Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-10-30
WORKINGMEN VS.. r. S. CORSER.

Investigating Committees Report of the
COrser BultdOsinD.
The following report was made by the COM
mittee appointed by the Workingmen's Union
to investigate the charges made against Mr..
Corser:
MINNEAPoIIs, Num-, Oct %, 1878.
To the Member of the Workingmen's Union of
Minneapolis:
GENTLEMEN-Your committee appointed to
investigate to the truth falsity of the
charge that in the spring of 1876 Mr.. E. s.
Corser now candidate for the State Senate,
and then, as now, member of the city coun-
Gil and mortgage broker, compelled voters over
whom he held overdue certificates OF indebted
ness or who were otherwise in his power to vote
as he dictated under penalty of foreclosure
ejectment, ETC., if they failed so to do, respect
fully report that they have given the matter
such attention as they have been able to do
and find,
First-That at the election in question Mr.
Corser took much interest, and also his
partner, and that although neither of them
were voters in the Tenth ward
one of them remained all day at the First and
and the other at the Second precinct, in which
the majority of their poor debtors and tenants
of tickets; that. while they had made no spec
ial attempt to influence voters generally, they
were more especially interested in the aforesaid
poor debtors and tenants, insisting upon know
ing how they were going to vote, and reminding
them that they had asked favors in the past
and if they wanted any more should now favor
them; that, so marked was their conduct, that
the cry of bulldozing was raised then and there
and they we're repeatedly requested to go back
to their own wards and let voters deposit such
ballots represented their feelings; hat while
no direct or explicit threats may have
been made, the language, the look,
the gestures were such as to imply threat
and that they were understood and acted
upon; that certain of the voters have since OPEN
ly asserted that, but for them, they would have
voted differently; that they could not afford to
incur their dispeasure; that certain other voters
were kept from the polls by direct threats of
loss of employment; that still Others ere in
formed that it would not pay for them to vote
for the man of their choice; that all these
things have been openly asserted for months,
and that explicit denial has ever been
made.
Second-That your committee are informed
and believe that, while specific act of oyen
and unmistakable bulldOzing where the threats
were made in direct language on election day,
at the polls, yet certain parties who had
been very Jealous for the candidate whom Mr..
Corser did not want elected, were sent for on
the day preceding the election. and from that
time forward took no interest in the election;
that strangely enough these same parties hap
pened TO be indebted to said firm or their eli
ents, and while others were crowded to the
wall the time was extended; that in two such
instances the men claim that they were silent
because they dare not be otherwise. They
could not let their families suffer. And in
several of the others the men had no explana-
tions to make.
Third-That certain parties now within the
Il T.
placed beyond it, make statements
privately, which, to say the least. very
damaging to Mr. Corzer, in view of his chal-
lenge through the press, but refuse to go be-
fore the committee he has SO kindly selected,
or to make any public statement unless they
can be fully protect, d. Some of these state
ments relate to the election in question. but
the most damnable relates to matters that
have transpired since then, the particulars of
which are too fresh to be misunderstood or ig-
nored.
Fourth-That the aforesaid Corser & Co.
have, in many instances, entered into contracts
with poor men, the contract being explained
rs not to be understood, and. unhappily. SO
worded as not to be misunderstood when the
time for ejectment came, by which the poor
men hoped soon to become possessed of small
homes, that where payments have become over
due.
No more exacting Shylocks could be found,
as many man who has nearly paid for a
house has found to his cost, and that cases of
men with sick families turned out of doors
summarily, not on foreclosures, however, which
takes year. but by eectment, authorized
by the contract, while easily proven, are by no
means the worst sins chargeable to them.
Fifth-That while Mr.. Corser has cunnngly
named a committee with view of prcjudicing
his case before the publicly yet your committee are
ready to prove the foregoing facts and all of
them to their satisfaction, the following
conditions, made in order that the who truth
may be brought out aud which no honorable
man ought to object to.
That the investigation shall be public. That
such of the witnesses produced as are in
debted to Mr.. Corser, or those he represents,