imSSsrT
The Commoner,
AUGUST 7, 1968
REPUBLICAN MANAGERS TRY THE "FULL DINNER PAIL" TRICK AGAIN
Robert Baker's Vigorous Reply
r-
The republican managers are at their old
game of promising prosperity "after the elec
tion," They are behind the "full time and keep
going" placard which is being dlstributedover
the country. Inspired by the republican man
agers, the Now York Leather company recently
sent to tho Austin Engine company, the fol
lowing letter:
NEW YORK LEATHER CO.,,.
51 Beckman Street.
New York, July 22, 1908.
Gentlemen:
- Wo have tacked this notice upon the walls
of our factories in Brooklyn and Now York:
"Believing that the election of Taft and
Sherman means a safe and progressive business
administration, tho day following their election
we shall start this plant on 'FULL TIME and
KEEP GOING.' "
If you believe with us that by relieving
any uncertainty as to what the wage earner can
expect in the event of electing men who will
secure the business prosperity of this country,
we should be glad to have you follow our ex
ample As members of the National Association of
Manufacturers, the American Hardware Manu
facturers' Association, the-American Supply and
Machinery Manufacturers' Association, the Na
tional Credit Men's Association, the Manufac
turers' Association of New York, the New York
, Board of Trade and Transportation and other
commercial bodies, If you will kindly All in and
return to us the enclosed card, we will supply
you with a "FULL TIME and KEEP GOING"
card such as we have posted, and notify all these
associations of your harmonious attitude.
Regardless of politics, once the manufac
turers of this country join, universally In this
movement depression will cease.
Lend us your help and, post the,. card,
. "FULL TIME and KEEP GOING." .
Yours very trujy, , , ,
YpRK LEATHER BELTING CO.
u;'
' 'Robert Baker, president of the Austin En- .
gine company, wrote the following reply:
:'' AUSTIN ENGINE COMPANY- - '
''"' Office: Second Avenue and Eighth Street' -Brooklyn,
N. Y., July .25, 190.8.
New York Leather Belting Co.,
51 Beckman St., New York.
Gentlemen: We have yours of July 22d
offering us copies of cards posted in your fac
tories, which, you say read as follows:
"Believing that the election of Taft and
Sherman means a safe and. progressive business
administration the day following their election
we shall start this plant on 'FULL TIME and
KEEP GOING.' "
Permit us to say we do not understand.
Why have you. stopped your factories? Why is
the "FULL TIME and KEEP GOING" plan not
.'now in operation? Why has there been any
.shutting down by you and the other members
of the-- National Association of Manufacturers,
the American Hardware Manufacturers' Associa
tion and the numerous other similar associations
to which, you say you belong? Did you not as
, sure us that McKinley would Insure a "full din
ner pail" to all who desire to work? Was not
this assurance renewed when your several bodies
' .endorsed Roosevelt and Fairbanks? Then what
. has emptied the dinner pail of millions of men
who are willing to work? What greater reli
ance can be placed on this assurance than on
the other? If you were false prophets before,
how do we know you will not oe again.'
WHY ARE THEY CLOSED?
But why tho closed; why the Idle mills;
why the unused freight cars? Why .the main
tenance of. high prices in the face of falling de
mand? Where is the "abounding," ".marvel
lous," "wonderful," "unparalleled" prosperity?
Haven't we got a. -republican administration?
Haven't we got a republican senate and house
;of representatives? Haven't we had them un
interruptedly for twelve years? Haven't the
republicans made the laws, state as well, as na
tional, and haven't they been charged with their
enforcement? Then what is the matter? If the
laws are defective why haven't they; been al
tered? If defective. now,were they 'not Equally
defective eight .faind- four years ago, when you
assured us, "all io well," and "leave well
enough- alone?"
Why tho depression, wo ask? Haven't wo
had seven years of Roosevelt, who, according to
republican orators, and assistant republican, as
well as republican newspapers, is tho greatest,
wisest and best president tho country evor had?
Haven't wo had twelve years of "standpatism"
with Hanna, Aldrich and Cannon, sitting on tho
brakes to prevent the onactment of legislation
not desired by the gentlemen who aro so con
spicuous in their support of Taft and Sherman
Morgan, Rockefeller, Carnogio, Harriman, Schirf ?
Do these men make a mistake when thoy select
candidates? Which is most likely to bo misled,
those men who say that Taft is all right, that
he is a conservative, or the western farmer, who
is told that Taft is a radical?
Where is the "abounding" prosperity?
Wealth has certainly increased enormously, or,
at least, prices have been boosted to a point that
ought to have satisfied the most avaricious. The
fortunes of the few havo become gigantic
bounded out of sight. Morgan, we aro told, has
three hundred or so millions; Carnegie as much;
while Rockefeller Is credited with a billion; a
few thousands others having from one to a
hundred millions each. These seem to havo
had their "FULL TIME and KEEP GOING"
cards in operation, while they arc generally cred
ited with having In October-November last gath
ered In nearly everything In a largo way in the
shape of banks, trust companies, industrial and
railroad combinations, which had so far escaped
them. In fact the bulk of the people have been
set a lively pace to pay the Increasing prices
for the necessaries of life these and a few others
control.
HERE'S THE REAL RUB
But what has happened . to tho masses,,
.whom you and other boosters of McKinley and
Rooseyelt assured were to share in tho prosr
perity? With a total estimated wealth of some
one hundred and iten billions, the per capita '
tables work out all right, there should be
enough to go around, for that's equal to about
$7,000 per family. But who has it? How many
of the millions of toilers have a tenth of that
sum free and clear? How" conies it that the
bulk of tho people are shy their proportion of
this enormous wealth? Havo thoy been lazy,
thriftless, or improvident during these twelve
years? If lazy, then who created the wealth?
Has the average farmer, mechanic, salesman,
clerk, teacher or laborer, squandered their por
tion in riotous living? Did they spend it for
automobiles, steam yachts, or even for dia
monds? If not, what has become of it? Why
haven't they got it, how did they lose it? What
has been the unseen, subtle, but apparently all
powerful force that has taken it from them?
Why have matters become so appalling In Amer
ica that the so-called effete countries of Europe
havo felt impelled to take official cognizance of
the deplorable conditions in which so many of
our toilers are compelled to live. The Italian
government (as a result of the shocking re
ports that reached it) having sent a commission
to investigate. Most revolting conditions were
shown to exist. Whole families were found
crowded into one and two room apartments,
while not only the women, but little children
not much more than babes, were found working
in filthy, unhygienic quarters, helping to eke
out a scanty living for the family. Overcrowd
ing was shown to be the rule not the exception.
In one case seven adults and seven children "liv
ing" in a dark, middle room, and a large, bare,
rear room.
The; daily press also tells us, that since Octo
ber, thousands of entire families have been out
of work, as a result,' they have used up all their
savings, not their proportion $7,000, as above
but a paltry $50, all they had been able to
save during those years ol boasted prosperity.
The president of the Association for Improving
the Condition of the Poor, R, F. Cutting, -says:
"I can not remember such -a condition existing
before. Not even in 1893. and 1894 did the de
pression persist so long!" While, according to
Senator .Foraker, on July 1, "22,000 skilled
workers are out of employment here in Cin
cinnati' i Presumably the:number of tho un
skilled 'was" greater yet.uJTheae illustrations .of
"unparalleled" prasperityrjiave been duplicated
all over the country.,no section has escaped the
blight. Thoro has boon a tremendous exodus
of thoso who could not find omploymont, a half
million moro having omlgratod to Europe than
havo immigrated horo.
Why tbo depression, why tho blight? Thin
"marvollous" prosperity scorns to havo been
wonderfully oHlcacious in keeping tho tollers
poor. This "unprecedented" prosperity seems
to have been monopolized by a fow. Thoy havo
gone on piling up millions, but tho larders of
tho workers, it scorns, havo accumulated noth
ingt so that thoy now face starvation us their
reward for tho part thoy took in producing
"widespread" prospority. Tho bottom has
droppod out of their "full dinner pail."
Again wo ask why? You say, "Regardless
of politics, once tho manufacturers of this coun
try Join universally in this movoment, depression
will cense. ' Who aro thoy to sell to? How can
the masses buy when their savings aro gone?
With wages reduced, how aro thoy to pay mon
opoly prices and yet live? How aro you going
to bring prospority to tho toiler without de
stroying monopoly and special privllogo? Using
tho force-pump won't alter conditions, tho peo
ple want something moro than wind. Why not
prick the monopoly bubble, let out some of tho
wind and water, bring tho necessaries of life
within the purchasing power of tho people? Tho
crop of millionaires may not grow', but an equit
able distribution of tho wealth produced accord
ing to tho part that each has contributed to Us
production will bring happiness to millions and
insure a natural, thoreforo lasting, Instead of
tho "force-pump" prosperity you propose.
Let us clip the talons of monopoly, uproot
special privilege, and economic conditions will
Improvo so mightily that all will bo able to en
joy the comforts of life and none will havo to
toil such long hours that life becomes a burden.
Finally, firmly believing In tho fundamental
democracy of American institutions, wo havo
no moro right to dictate how our employes
should vote than thoy havo to coerce us.
Yours truly,
AUSTIN ENGINE COMPANY, '
By Robert Baker, President.
DID JUDGE GROSSCUP READ TILE RECORD?
(Continued from Pago 4)
pany of New Jorsey. Ho repeatedly said that
it was the Standard Oil company of Indiana
with which he was dealing, but that in dealing
with tho corporation it was proper for him to
take Into consideration its relation with tho
Standard Oil company of Now Jersey, just as It
is proper for a judge to take into consideration
all the facts with reference to any defendant
when it comes to the Imposition of any penalty
for violating the law. Every criminal law
writer and every authority concedes to the trial
judge this; right to take into consideration all
the circumstances of the defendant in imposing
punishment. This is all that Judge Landis did,
all that ho ever assume! t do, and to say that
he imposed a fine on tho Standard Oil company
-of New Jersey when that concern was not be
fore tho court, involves a misapprehension both
of his opinion and of the record in the case.
WE KNEW IT WAS COMING
James W. Van Cleave of St. Louis has de
clared In favor of the republican ticket. At the
beginning of every campaign Mr. James W. Van
Cleave rushes Into the. limelight and pledge
to the republican managers his "devoted and
unswerving support." Tho fact that Mr. Van
Clpave Is a republican politician who, as presi
dent of the Manufacturer's Association, habltu-.
ally supports, the republican ticket, does not
prevent this gentleman from giving the public
to understand In a four page circular that
he intends "to bury Bryan and Bryanism under
such an avalanche of votes In 1P08 that tho
work, will not have to be done over again In
191.2 or over." In that event Mr. James W.
Van Cleave will have a long and much needed
rest. And the country too, will have a rest
from Mr. James W. Van Cleave and that, after
all, is not an Inconsiderable point.
5 5 w S -GtiSKttfOOD.
SPRINGS, COLORADO ,
Seventythrce residents f of Glenwood
. Springs, Colorado, have sent, The Commoner a
check for,.$lp5,as their contribution to the dem
ocratic campaign fund.
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