Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-18
Freedom OF Speech In the South.

The claims of Colonel Waddell and Gen.
Martin, so stoutly maintained in their
addresses in this state, that speech is as free
in the south as in Vermont, is hardly con-
frmed by the recent experience of Mr.. j.
II. Randall, the editor of the National Vie,o,
the national Greenback organ published in
Washington. Gen. Weaver and Mr. De La
Matyr have each told their late experience
with southern Democrats. Read what Mr..
Randall says, over his own signature, of his
extraordinary experience in campaigning
for the Greenback ticket in Alabama and
Mississippi.
At all the meetings for discussion the
Democrats insisted on dividing time" rails.
ing the southern bloody shirt appealing to
southern prejudice, and ultimately in dis
turbing the Greenback meetings. At last at
Shubuta, Miss, the Democrats decided that
they could tolerate free speech no longer.
At the closing meeting Democratic speaker,
as Mr.. Randall certifies, made the following
assertion "The confederacy still exists,
my friends, and jeff Davis, the best friend
we ever had, is yet our president and devoted
to our interests, and if Hancock is elected,
and we have no doubt he will be, you will
be paid for all the property you have lost
through radical rule, and you must stand
by the great Democratic party, for solid
south will now give us entire control of the
general government, and we can redress all
our wrongs" Mr.. Randall proceeded to
toreply and was interrupted with the remark,
eve don't want any ID Yankee to
come here to talk to us-we had better shut
him up" and the band began to play soon
after and rendered it impossible for him to
proceed Mr. Randall subsequently walked
through the business part Of the town and
was greeted with imprecations and threat
ened with violence. Finally the following
notice was served upon him:
@ PACK S sSs ssr ans If
When some one mildly intimated that Mr..
Randall would do no harm and they had
better let him alone" the ringleaders replied,
You don't know what you say, nor who he
is; we heard him yesterday" Then turn
ing to Randall he said; You're a white
man with black heart; come down here to
divide the Democratic party, and we don't
want and won't have no such id men
in this county" Mr.. Randall expostulated
with them for their course toward him, but
he was reminded that his time was passing
and he had better "get out of here while he
had chance" The result was that he was
escorted to the depot by the Democratic
leaders amid such EXPLANATIONS as these,
"He's one of the trump cards of the Green
back party, and yesterday he gave the Dem
ocrats h-ll; d-n him, we can fix him. we
run things here" From the train Mr.. Ran
dali expounded to his bulldozing escort
those precepts of universal freedom that are
the birthright of all United States citizens
in every state in the Union, and assured
them their Interpretation of the rights of
free speech and citizenship would receive an
airing at his hands throughout the entire
country.
Comment weakens the force of the con.
illusions inevitably drawn from the concur
rent testimony of Weaver, De La Matyr and
Randall. 1t is the old story verified by cred.
ible witnesses. Martin aud Waddell would
have us believe it is false but such inside
glimpses as we have here of the exact po-
litical feeling south must outweigh their
statements that the south is political par.
adise and all is peace and liberation and fra
ternity there. If these mild-mannered
Greenbackers are treated thus, what would
be the fate of Republican speaker in the
south, speaking with the freedom enjoyed
by southern stump speakers in Vermont ?