The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-09-30
How is This

1t is claimed by the Republican party
that many outrages have been committed
on the negroes of the South in attempts
at politica! intimidation, and that it has
been necessary to enact strong laws and
enforce those laws at the point Of the
bayonet in order to secure the rights of
colored voters At any rate, this has been
the justification put forward for frequent
use Of the military The Republican party
has amended the constitution to give ne
groes the ballot and passed q law inhict-
ing penalties on those who control them
in voting by threats of loss of employ
ment. But there is no such special pro-
lection for white men.
We learn from a correspondent Of the
Rockland Opinion that Gen. Davis Tillson
who controls the granite quarries on Hur-
ricane Island assumed to do that to the
white stone cutters in his employment
which the law forbids the southern plant
Ell to do by the negroes that cultivate his
cotton and rice fields. He controlled their
votes by threats OF loss of employment,
1t is charged that Gen. Tillson, day or
two before election, summoned the men
in his employment to meet at the public
| hall, where he addressed them, and said
ale would wish no man TO vote against the
! dictates Of his consccnce-if there be such Il
thing as conscience i'll politics, which the speak
cr seemed to doubt-but the present was
crisis. In voting for his-Tillso n's-interests
| his employees would be voting for their own
| interests, for he intended hereafter to have only
men who would vote for his interests. Ii was
for his interest that they should vote the Re-
| publican tickct-especally for Moses Webster
| Ii mad been charged that some Of his men had
| voted Democratic last wear, and he wished to
| show that ii was a SANDER on him. Now his
| hearers had an opportunity to vindicatc him,
and those who did not do SO must hccp array
7! from Tim. lie didn't want that sort Of men
| around him."
It Is believed that these workmen, if
voting freely, would have largely cast the
Democratic ticket. As it was they voted
| lot for Conner, and 4 for Roberts The
times are hard, employment is scarce,
men with dependent families need their
wages, and it is not surprising that such
threats have their effect. But what a COM
meutlry on our boosted free government
that its citizens employed on government
work, for which the people pay, can be
thus lriycn like slaves to DO the bidding
Of q master, Fortunately the Democratic
parts, in its control of the House Of Rep
rcsen.atiyes, holds the purse strings of the
nation, and we endorse the suggestion of
the Bangor Commercial, that il the Ad-
mni3tration connivcs 1t such outrages,
the supplies should be cut OIL.
T. =. Just as the journal is about to
be put to press, we notice in the Bangor
Commercial letter from Gen. Tillson in
reference to the above matter, in which
he says
! simply wish to state that did not say that
'tlrre was no such thing us conscience i'll poll
| tics, but the opposite. | did not in any man
| ncr directly or indirectlv threaten to discharge
nymln who should not vote as | desired On
the contrary, distinctly stated, last year and
| this. that no man should be discharged, pun
ished or interfered with, for voting rs he pleas
| ed: that | expected no man to vote with me,
| unless t0lliu convince MIN IL WIS DtSt W uO
! So NJ man has been, and no man will be, dis
charged from these works for political reasons,
so long as | control them. No mans politics
or religion or nationality is inquired into or in
terItred with. The only preference given is
TO honorably discharged soldiers, if competent
| Worllmon.
N Justice 70 the writer we make this
extract But we fail to see the reason
why Gen. Tillson, or any other employer,
should gather his workmen and harrangue
them on the subject Of voting, and his
personal interest in connection with their
votes unless the act be meant to imply u
threat, i i does not express one. And
the vote of lol to 4 indicates that the
mon 50 understood it.