The weekly Butte record. [volume] (Oroville [Calif.]) 1866-1887, 1867-04-06
oRovILLE. SATURDAY. APRIL ST.


Essay Bfdwellian Peonage.
It is, unquestonably. the province Of the laboring
portion Of the community Of California to demand
that their interests shall have voice in determining
who shall be designated to receive their support al
the ballot box. Politicians should not be permitted
in furthering their own advancement to degrade
the laboring class by impudently thrustng forward
one for the principal Office in the gift Of the people
OF the State, who has ever maintained and upheld
system of peonage calculated to disgrace and des-
troy intelligent and respectable labor. OF course,
they put forward their candidate, who s thus TO
reduce the laboring man to level with Digger In
dian and the Digger Indian in slavery at that, IN
der the crv that he is the peoples choice "a
game as old as the ballot of free but humbugged
people Ia the present instance, the nomination OF
Bidwell for Governor, will be direct insult to every
laboring man in the State, who desires 10 live de-
Gently and rear a respectable family. In view oil
the recent movement of the laboring classes against
Coole labor. and the Digger serfdom of Gen. Bid
WELL is it not extra hazardous for the Union part
Of California to nominate him for Governor? He
holds in peonage whole tribe of Indians. He has
accumulated wealth from cheap labor. His nomi-
nation is demanded by no other interest than that
of the holders of fraudulent Mexican grants, hose
claims Gen. Bidweis legislation has legalized, and
the advocates of Coolie and serf labor necessary
to work them Is it not folly to suppose that those
who believe the laborer worthy his hire, and whose
household Gods are dependent upon their labor for
support, will consent to vote for him 2 They can
not do SO without stultifying and despising them
selves as honorable laborers. We hope to God he
may be enabled to peon every man who votes for his
nomination.
Every laboring man. and every man who would
build himself up homestead in California, should
remember that Gen. Bidwells legislation since he
has been in Congress, has allowed the holders of
fraudulent and rejected Mexican Grants TO bry
them in at 81 Is per acre. thus removing from sale
by the United States Government all the most val
liable land in the State. Those who wish to pur
chase themselves farms must go to Gen. Bidwe
or other holders of fraudulent Mexican Grants, and
pay him or them ten to a hundred fold more than
they paid the Government for the land This is part
of the food upon which General Bidwell doth feed
that he has grown great. Such action on his
part clearly demonstrates that he nothing for
the mass of the people who constitute our glorious
State, except as he can wrong, defraud and peon
them.
Let the laboring men who have thus been plund.
cred by their Representative of the land which a
just and benifcent Creator has given to man. swear
by the great George Washington that they will not
longer submit to such outrageous robbery and deg
relation Of their labor. There is no of sugar
coating words for these plunderers of the
children of toll. Give them plain quinine and let
them grimace The little word must sounded by
the grand army of the children of toll will exert
power greater than monarch ever welded. Shout
it in the ears of those who asked the National
Congress to legalize their robbery of yourself and
those dependent upon you. and see how soon the
bran will roll out of their stuffed hides, and their
grandiloquent dignity come tumbling down like
rotten Eastwood. Are laboring men slaves of sour
Wy politicians that they fear to proclaim their rights
and quietly submit to be robbed by those they have
chosen to represent them? Are they content to be
ruled by men like Gen. Bidwel. who has deprived
them of opportunities to build themselves homos
in California ? If not, say now, and not mince
words about it. "God hates coward" and men
despse him. Proclaim the freedom and respecta-
Lilty of labor. Inscribe it upon your banners.
shout it as your watchword-vote for it. and fight
for il, if it comes TO that. America has abolished
slavery, Russia has abolished her serfdom. Bdwell
holds his diggers. and thus expresses his contempt
for intelligent labor. and has removed from the Ia
borer, by his legalizaton of fraudulent Mexican
grants, the privilege always accorded by our gen
circus Government, of purchasing land at mere
nominal value. 1t belonged to the people, but Bid
well has appropriated for himself and confederates
Instead Of making him your Governor, and becom.
ing the serfs and slaves of holders of fraudulent
Mexican grants it is tor you, the bone and snew,
the laborng classes of California men who consti-
tute the State to peon him.