The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-11
In ~timidationof Votsrs.

Dowpes, q boss carpenter on the Island, and
q protested democrat, voted for Hawley.-
In q few hours after the issue of our paper,
Downes sent us q communication, over his
own signature, admitting that he voted for
Hawley, in which communication he had
injected q little speech 10 favor of Hawley.
He also made an attempt to defend Elem
ing, stating things which it is not possible
for him to know. We didn't publish his
article aud the Union did. This friday
morning vs. were served with another arti.
Gle. through the Post Office. and
apparently by the same hand writing. to
which is attached the names of
eighteen of Jennings reported employees,
ing the charge against FIsming-which was
that"he (Fleming) told the employees that
they must vote the republican ticket or lose
their places" This was our information
and this they deny-but the denial is tech-
nical. Fleming may not have told the men
SO, directly, in so many words. It was not
necessary for him, or any other boss, in
order to accomplish his object, to do so, in
plain and direct words. 1t wal only neces-
sary for them to cause it to be circulated,
By other mouths, among the men. 1t was
oHly necessary for them to get q story in
circulation that, if Hswley was beaten they
would not be likely to have work very long
That would accomplish the object they had
in view. As further evidence that Fleming
did use his official power in the way we
name, we will state that there is the very
best authority for saying that Fleming did
say, in this city, q few nights before election.
that he would carry the whole Island
vote for Hawley," and "he would carry a
majority for Hawley in Rock island These
words, we are informed on the very best
authority-sn authority quite as reliable as
Mr.. Fleming, that he (Flemirgl did use on
the evening we sllude to. Now, why should
Fleming, more than any other laborer on the
Island, claim that be could do this, unless
he was using his official power to accom-
plish bis object? The statement he then
made is the very best evidence in the world
that he was using aud did use his fetal
position to make the men vote the Hawley
ticket. Mr.. Downes ad mits, in his
cation, that he had been brought to believe
tina. /" Hswley had more power to secure
appropriation for public works in this
vicinity than any other man in the district
How that course of reasoning brought Downes
to that conclusion we do not pretend to say
but if he Ia democratic boss had been
made to see the point
it was only necessary for
him, and Fleming, and other bosses, to.cause
their opinions to be circulated among the
men. That would accomplish their object-and
that they certainly did. And it is that kind
of intimidation and coercion that We COM
plain of. 1t begins with the head men in
power. and runs down until it ia felt by the
poorest and humblest laborers. This is
what we complain of. Fleming, Downes and
other bosses, are paid by democrats as we'll
as republicans. They live out of the labor
of democratic tax payers as we'll as republi
can tax payers. They are fed by the com.
mon labor and common earnings of all the
people-everybody is taxed, through tsri2
support Fleming, Downes, ct al, who are
employed on the Island, and they have no
right to use their off inf uence to affect
the votes of men under them and dependent
upon them for work. They have 3 perfec,
right to be republicans, if they wish to be,
and it is none of our business or the business
of anybody else. The men under them
have also a perfect right to be republicans
or democrats, Just as they please, and it's
none Of Fleming's business how they vote
If this is q free country, nnd people ars
men in government employ are not free to
express and carry out, through the ballo,
box, their own opinions-that the force Of
authority is brought to bear upon them
Improperly, upjustly, arbitrarily.
Not only is it done there, but it is lone
by radical employers and mill and factory
owners in Moline. These government bosses,
and Moline mill owners, complain Of Ku
Klux intimidation in the south. There
never was such a ~despotism around any
ballot box in the world. as exists around
the ballot box in Moline. These radical
mill and factory owners stand around the
ballot box and jerk ballots out of the hands
of their employees and thrust into
their hands other ballots, and
see that they put them in the
box, If the employees fail to obey they lose
their work. One at q time, in a quiet way,
under pretence of lessening the forcs, or
some other pretence, the men who did not
vote to suit their employers lose workout
so quietly as to attract no public attention.
Moline, politically, is a despotism, as abso-
lutte as exists on the earth. There is no
freedom, or liberty, or fairness, or justice
there, politically.
1t is as effectuslly so on the Island,
though it is managed more delicately. Men
dependent on their daily labor for means to
support themselves and their families, are
made to understand that their bosses want
a certain thing accomplished, politically
They need not be told so directly. The
story is starte1 through . skillful channel,
and it runs through to the humblest man,
and acoomplishes lite object. As between
voting q certain ticket, or staring q long
cold winter in the face, with q suffering
family to support, and no
work, We all know what
. man will do. We do not blame the men
but We do complain of the outrageous
abuse of power, and the oppression exercised
upon the men. both ON the Island aud At
Moline,-and this We shall continue to com.