The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-10-28
WHITE SLAVERY
AND IMPERIALISM VS.. LIBERTY
AND ENT-. AN ADJ
DRESS TO THE LABORING-
MEN OF OHIO.

Columbus, October 26.-The Demo.
cratic State Executive Committee to-
night issued patriotic appeal to the
workingmen of Ohio to stand by their
rights and resist the efforts of their Re.
publican employers to bulldoze them at
the coming election.
To The Ldborers and Employees of Ohio:
1t should be the desire of every good cit.
izen to maintain the purity of the ballot
box, the only hope for the perpetuation
of free government in our country. At
the State election held on the IL h of
this month many Republican employers
did intimidate and Influence Demo-
cratic employees to vote the Republican
ticket in violation of the law of the State.
The following is the law of Ohio touch.
ing the right of employees to vote their
choice, free from restraint or intimida-
ton:
Ifan employer of laborers or agent of
such employer threatens to withhold or
reduce the wages of, or to dismiss from
service any laborer in his employ, or re-
fuses to allow to any such emplOye time
to attend the place of election and vote,
or whoever sells or offers to sell his in
fluenCe with electors for valuable con-
sideratlon or with or by means of any
thing of value seeks to influence the vote
Of an eleCtor, or to influence him to vote
or refrain from voting shall be fined not
more than So 600 nor less than 800 or
imprisoned In the penitentiary not more
than "three years. Section 7765, Re.
vised Statutes of Ohio.
By the above law it is made felony
for any employer to attempt to control
or by coercion in any manner to iDhu-
enCe the vote Of an employe. An en-
ployer has no rights at the ballot box
that an employe has not. The right of
free manhood suffrage in free Govern
ment is the highest right that free
man can enjoy. 1t ought to be to every
man sacred right. The laborers share
in the control OF the Government is his
ballot to surrender that is to give up,
not only for yourself but to your poster.
ity, your right to lfgovernment. To
let another control your vote is to take
the first step towards self-enslavement.
Let no man, therefore, employer or
any one else, dictate as to how you shall
vote any more than as to what your re-
ligon shall be or how you shall worship
your God. He who submits to dictation
in the matter of his vote surrenders his
manhood and he who sells his vote is
made by his own act slave. The ex-
istenCe of free government is at stake
when capital seeks, by coercion or worse
still, by attempting to corrupt the voter,
to control the Government.
The question has already come to be
whether they who SOW and reap, who
delve in the mines, who work in faCto.
ries, build and run our railways, who, in
short, create the wealth of the country,
shall retain their just measure of control
of the government or whether they will
let it pass under the control of an dig.
archy of wealth. History warns US that
free governments have all gone the same
way. Wealth comes first to corrupt, then
to CONTROL then force is resorted to to
suppress discomfort, and that is the end.
First freedom, then glory, when that
fails, wealth, vice, corruption, force at
last. And history, with all her volumes
vast, has but one story
Freemen, it is the Grant or Imperial
influence and the Grant leaders who are
uppermost now in the Republican cam
paign. No doubt the arrangement made
with Garfield at Mentor was that he
should, if elected, hold but one term and
then make way for Grant in 1884.
If, by capital and federal power COM
bined, this scheme can be carried out, it
will be. Then will money have tri-
umphed over manhood, despotism over
liberty.
Now is the time for free voters to let
their strength be felt. Hold unfaltering.
ly to the free ballot; save manhood suf-
rage. 1t is in the name of liberty for
the colored men that all liberty (for
white and colored) is to be destroyed.
Be not deceived Stand to your rights
and vote for Hancock on the I'd of No
vember. J. F. Mckinney, Chairman.
CLARK IRVINE, Secretary.