, 1869-02-26


is to iuure to their sole benefit At the coming
Delegate election, with loO.e assertions to the
effect that from eight hundred to one thou
sand voters have been added to the popula>
tion of the mill counties on the Sound, and
that these will vote the republican ticket in
body. Such talk may do for those who
are ready to believe what they wish, but il
will scarcely impose upon such as are accus.
toned to examine the sausage before biting
IL, even 10 this latitude, where so little 10
known Of the Sound, and the peculiar effects
of the lumber business upon politics. There
has undoubtedly been considerable increase
ofpopulation throughout he Territory within
the last two years. and greater increase upon
the Sound than 10 other sections /; and it Is
also true that most Of the proprietors Of the
large mills are republicans, and will use their
influence for the success of their party candi-
date. But these facts alone do not warrant
any such conclusion as has been drawn.
Now, what reason is there to believe that the
increase is republican rather than democraticI
The call issued for the Territorial Republican
Convention comedies the point that there has
been no accessiuns to this party BY the con-
version of democrats And if the real facts
Justify any presumption in regard to the
politics of those who have come to the Ter.
ritory since 1867, upon their arrival, the
presumption would be in favor Of democracy
for the regions from which they come are
generally democratic, aud the class of men
who engage in the heavy branch OF labor are
in tSe main democratic. So that these eight
or ten hundred staIwart lumbermen, who are
to rush to the rescue of the republican eau
didate in June next, are either mere men in
buckram, springing fr'm the terrors Of those
who think they see them, or they are slaves,
To be driven to the polls at the wil'of their
employers and the proprietors Of the mills
themselves are tyrants who drive the devils
bargain with the employees, including soul
and will as part Of the consideration for
their hire.
Among a different class of population, in
older communities, where the question of
employment is one of life and death, the
proprietors of large manufacturing ioterests
may perhaps coerce their employees to speak
and vote at their dictation, but there is no
such state Of affairs existing in Washington
Territory, and our republican friends on this
side of The mountains, who are bolstering
Themselves up with the idea that every man
who stands upon a spring board, or rolls a
log, eau be bagged for vote for their side
because his employer is a republican, will
6nd that a very little Of that kind Of talk
down 10 the FIR timber would boil their mu>h
for them. The proprietorA would resent it
as quick as the employees Common sense
nine-tentbS Of the voters are ready to strap
on their blankets and tramp on an hour
notice, the prospects OF an election to Office
, by the power Of coercion, would not he a
good thing to bet on But in this matter we
; are not left to mere abstracr reason, for at
3 the last election, an unfortunate insinuatlon,
that the mil owners expected to use their
lafIo of nj nf A,lu
= influencing their employees against their con-
a viction, WIS resented with sharpness which
t men who toll for their bread do not often
feel against u mere political antagonist.
!. The men of Puget Suund vote as they
:, please, aud if they should 6ud an empl yel
}, mean enough 10 object to it, they would
l. gather up their traps and hunt better thing
it AT Olympia, where the greatest means o
a coercion ar concentrated, where those meau
;. are in the hands of politicians, the only clas
o who would u>e them. the rugged democrac,
Al hold their own, and an attempt on the par
j. Of the mill prOprietors to driveup their EN-
: Ployees in mass tn support the republican
'i candidate, would resnlt iu bis overwhelmin,
> defeat
q There are no means Of aseertaining Will
D. any correctness the increase that has occur
lie red in The population of the Territory sine
u the last election, and the political complexion
# Of that increase is purely 4 matter of eoajec
n ture So far as there are any grounds fb
presumption, they are favorabls for democ
racy. The talk about tn increased repub
B. liran msjOrities in the numbering districts
,r cannot he sustained BY a single fact or cir
cumstance, either Of the present or past
:, is the mere invention Of those who eithe
h' know nothing or care nothing about tn
ct truth, and the democrat WIN would perm
D. himself to be gulled by such impurities is
n mere 6at-head, and like Sir Juhn Falsiaf
might be braiued with lady's fan. In Wall
" Waila county it is knoaoR that the increase
W vote will be favorable to tho democracy, an
=, the same mag he reasonahlu as.nmed nf th