laborers with protec- tion, for the Democratic party is pledged against the protective principle. If the out- sider wants to compete with the home manufacturer in the market of the United States he ought to be made to pay for that privilege. Every one is complaining about the low wages which have been paid since President Cleveland was placed in power by the Democrats. The silver question seems to be urged by the capitalists who own silver, and who expect to profit by getting a high price for their silver after it has been coined into dollars. I do not see how any one except the capitalists who own silver mines wili make any money out of the free coinage of siiver. 1 am not able to discuss the money question fully, of course, but I am satisfied that the free coinage of silver which the Democrats propose is only an experiment, and we have experimented enough already. San Francisco 1s full of idle men who cannot find work as every one knows who looks about. Protection is a good thing, I know, for men who work for wages, and that is why I shall vote for McKinley, who represents protection,” EUROPEAN COMPETITION BAD. ‘WILLIAM H. CROSBY is a skilled copper-plate printer and engraver, who has been employed by about all the large pub- lishing-houses in San Francisco. His Iabor is of the sort which is compara- tively little affected by European com- petition, but Mr. Crosby expresses his understanding of the effects of a protec- tive tariff, and also the evil effects of free trade, and his sympathy is with the Re- publican desire to keep up wages, with clearness and with force. ‘“Democratic tariff tinkering,” said Mr. Crosby, “has sent wages down, and freesilver will cause them to fall still more. For myself I do not want any 50-cent dollars, nor do I be- lieve that any workman ‘does. I have been in Mexico, and I am acquainted with Mexican money and with the conditions in Mexico, and I can say, without reserva- tion, that I do not want any Mexican ex- perience for myself, in an industrial way. Free trade, which is advocated by the Democrats, must affect nearly every ex- isting branch of industry when it is put into operation, and there must necessarily be a fall in the wages paid to artisans all along the line. There are more unem- ployed people in 8an Francisco now than there were one Year ago, and this bad condi- tiqn ot labor is growing worse and worse, with nothing in the policy, aims or accom- nlumyent of }he Demr,cutic party to promise any betterment so long as that political organization is retained in power. While Bryan’s election will benefit only the silver- mine owners and silver miners, the election of McKinley would hold forth an assur- ance of higher wages and more labor. The printing business has been affected by {oreign competition. I would be ashamed of myself had I voted for Cleveland and the free-trade doctrine of the Democrats. I never have been fooled into voting that way. Ihave been working in this line of business about seven years. I have oppor- tunities, of course, like every oneelse, to know, in s Reneral way, when there are many men unemployed. Thist is the worst time, in that respect, that I have ever seen.” Mr. Crosby’s home is in Alameda, > X McKINLEY FAVORS GOOD WAGES. CHARLES CREWE is a porter in the steel and iron department of Holbrook, Merrill & Stetson. Mr. Crewe resides in West Berkeley. He has a wife and five children and says that they are all natur- ally for protection. *‘I shall vote for Mc- Kinley, ceriainly,”” Mr. Crewe said. “There are enough reasons why I should vote for him and none why I should vote for Bryan. In the first place McKinley is known. He has a public record which is before the public, and he is mere promi- nently identified with the great issue of vrotection to American industries than any other man at this time. Why this should be 80 it is easy to answer. He has been a firm and consistent and able advo- cate of protection. The bill which was made the targe: of the Democrats when they shouted free trade was the measure which bears the name of McKinley, who was the father of that measure. He has fought for the protection of American labor, which means holding up the scale of American wages, in Congressand out of Congress. His letter of acceptance gave new reasons why he should be supported by laborers and by all wage-earners who are liable to have their incomes affected by competition from abroad. It entitled him anew to the confidence of the people which he already possessed in such great measure. Four years more of Democratic rule would be the ruination of this country, if we can judge the future by the immediate past. You will notice that the Democrats still want free trade. At least they do not advocate a tariff for protection, and they are pursuing another new issue, which is an experiment only.” ALL FOR McKINLEY. “Well,” retorted A. L. Brown of the firm of Hyams & Brown, retail clothing mer chants, located on Sansome street, near Bush, ‘“we find that nearly every one of those who trade with us is in favor of McKinley for the next President of the nation. “The argument generally adduced is the protective issue. Wool merchants, I find, have discovered by their experience under the Wilson bill that only in protec- tion lies the best interests of those engaged in that business. The general complaint is, that under the Wilson bill the price obtained for wool was much less than under the McKinley bill. “As it is with wool men, so it is with nearly all other men engaged in industries of a like character. “The tendency, I believe, is to subordi- nate the money issue. Men seem to think that with factory wheels humming and workingmen busily employed the money question will be very easy of solution. When everybody had work there was no talk on the gold and silver question, be- cause both were plentiful and there was no necessity for it. “The proposition of free silver is commoniy regarded as dangerous by the largs majority of our customers. The strongest argument adduced against itis by a com- parison of countries run on a gold standard with free silyer countries, such as China, Japan, India and Mexico. If laborersthere receive only twenty or thirty cents a day— perhupe that estimate is a rather high average—why, they must be warranted in beliey- ing we are better off as it is. After all, it seems that protection is the living issue.” BECOMING ENLIGHTENED. That men are becoming more studious on the current political issues and that this study is producing enlightenment with the result that free silver men are fast deserting their parties and coming into the ranks of Republicanism is readily seen by the interviewer in the case of men once strong for Bryan and free silver who are now either wavering in their conviction or are slowly turning toward McKinley and prosperity. A typical instance of this is seen in the case of Isadore H. Ackerman, manager for Cook & Co., retail crockery merchants, en- gaged in businessat 123 Kearny street. Mr. Ackerman, once strong for Bryan, is now unsettled in his political conviction and 1f anything rather inclined to the side of Republicanism and prosperity. To quote his words: “At the becinning of the campaign I was an out and out Bryan man and be- lieved that in free silver only lay the wel- fare of the country. I arrived at these con- clusions without any forethought. ‘“After awhile some friends of mine, most intelligent centlemen, began to argue with me. Ina short time I was at sea, = =L mainly because I found it difficult to answer their argument. Then I took to study- ing the question. ‘““As a result, I am not only unsettled in my political convictions, but am readily coming to the conclusion that after all I shall vote for McKinley and protection.” FARMERS WANT PRCTECTION. There may be a few farmers in this State that are for Bryan and free silver, but 1. Bolano County they are marked men— Ishmaelites, as it were. So says William J. Blair, a prosperous farmer of Dixon. Blair was explaining his views on Re- publicanism and Democracy in the corri- dors of the Baldwin Hotel yesterday, and he says that as he believes so does the vast majority of farmers in his region. “All the farms in my part of the State are heavily mortgaced,” hesaid. “If Bryan is elected bankers will doubtless raise the rate of interest, and then most of usare going to be in a pretty pickle. “Free trade has nearly ruined the farmers. I know whereof I speak when I say this. We cannot get nearly so much for our crops as formerly, and everything is in a fair way for utter desolation. I never saw a set of men so utterly in de- spair as the California farmers are to-day. “‘As regards this free-silver hieresy, some few farmers of my acquaintance are so 4 deluded that they really believe if Bryan A, 1s elected an express wagon will make the J] round of people’s houses every morning and dump a shovelful of silver into their — front yards. Many of them once imbued with this belief no;v are awakened from their dangerous silumber. “They are gradually cgming to see that not only will we have to work just as hard 1o_r money under free coinage of silver but that without protection in most cases they will not even have the opportunity to work. “My father hnsA taken TuE Cary for thirty-two years, beginning when it was a sheet only a few times larger than your sheets of copy paper. We all believe that if men would read its editorials and give them due consideration some nineteenth cen- tury author would have an excellent chance to make himself fi mous b; i book entitled ‘The Last of the Democrats.’ ** Pt WILL INSPIRE CONFIDENCE. “I am going to cast my ballot for McKinley,” said H. W. Baxter, proprietor of the No Percentage Pharmacy, 953 Market stréet, “‘because his election will inspire confidence. “We need a change of administration worse than we need anything else at the present time. People, in the first place, are tired not only of Cleveland’s luke- warm foreign and domestic policies, but when they glance around them and see honest workingmen out of employment and eager for a chance to secure the wherewithal necessary for bread for them« selves and family, they cannot heip but admit there is something radicaliy wrong with the principles nurtured by Democ- racy. “In my opinion, the hard times are due wholly to free trade. Yes,'free trade has aimest bankrupted the Nation. Protec- tion is needed by men engaged in all branches of industry, from the farmer, wool-raiser and hop-raiser to the mer- chant. “Free silver is merely a bugaboo, the last straw on which the Democrats have s piled their hoves of success. Free silver, I believe, would ruin the country. Let us put men to work and the money question can be settled in short order.” ralarm to divert attention of the masses VAGARIES OF SILVERITES. “The vagaries of the silverites are bringing American finance into disrepute,” said Walter Hirschfeld of Radam’s Microbe Killer Company, 1340 Market street, “‘and are doing worse—they are embarrassing their own Government. Their aim, which seems to be the debasement of money, has already impaired the general credit of the United States, and in the markets of Europe American securities have already suffered a general decline. “For three years in succession the ex- penditure of the Government has ex- ceeded the income. This condition of affairs is a serious embarrassment to the Government and operates toward the re- striction of trade by virtue of the unfav- orable opinion it creates. Till the Presi- dential election is over and the political excitement abates there is no hope of im- provement in the industries and trade ot the States. *‘The public is always a very uncertain quantity, and it 1s this uncertainty which tends to restrict legitimate trade opera- tions. “If the majority of the merchants and bankers could look to the election of Mc- Kinley and the Republican party they : could act accordingly and would be inclined to push business and brsn_ch_ into new ventures. Of course tariff is an important question. Many industries of this country need much more protection than they at present enjoy. “1 believe that free coinage of silver would so depreciate the purchasing power of our currency that it would be of no advantage to the working classes, even supposing that they earned a few dollars more weekly. What good could it do if all t}:ey wished to purchase would cost double what it costs to-day? Wages would not increase t_o any appreciable extent, but the price of all commodities would rise. For_mslanca, if New Orleans can sell cotton to Europe to-day for 8 cents gold the American manu- facturer would have to pay 16 cents silver for it and the result would be that the price of clothing would be doubled. The same would apply to all the produce of the country for which there is a market abroad.” 5 NO TIME FOR EXPERIMENTS. *A radical change such as proposed by free silver would mean the readjustment of every financial condition in the coun- try,” said Herbert E. Law of the Viavi company. ‘A spasmodic radical change would mean destruction to 90 per cent of the businesses, for the reason that it would immediately destroy confidence — that large element on which the great majority of business is transacted. Asa compara- tively new country we have spread out to phenomenal extent. We have been abl to do this because our credit is good, be- cause we have always kept our promises good. If it were possible to operaie suc- cessfully on free silver, granting that it was all that its friends claim for it, it would necessitate the withdrawal of all money loaned on a gold basis. In a word, it would mean that every merchant could carry just as much stock as he was able to pay for in hard cash at the time he placed his order. . “The affairs of the world hinge upom confidence. That *confidence must be maintained. We must have a leader who will insure a conservative policy; a leader who will command the respect, confidence and trust not only of our own country, butof Europe, from whom we borrow so largely and with whose gold we have been able to extend our enterprises and indus- tries fully 100 years beyond what would have been possible had we been limited to our own capital. While it is entirely possible to live within ourselves—independent of the world at large—it is not possible to do so with any degree of prosperity. We need our credit, protection of our industries, development of our harbors. increase of manufacture in our city, and that stimulus and impetus to trade which can and will come only uncer the leadership of the Republicaa nominee.” BETTER PAY THEN. AUGUST GUNNISON is employed as head machinist at the San Francisco and Pacific Glass Works. Heis a McKinley man from the word go, and though not much given to rhetorical flourish in the use of words, understands pretty thor- oughly why he is going to cast his ballot " for the Ohioan. Z “Let me tell you why I am going to vote for McKinley,” he said. *“It won’t take long, because the reasons are what I con- sider pretty forcible. “In the first place McKinley is identi- fied with the party that has always stood for purity in politics, and can look back over its record without averting the eye at any paragraph. “In the next place free silver is some- thing in which I have absolutely no con- fidence. I regard it as merely a false from the real issue. We never had any talk about free silver when times were prosperous, as ibey were under the Re- publican administration. “In‘the third and last place I am for protection. We had better pay under the McKinlev bill than we have ever had since. When a man is able to work two-thirds as long and get three-quarters as much under the Wilson bill as he did under the McKinley bill you can wager that he is going to vote for the author of that bul.” ALL FOR McKINLEY. “Certainly I am going to vote for McKinley. What is more nearly every laboringe man in this vart of the City is going to do the same thing."” These were the words of William Mec- Mahon, a blacksmith loeated at Seventh and Townsend streets. His reasons for this statement were given with an air of sincerity and cenviction that left no room for doubt. “Why a man should not vote for Me- Kinley and prosperity against Bryan and & mixture of Populism and Altgeldism is & mystery to me. What can you expect of a party that made as many promises as the Democrats did at the last election and then refuse to Tulfill any of them? ° “They promise us now that if we will only vote for their candidate they will come round with an express wagon and dump a shovelful of silver into our front yards every morning before breakiast, “Well, all I can say is, I am going to stay with the party of Lincoln and Blaine, which has always done as it proms ised.” Mr. McMahon was very vigorous in his expressions of confidence in McKinley. He was evidently not led away by the specious arguments of unthinking politicians, but had studied his subject himself. CHARLES HELLWIG'S WIEWS. “I want to see McKinley elected,” said Charles Hellwig, cashier of the Palace Hardware Company, on Market street. *I want to see him in because he is the head of the party in whose principles I belteve fully. Why should I not believe in the Republican party? It is the party of accomplishment. It always has a definite policy, and that policy, when fol- lowed, is better for the general good than what is offered for our practical consider- ation by the Democrats. Iwilladmit that my natural tendency has always been in the direction of Republicanism. There are more reasons for electing McKinley now than I care to enumerate. The prin- cipal one is that we need better times, settled conditions, active business, public confidence, protection for home indus- tries, an American policy of government for the benefit of Americans, and that McKinley promises all these in his person and in his past performances in public. I think that manufacturing will be stimu- lated by putting the Republican party in charge of the Government.® I do not be- lieve that the issue is between silver and gold, but I do believe that protection or . free trade is the vital question. There cannot be any question that it is wiser to encourage home jndustry than to build u foreign indus at our own expense, That is all that I care to say.” b e e