The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-09
SOUTHERN INTIMIDATION.


While we believe that the country will
be in substantial accord with the tone of
the Presidents message as a whole, while
many will experience pleasurable feeling
of disappointment thereat, but we know not
why they should and while VIC fail TO see
any use in the ''instituiion," we do not Ike
the tone Of the President in treating If
southern affairs. There are some good
points abf ut it, but he takes /, too much
for granted that every wrong there COM
mitcd is the act of white men. He seems
not to h ve learned tina the courage bust
ness" WAS played out vi that the country
will pay ny heed toSnch reports unless they
are well d. ,ined, j pen sometime except
Just before election, are sustained by cred
iblc proof and followed by prompt
trial and speedy conviction. He grave
~ tells US that "wth the preparations
"f0r the late election. decided
indications appeared in some localities in
''lhc southern states of determination by
"acts of violence and Intimidation to deprive
citizens of the freedom of ballot, because of
''their political opinions. Bands of men,
masked and armed made their appearance
formed; large quantities of arms and
ammunition were imported and distributed
''to these organizations. Military drills,
with menacing demonstrations were held,
II 49,
committed to spread terror among those
'whosc political action was TO be suppressed
'if possible by these intoerant and criminal
proceedings.
Now this statement is either true or
false in fact--we assume that the President
believes it. If true, it Is susceptible of
proof. If false, it may or may not be
shown. We do not propose to consider
this particular branch of the subject at
length. That has already been done in
connection with these reported 'ouu ages"
AS detailed from many stump and
"organ' prior to election. But if This
statement is true what were the four
thousand and odd United States soldiers
doing in the south that they did not cap
ture some of these "white leaguers, aimed
men with or without masks, members of
"olher societies and other outragers !?
Why were not some of the "large quanti-
ties of arms and ammunition seized and a
stop put to some of the 'menacing demon
STATIONS? Why did they not arrest some
Of those murderers, whose acts "spread
terror? The administration was in the
interfering business about that time, and
claimed, right or wrong, full power to do
all these things. But they have failed 10
do any one of these things. Why? Let
the President inform Congress. We are
aware that certain arrests were made by
deputy United States marshals, but it was
simply the playing of farce as they were
discharged rs soon as they appeared in
court-United States courts too, not state
courts. In our Judgment the President
committed grave breach of propriety in
trumpetipg to the world as solemn facts
occurrences winch, at best, rest upon I'M
certain rumor or the reports of interested
politicians II is OF piece with the infor
nation that the negro has no friends save
in the republican party-a statement re
quirng no comment and one which, il
true, is unworthy of president Of tn,
whole country not of political party.
The sentence from which we have quote(
concludes as follows: In some place.
coloicd aborcrs were compelled to vote &C
corjing to the wishes OF their employers
under threats of discharge if they actet
otherwise, and there are too many instance
in which, when these threats were disre
garded, they were remorselessly executed
by those who made them This statemen
may be true in fact indeed, we believe /
to be true, but is there any remedy there
for? Is the south alone guilty of sucl
acts ? Let the south stand or fall by il
own distinctive acts, but let ii not be bel
up as an object of reproach, or used as
reason for - executive interference in tn
affairs of state" when the north has bee
and is still disgraced by similar practices
We should as soon vote at the dictatio
of one man us many Of us have at the di,
tation Of caucuses composed Of less than
score OF men, but let us take this voting
the dictation of employers, and how does
stand at the north? We have PERSONAL
seen troops of operatives marched up TO IL
polls, in Massachusetts, receive their vot,
from their employer or overseer, and d
post the same without ever knowing +,
whom they were voting. This was accor
plished at the dictation of the employe
contrary to the known political inincipl
Of the operatives, enforced 10y threats
discharge and "when these threats we
" disregarded, they were remorselessly ex
" cuted by those who made them III
making and enforcement of these threa
overthrow the Wing party in Ma
sachusetts and inaugurated the =" seer
ballot" now, we believe, info
tunately for operatives, no longer
force. The same system of threats al
'remorseless execution" is practiced
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York al
elsewhere. 1t has been charged, and the
is too much reason to believe the char
true, that such custom, also, prevails,
has prevailed, in Vermont. We have DC
sonally seen in Michigan, the deaf, dun
and blind marched by the dozens in diffe
ent squads, to tho polls and voting at 4