St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-15
SHOTGUN Despotism.

SnOC-Oun OeSpOClSn.
1t is fortunate for the country that
the despotism of rifle-clubs and mob
law is now brought to the serious con-
sideratiOn of Greenback and Indepen-
dent voters. The recent outrages in
Mississippi were not perpetIated for the
suppression of Radicalism or Republic
canism of any type. Mr.. Dixon, the
candidate who was forced to retire in
YaZOo County, was a Democrat, and
formerly a Confederate soldier, and
had been more active than any other
man of that county in suppressing Re-
publicanism. His crime was independ
ence. His friends, who embrace many
of the most intelligent and worthy citi
zens of the county, were Democrats
also, but Independents. All over that
and other states at the south, the same
weapons employed not long ago to crush
out Republicanism, are now raised to
destroy Independent movements and
National or Greenback organizations.
The Corinth Record, quoted yesterday,
declares that "the Inauguration of the
Independents reenback party "must be
thwarted and punished. We must
arouse from our lethargy, and if neces
sary to the success and vindicatiOn of
the Democratic party--the great party
of the peOple--resort to desperate meas
ures. Let our battle-cry be
death to the traitors and enemies of our
people. Dixon, Vasser, and
their hOrrid crew of demagogues are
more dangerous enemies to the liberties
of our people than the worst leaders
haf hol Cd hn - Doli
calism in our midst" This is but a
sample of declarations which appear in
Democratic papers, not only in all parts
of Mississippi, but wherever the Solid
Soutb fnIe SEC col: .L----4~---~,,I u,
6Tvonpack or Independent movements.
Unfortunately, past events forbid us
to believe that these threats are to be
taken in Pickwickian sense. Alto
gether too many men have been shot,
stabbed or whipped to death. 1t has
come to be well known that the Demo-
Gratis of the Solid South do kill people
who do not agree with them. They
talk fairly, as Mr.. Lamar has done.
They promise profusely, as Governors
Hampton and Nichols promised. But
when they promise freedom, they mean
freedom to vote the regular Democratic
ticket or he killed. When they talk of
death to traitors they mean assassi-
nation fol those who stand in the way
of Democratic success.
The Greenback and Independent vot-
ers have been much inclined to treat
this southern despotism of the rifle and
the mob as a thing to which Republic
cans only object. To their disgrace, it
is true that men of other parties have
not objected. Greenback votes have
been given in Congress to seat men
whose only claim to seat was that
their supporters had been active and
efficient assassins. The Greenback
voters and the Independent journals
have refused to regard the massacre or
bulldozing of political opponents by the
Democrats at the South as an impor-
tant feature in our National affairs.
Perhaps they will begin to have more
Just views of the matter, since the VIC
tins of this most infamous of all des-
potIsms happen at present to be men of
their own faith. The Republican party
has denounced mob-rule and political
assassination, not merely because Re-
publlcans suffered, but because it is
treason to the Republic. Self-gOyern-
ment cannot exist where these things
are tolerated. Free institutions are
mockery and elections are frauds when
a band of armed men can force candi- !
dates to withdraw, frighten voters from
the polls and make their will supreme.
But that is the Solid South it is war
against free government of every sort. |
The Greenback and Independent vot-
ers of the North, sooner or later, will
hn oil Lodi 20 Al
ton of public policy whatever, whether
financial or political, can be intelligent
ly discussed and freely decided, until |
the southern type of Democracy has
been stamped out. Before we discuss
how free government ought to be
we must first make sure
we have free government. Men do
not spend time in debating ethics, or
moral science, or the most economi-
cal mode of conducting a fire depart
ment, when the house is on fire.
Put out the fire first stamp out this
resistance to law and to the lust re-
stralnts of free government and we
can then consider in safety what pIinci-
pies deserve the SURFACES of a free
people. The Greenback notions we
hold utterly mistaken and mischieyous
put this Is a free country. The Green
back orator or candidate is Just as much
entitled to protection as the Democrat
lc or Republican. There must be an
end OF shotgun despotism in this coun-
try; that is the first necessity. Then
II people wish to vote for or against
Greenback theories, they can do so in
peace and freedom. 1t is disgrace
to Greenback and Independent mem
oers OF Congress that so many of them
voted with the rifie-club Democracy
Tor the repeal of Election laws, the
GRIPPING of Federal Courts and the re-
moval OF all restraint from the lawless
and revolutionary Democracy. The
democratic party makes war upon free
institutions at the South by force and