St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-10-20
Shot Gun Despotism.


comes the duty of every citizen to calm
ly consider the reports from that quar-
ter. Unless they are the most outrage
Gus fabricationS on record they certainly
contain matter calculated to startle
every patriotic man who has been I'M
agining that this is practically land
of freedom, and that the equal rights of
the Constitution have become the hcri-
tage of the people The point, then, of
the genuinenesS of the current accounts
is one of the first Importance. Among
those now sending them Is il CORE
spondent of the New York Times, whose
previous letters from Washington seem
to give him the character of Il truthful
and fair minded mau. In his last let
ter he quotes from Gen. Gary, Il leading
Democratic orator, who said in Il speech
three DAYS before: ''South Carolina is
IL white mans State, and i'll spite of
niggcr majoriticS the Democrats are
going to rule it. This we swear to YOU
by Heaven and in the face of Cod
The question is, how this orators party
propose to overcome the ''niggcr ma
,jorities.' Unhappily. they leave little
doubt about that. Gen. Gary says /:
THE Edgetield policy, that is the shot
gun policy, won in the State Convcn-
ton, and will win in the present cam
paign. That policy is to plainly tell
the negroes that the whites are again in
command of the State. We Democrats
do not want their votes. but they will
vote against us at their peril. We must
warn the leaders that the tall peoples
will fall first | for one would shoot
4 'h.n,l,.,.lnib IIlI,tt D.ifnrSnn and
such carpet haggcr>: second. the mis-
cradle white native scallaWags. and
lastly the black leaders generally.
1t would naturally he hoped that Il
good deal of this is mere clcctinneering
bluStcr: but the backbone of purpose
in il is made too clear by Il variety of
circumstances. The correspondent SAYS
that one object of using such havadn.
accompanied with corresponding dem
on>tiitioms. Is Ia Tighten the ncgl"cs
in advance 50 that they will not dare to
go to the polls. To make assurance
duublN sure. however. the Hampton and
Tildcn men will ride to the pollIn"
places early ON the morning of election
day. and get all THEN Votes in a> soon
after T. o'clock as p">>ihlc. Then they
intend to z" into the roads lradin- It"
the polls, and. 10y tain means "r foul. T."
keep the negroes away from the ballot
boxes until after shutdown. This j. the
general plan "t the Democratic cam
paign. \ little incidents. narrated a>
follows hN the columbia Register. Dem
ocratic. ill show the discipline already
attained 10y these Democratic managers:
''During the speaking news reached
the meeting of Il slight disturbance in
the village. In Il few moments the
mounted club six hundred >tl"n" and
fully armed were in line. cool. steady
and quiet. Col. Law commanding. The
difficulty was soon settled. when the
business of the meeting WIS resumed.
All WAS quiet in Thirty minutes. The
ladies behaved >plendidly. there hciu"
no panic or confusion. The difficulty
in the >Ir"oring OF Il nrgr" 10y
Il white man in self defence. The No
gro was shot III the arm. hut the wound
is not serious. The white man gave
bail"
The shouting lin Srlf-d,icncc" in this
case l. shown To have been Il gIo>> mis-
nnmer. the trouble having originated in
the misconduct of Il white man. The
main reliance ut present of the Dcmo-
Gratis. however. l. the enforcement of
what they call the ''prctrIrncr policy"
that i. the business o>tr;Ici>m and
starving of ali refusing t" vote the
Democratic ticket. Quoting some les
olutions III support "t this policy. the
SINS:
"llow we'll the order contained in
these resolutions has been nhcNcd will
he understood when | state that there
Is not one >hopkcrpcr of amy kind in
Columbia who does not profess Ia he III
favor of the democratic ticket. There
are hundreds of Republicans among
them; they are American citizens. hut
they dare not express rhrir real p"lti-
t. Il sentiments. They are slaves alb
Solutely slaves in everything that rc-
lateS to politics. The following Incl
dent will prove this: Last evening |
was walking on the main street of Col
umhia with one of the best and most
tavorahly known merchants in South
Carolina. He is Il Southern man. hut
has always been Il Republican. He WAS
telling me of some of the outIagr> that
have recently been placticcd 10y the
Democrats. and. growing excited. rails
ed his voice somewhat. suddenly he
short. and much to my surprise
said No. don't think its going to
rain just then two prominent Demo-
cratic politicians passed us. and my
friend whispered: Great God. hope
they didn't hear what | said about
Hampton
why ? | exclaimed in establishment.
Why" he replied; why. but bccanse
they would report my words all over
the State, and ruin my business in
week. You don't live here. and can't
such things. hut | assure
You that the white tradcSman i'll South
Carolina who does not at least pretend
to support Tilden and Hampton might
As well shut up shop; he would not sell
"A dollars worth of goods in Il month
This system of prescription affects
even the humbleSt man in the COM
To-day | went into what used |
to he the best patronized barbar shop
in Columbia. | found it silent and |
deserted. and the black proprietor told |
me with tears in his eyes that nearly |
all his customers had left him because
he would not pledge himself to vote the |
Democratic ticket. And still he is Il
citizen of what has been called the free
nSt country in the world
Terrible Accident,
TWELVE MEN LOSE THEIR LIVES. AND \
LARGE NJ MREE ARE WpI- NpEn