The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 8, 1896, Page 8

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1896. “GIVE US WORK; MONEY WILL COME~ SAYS LABOR. * Protection Is the Keynote of Genuine Public Opinion in This Country. It appears fortunate for some voters that time intervenes between the nomination and election of a President. Otherwise some citizens might have been carried away by a false current started by self-seeking politicians toward the shoals of ruinous free trade. But time has been called “the frierd of truth.”” Gradually the earnest voter has grown to aistinguish between the siren-voice of treacherous Bryanism and the calm, businesslike warning of great Republican leaders. All through the City men are thinking, and the more they think the more they want protection. ‘‘Let us have plenty of work,’ is the cry, “‘and the money question will regulate itself.”” Thereisa widespread conviction that while Democratic success means new and untried experi- ments, the policy of the Republican party and the fidelity to party promises made by the grand old organization insure that with the election of William McKinley the party will move onward to renewed prosperity and will retrieve the disasters incident to Democratic misrule. The interviews published below are inspiriting because they show that the people are sound and wide awake and cdnnot be misled by plausible sophistries. Some of those who will vote for McKinley followed the Cleveland ban- per, but they have seen their error and express regret that they were mistaken. One of the speakers has been a life-long Democrat, who finds that Republicanism has al- ways meant prosperity and that Democratic rule means disaster. All see that the real issue of the campaign is protection to American industries. PROSPERITY VERSUS DISASTER. AUGUSTUS L. DE MARS, blacksmith, whose residence is at 81 Natoma street, said: “There is no doubt in my mind that, under the administration of McKinley the affairs of this country will be more prosperous than they could be if Bryan should be in the Presidential chair. I have been a Democrat nearly all my days, but I have come to a full realization of the fact that when the Democrats have control of the National administration we have bad times. This has been so from the administration of Buchanan to the rule of Cleveland. The Republican party and the policy of the Republican party are safer for this country. Iapprove heartily and all the time of the policy of protection, but do not think well of the free trade idea any of the time. Kree trade is surely not good for the wage-earners of the United States, and we have experimented far enoagh =along that line to arrive at a demonstration which every one can see. I have voted for Democratic Presidential candidates. I voted for Grover Cleveland, and I have realized that I made a mistake. Yes sir, speaking as a blacksmith and after the fashion of a blacksmith, I may truly say that I burned a hole in my shirt when T voted for Cleveland. I think thatthe Democratic party and the Democratic policy have brought the hard times upon us through which we are passing. As the Democrats propose to follow out the policy of free trade, letting in foreign made goods to compete with our home products, there isno reason why times will be any better than they are now with Bryan as President. Repubiican administrations have brought prosperity. Ihave worked ata mechanical trade thirty-three years, thirty. three years as a blacksmith in fact. I have served as a soldier in the army in the Civil ‘War. A reasonably large acquaintance with workingmen qualifies me, more or less, to speak with knowledge of the condition of labor. You know, and every one knows that work is scarce, that wages have fallen and that they are still falling, and that - what we need is work, not theories of any sort. I said before that the Republican policy is safer than the Democratic policy, and every workingman ought to see that to be the fact.” RAISINS NEED PROTECTION. FRED LOESCHER is foreman of the Yolo Flour Mills, and though his work re- quired his constant attention, managed to give bis views while handling the flour from the fast feeders. “Yes, you may put me down foraMc- Kinley man,” hesaid. *I think you will have a hard job to find anybody else around here. We are all for McKinley, and when I speak I speak for nearly every man in this mill. “First, let us see what the issues are. As Iunderstand the situation, we have to choose 'between free silver and sound money, free trade and protection. “As regards free silver, I am utterly opposed to any such policy. Wedon’tneed it. It will bring wages down to almost nothing, in my opinion. Heaven knows, they are low enough now. Ifitdoesn’t lower wages it will reduce the purchasing power of a dollar, and thatis just as bad. “‘Next, let us consider the issue of pro- tection and free trade. That isthe real question to look at and ponder over, any way. In this business wages are rather smaller than they used to be, though we are rather luckier than men engaged in some branches of business, But I own a farm in the country on which I grow raisins. Several men are employed to care for the vines and attend to the work of changing the raw fruit into shape for sale. “Well, under the McKinley bill I used to get excellent prices for these raisins, Under the Wilson bill 1 didn’t get half as much as formerly, and here lately the busi- ness has gone to the dogs. That is enough for me. Iam going to stay with the party of prosperity, and McKinley will get my vote.” NO BRYAN FOR HIM. “Certainly, I am going to vote for McKinley,” said William Pohlmann. Pohl- mann is a coppersmith, employed by Sanders & Co., and & McKinley man from start to finish. “Every man I know is going to vote for McKinley, with buta few exceptions. I don’t care to waste my vote, and if itis given to Bryan it is preity sure of being wasted. “In the first place, the Republican party is identified with good times, with plenty and prosperity. On the other hand, De- wmocracy is a synonym for demagogy and want. ““Free silveris a visionary dream, so long as it is tried by only one country. By in- ternational agreement there is something tangible in the policy. What is to prevent this from being a dumping-ground for the surplus silver ot the nations of the world? Absolutely nothing. As things are now they are pretty satisfactory, “The question that demands attention is protection. We need it. The farmer needs it. The wool-grower needs it. Everybody needs it. And we must have it, or the ‘deuce will be to pay,’ as the boys say. Ihave been through Mexico and some of the South American countries, and the condition of the masses there is enough to make a man tremble at the thought that things are fast coming to a pass when we shall be in the same fix. “Every man owes it to his country to vote for McKinley at the comine election, From all accounts most men are in a fit frame of mind to pay the debt in full.” VIEWS OF A MACHINIST. ‘W. S. DENNIS said: *I have been a machinist fifteen years. I have always been & Republican and I see more reason now S for being a Republican than ever before. Certainly I will vote for William McKin- ley for President. My reason is partly that McKinley represents the principles of protective tariff and partly because I believe in the principlesof the Republican party taken as a whole. I am against free silver on the plan proposed by Bryan and the Democratic party at the ratio of 16 to 1. Ido not believe that present conditions are to be changed and good times brought back by any expedient of that sort. The hard times are due to the Democratic ad- ministration and to the tariff policy of the Democratic party. The great issue is not financial, but is the protective tariff. The Republican party has always had and has always deserved the_confidence of the reople, and vrosperity has been general and widespread whenever the Republican party has been in control of the business policy of the Nation, As *o the silver dollar which would be coined under a 16 to 1 ratio I may say that I do not want it. We ll; mmlzl a dollar that is worth 100 cents, just whatit purports to be worth, all the time and everywhere. * business has been growing steadily worse and worse, vear by year m::a Pi:::ii::: Cieveland was inaugurated. Thera are not half as many machinists employed in Ban Francisco as there were formerly. Thereisa reason for this which any mechanic can easily find. That reason is that foreien made goods, produced at less cost than American manufactures, have found their way into the home market of the United States and bave taken the place of our own products, the result being that there has been less work. Millsand factories have been shut down all over the country, for the effect of encouraging foreign competition against our own industries is necessarily and naturally widespread. Times are bad in California, but they are as bad and probably worse in other sections ot the country.” Mr. Dennis has worked many years as a machinistin this City, He livesat 1622 Polk street. ALL REASONS FAVOR McKINLEY. N. E. FLINT, who has been a machinist thirty-five years and who was foreman for the Southern Pscific Company for twelve years, is engaged in mechanical business on Main street. He lives at 3282 Seventeenth street. “I will yote for McKinley for President,’”” he said. - *“There are many reasons why I should vote for him, and I would find it very difficult to find areason why I should vote against him. 1do not see how any workman can reasonably vote against McKinley. In the first place, I can see that better times will come as the result of Republican suc- cess. My experience has taught me that is 8o, and future experience will not prove anything different. We are all interested in the welfare of the country and in the condition of the people at large. I have been one of the fortunate ones in the mat- ter of having steady work, but I have seen many as good workmen as myself out of employment during the Cleveland ad- ministration. When 1 was foreman for the BSouthern Pacific Company out at Sixteenth street there was hardly a day passed without some good mechanic ap- plied for work. I have seen the time in Sacramento when it was necessary to take the train and come down to San Francisco to hire mechanics, and then they could not be hired. No such thing has happened since the Democrats have secured con- trol of the National administration. This also occurs to me. There are questions about the result of Democratic experiments, but the mechanics have no fear of the Republican party. I have been in a position to become acquainted with and to thoroughly understand many mechanics, and 1 know how they feel concerning the protective tariff. They are well read, as they have to be to keep up, and they under- stand the political situation abouu as well as any one can explain it to them. If the Democrats have any money to spend for political use I would advise them not to spend it trying to convince the mechanics to vote against McKinley, for that means throwing both time and money away. It will not go.” TAUGHT BY EXPERIENCE. HENRY A. McINTIRE, who has been a machinist twenty-two years, came at onee to the point when he was asked why he is going to vote for McKinley. “Lasttime I voted the Democratic ticket for Presi- dent. Ihadanidea that the Democrats could give us a better share of prosperity; more work by building up the foreign markets for American manufactures; bet- ter wages resulting from a greater demand for labor. I cannot see how the policy or the application of the nolicy of the Demo- crats has helped us. We are worse off in- stead of having our condition improved, and in this 1 and many thousands of others have undoubtedly been disap- pointed in our expectations. No one has been helped who works for wages. No one who works for wages is going to be helped by Democratic success. It isen- tirely fair to reason that way in view of that which has, we know, already hap- pened and is now happening. I think that we want protection. That is the first and real issue of this campaign, the main thing, in fact. No workingman can successfully dispute the statement that protection cught to and must benefit him. Where will he look for protection? Will he find protection taught by the Democratic party, either the silver or the gold wing of the Democracy, or by Bryan himseli? Not much. The only party that advances protection as its political cardinal doetrine is the Republican party. To abandon protection for the 16 to 1 doctrine, which could not, at the best, lead to more than two or three years of increased activity in mining and an increased demand for mining machinery for perhaps less time, wouid prove to be a serious mistake. There is no doubt about that. If workmen are paid in 50-cent silver dollars on the Pacific Coast that would offset any increased demand for labor in the mines and for the work of machinists in the making of mining machinery during the very short period which I have indicated. Let every workingman and every mechanic vote for his own best good, which is for protection for his labor.” LOOKING FOR BETTER TIMES. ‘W. L STONE is a well-known machinist in this City. He resides at 1531 Chestnut 3 street, Alameda. He said yesterday: I am going to vote for McKinley. His elec- tion will mean that workingmen will see better times. I have worked as a machin- ist twenty years. 1 am fully satistied that protection is better than free trade for me in every way. There can never be higher wages by reason of free trade. To put it in a nutshell, the fact can be briefly and truly stated in this way: No protection, no higher wages. Wages cannot be raised by introducing foreign competition with our laborers and mechanics. Yet, that is precisely what free trade does. 1f we have protection, then the money question will regulate itseli, Money will be suf- ficiently plenty for all the demands of trade and business whenever proper meas- ures are taken to provide more work. There is a radical difference between pro- viding more work and providing to get along with less work. First of all, we want to get work, and with enough de- mand for labor, skilled and unskilled, wages will rise, and every worker can see - - that this is the essential thing. The Re- publican doctrine alone can bring better demand for labor and better wages, The last four years furnish a melancholy example of what we may expect from the Democratic party. The iron trade has gons down in four years. Wages have fallen, I have been working in tie Iron businesss continually for twenty-three years, What I have seen of one Democratic Administration and a part of another has been enough for me. The object lesson ought to be enough to convince every wage-earner which way his inter- est lies politically. If he cannot take a lesson from the conditions as thay now exist, and as they have been since the Democrats came into power, I can not imagine what could be brouzht forward that could convince. It has been alesson that should appeal in the most powerful way possible, because it is an appeal to the self-interest of eyery voter who wants to do as well as possible, If there is any one who wants lower wages or less work, I have not found him,” NO FREE SILVER. “Why am I goingto vote for McKinley?” inquired C. R. Ny, employed as ma- chinist at the California Saw "Works. “Well, for a good many reasons, and I think them good enough to give you. “In the first place, I am somewhat of a traveler, and am well acquainted with the condition of the European countries, especially France. Workmen there get only 5 francs a day for their labor. I speak now of skilled workmen, mechanics in the highest sensa. “It is my firm belief that if the Demo- eratic party wins the coming election we will have a condition of affairs prevailing N here soon similar to what has to be en- P dured in Europe to-day. But," and Ny's \ face relaxed in a grim smile, “if the senti- v ments I hear expressed by the majority of E laboring men count for anything, the Democrats stand a poor show. “I am unalterably opposed to free sil- 5 ver, In fact, I cannot conceive how any \ ’ thinking man can have the wool pulled k over his eyes on that proposition at all. . / q We don’t want free silver, we want work. ‘Wages in my line have been redaced sev- ¥ eral times in the last few years. “Icame of age in 1883, just about the time of Cleveland's first election. Waell, for about six months we had fairly good times, the relic of the Republican administra- tion. In another six months I aw wages drop to almost nothing, and oftentimes worked only three days a week. “Why, average earnings during aiong period were only'$10 a week, and I was married and had a wife to support at that. When any man comes to me in the face of such trouble as that and asks me if I am going to vote for Bryan I think that man _afool. “The only man to tie to, in my opinion, is MoKinley, and I am going to do, it, The Republican party can always be trusted. Its policy is always statesmanlike, rm:ecnon is the only thing that will ever revive the drooping industries of this coun MILLS CLOSED DOWN. i f the firm of E AMMOND is the son of J. W. Hammond o kst e G A :(iller & Hammond, which runs a large dlaning-mill in this City and also has numerius mills throughout the Northe west. He is a sterling Republican, th?ugh quite youthful in appearance, n_nd is of the opinion that the plnmng-mlvll industry has been stunted by the policy of the Democratic administration. “It was about three years ago, only a short time after the Democrats took the reins of Government in hand,” he said, “that we were obliged to shut down our large planing-mill at Port Blakeley, quet Sound. A large mill at Bowens Landing, Humboldt County, owned by auoyher firm, shut down about the same time. The cause of it all was lack of protection. “Every now and then our business re- quires me to take a trip through the Northwest. As much as you have heard of hard times you would be aslonisbed_ at the lamentable condition of that section of the country. Men are out of work everywhere and clamoring for employ- ment."” “You don’t hear any talk about gt;ld i re. No, sir; those men want work. They are willing to look out for :l:‘g :‘alyv:r(t‘:apr::r;. They say on all sides that the causes of' the present unfavorub!u conditions are lack of protection and the lack of confidence in the Democratic administration.”” MEN NEED WORK. “What men need is work,” said Chris Krumbeck, a teamster for Miller & Hame mond’s planing-miil. “If they have work thatis all they ask for. The money will keep coming in as long as their hands are not idle. *I am a Republican and have been one for thirty years. I have found it the party of prosperity—the poor man’s friend. Democracy may be all right for the rich man, but for the laborer it 1s a good party to avoid affiliation with. “Now, this question of finance is made only to hide the real issue—protection— for with protection comes prosperity. The Democrats bave had their President for four years. They lauded him when he went in, they praised his methods of handling the different questions that arose fora time and then came an ominous silence. It was the lull before the storm. Since then they have been execrating him and yet he has only followed ount his party’s policy. “During the Republican administrations it frequently happened that the compara- ative viues ot gold and silver fluctuated in the money market. Justso; but dia any one ever see a time when the laborer could not take his dollar to the store and get his full value for it? *No, sir. The Republicans are the friends of silver and always have been; but they do not want to try a financial policy that can end only in disaster. Neither do I, and so I am going to yote for McKinley.” A SOCIALIST’S IDEAS. C. BESTHORN is a tool-maker employed at the California Tool and Machine Works. Furthermore he is a Socialist, but believes that the safety of the country in general lies in McKinley’s being elected next November. ~ “Why am I in favor of McKinley—be- cause { am a firm believer in protection,” he said. *‘The Socialists are in all proba- bility going to fail in putting up a ticket in California this year, and as between the Democratic and Republican parties I am very much in favor of the latter. “The Democrats have never given us anything in the way of good government, Take all the notable reforms and you can trace them back to a Republican adminis- tration. “Protection is what we need. Only protection can bring business back to its former condition of prosperity. Free trade is the most ruinous policy ever tried. They say we have never had free trade. It is true—we never have. But the nearest we have cowe to it has been under a Democratic administration, and the nearest we ever approached banke ruptey was under the same regime. “With free trade pure and simple it would be all up with us. Free silver is another misnomer. If the Democrats would only quit tinkering with tariff and finan~ cial questions, the country would be far better off, and confidence would be restored. *“The root of the money stringency and all the rest of the erying evils of the day is lack of confidence. The Democracy is responsible for all this. Serenity and work for laboring men will come only under a Republican President. We must have him." FREE SILVER PREMATURE. “All this free-silver talk is nothing but rubbish.”” Thus briefly did John Ham mar, & coppersmith employed by Sanders & Co., express his views of the question given so much prominence by the silver wing of the Democracy. “Who ever heard of any talk of free silver when .he Republicans were in of- fice?” continued Hammar. “Everybody had work, money was plentiful, people were satisfied and hard times were a dream. “The Democrats, however, secure the control of the Government, run things on a free-trade basis, bring us to a pitch where men cannot find work no matter how hard they may want it, and then rise up and tell us it is all caused by goldbugs on Wall street, *‘It is caused by Cleveland’s administra- tion—there lies the trouble. When the head of this Government takes a week off and recruits histired brain in fishing every time a political crisis comesalong how can You expect anything else? *Free-silver men thought by raising a hue and ery they would disguise the real issue and make the people believe that 3 only in electing Bryan and Sewall lay the salvation of the country. They might have fooled a good many men for a short time, but it did not last long. People are bound to see through these things sooner or later. “I am going to vote for McKinley and protection. The general sentiment of the masses is in fayor of McKinley. Not because it is McKinley, but becsuse he is re- garded as a man who is wedded to the protective issue, and that is what we must haye,” PROSPEROUS UNDER PROTECTION. WILLIAM GIMBELL, who is well known, said: “Yes, sir, I have been in the employ of Dodge, Sweeney & Co. for six- teen years, I have read and thought a great deal over this silyer question and protection and have come to this deci- sion, that should this country have free silver my employers could not increase my wages ana I would have to pay much more for the necessities of my family. That settles that. Now, I am satisfied that America was always prosperous under her protective system, so I shall vote for Mec- Kinley, who believes 1n protection, Bay, Icur this outofa paper, Ithink itisa ‘corker’ for protection, and the more you publish it the more votes yvou will make, Bismarck suid it: ‘The success of the United States in material development is the most illustrious of modern times. The American Nation has net only success fully borne and suppressed the most gigantic and expensive war of all history, but immediately afterward disbanded its army, found work for its soldiers and marines, paid off most of its debt, gave ~ iabor and homes to all the unemployed of Europe as fast as they conld arrive within the territory, and still by a system of taxa- tion so indirect as not to be perceived, much less felt. Because it is my deliberate judgment that the prosperity of America is mainly due to its system of protective laws Lurge that Germany has now reached that point where it is necessary to imitate the tariff system of the United States.’