American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-05-15
How Democratic Voters are Bull. dOzed
In New England.

in New England.
| In the Senate, few DAYS ago, Mr.
| Wallace presented the report of his
| committee on election frauds in Massa-
chusetts and Rhode Island. The SUBJ
stance Of the majority reports herewith
given:
Your committee directed to inquire
whether any citizen of any State has been dis
missed or threatened with dismissal fiom cm-
plOyment. Or deprivation of any right or priv
iiege, by reason of his vote or intention to
vote at the recent election or has been other
wise interfered with, and whether citizens of
the United States were prevented from exer-
cisiny the elective franchise or forcei to use
1t against their wishes by an unlawful means
or pract ices The specific allegation was made
that employers of labor in those States CO.
creed their employees t,svote as the employers
wished, and that deprivation of employment
was the penalty for II refusal to do SO. Your
committee are Ofopinion That IN very many
instances during that election the ballot was
cas- by operatives against their own deliberate
convictions and I'm favor of the cand dates of
their employers and that this was the result
winter. The policy Of fntimidatins Voters in IN
side the law was publicly proclaimed in the
HerGd. a leading and Influential newspaper
in Boston, in these words: There will proba-
bly, be good deal of bull-dozing done in
Massachusetts this year of a civilized type.
The iaoorcrs employed by General Butler in
his various enterpl lses, mills, quarrieS, etc :.
will be expected 10 vote for HIM or give up
their situations. The same rule will hold good
on The otner side. Thee will be shot-sruns
or threats. Everything will be managed with
dtcorum, adorned by mob c senti nent-
This action described befo,e your COM
mittee as " civilized bull-1OZing and its occur
renee was said to be much more +. e,Iuent and
effective in the manufacturing villages thaa
in the cities. The ballOt-bOxeS were open
boxes and those in charge could see the form
and appearance of the ba lot voted. and they
were easily distinguishabie apart. The result
of tn s close superv sion ofthe votes of the OPP
which prevailed among them lest they should
be discharged very naturally affected tn. re-
gave to the candidates favor d by the en-
pioy er a large number of votes they would not
have received if perfect freedom of action had
been allowed to the workmen. Your Commit
tee examined a mum err Of witnesses in regard
to the mana2e ment and manner of voting at
Webster, Worcester County, by the employees
of the Slater Manufacturing Company, which
employs several hundred men, a mai rily of
whom were Irishmeri and the result showed
intimidation. The same was the case at the
Douglass AK Factory, where the agents of the
company stood at the door of the election
hou e, watched every one of the employees
who came in passed him the Republican ticket
and told him 1t would be to his III crest TO vote
pany employs a large number of hands, most of
whom were Democrats, but underline orders of
nearly all required to vote the Republican
ticket in November, 1878. The foreman of the
doV az po th dor and a. sh gay on
box, and required tine men employed under
him to vote the Republican ticket. Another
of the employees was directed to tell them
that this waS their employers wish and they
must govern them-cives accordingly. This
was done and the men very generally 0beyed
the orders given. One testifi, d that he did not
and was soon driven out o1 that employment
III ne I Oh is.s IN a nus ~ seems
SO far as your committee could learn, minis
vted II TO aid in the eampaisn by T frnisbing the
names and pOst-Office address of their church
members, TO the end that documents contain
ing the dOgmas of a political party might be
sent to them through the mails. Your COM
mttee deems this system of electioneering
dan erous and vicious, calculated as well to
bring the Christian religion into the mire of
politics as to arouse sectarian luminosity among
In pursu ing another duty enioined by the
Senate, in Rhode Island, this subject of cor
trolling the votes of employees by the employi
ers through fear of lOs 8 of work was inc dent
ally examined. AT Westerly, in the south
west part of the State, there are Two corpora
tions known as the New England Granite Com
pany aud the Smith Granite Company. They
employed in 1876 about one hundred and fifty
men in getting out and preparing granite. |
Direct influence was brought to bear upon |
these employees about Il week before the p, es- |
idential election of 1s76 by these corporations
issuing handful and circulating il where the |
men worked, which stated that the election of |
Mr.. Tilden would be a great injury to their |
which declared they would secure their own |
interest by voting against Mr.. Tilden. The !
Gil cuar was in these words:
70 To all voters employed by the N. e. Granite !
Works and the Smith Granite Company:
Having become fully convinced that the
election OF Samuel j. Tiiden and a Democratic |
Cong on the 9TH of November will do a |
great injury To our business, and will also be |
a National calamity, we do most earnestly al I
publican ticket, most especially for Il Repub-
!ican member of Congress. You will by SO do
ing secure your own interest, our interest, |
The N. E. GRANITE WORKS,
The SMITH GRANITE COMPANY.
The plain implication from thu language
here used is that the injury to the business of.
pho, ment to the workmen. and it undoubtedly
lad the effect to intimidate voters. 1t was
,ionul election the Republicans used coiored
ballot of a very distinctly marked color, and
hat the Democratic ballot was plain white.
At that time there were u number of Demo-
}, ats employed in the works who attended
Democratic meetings and desired TO vote tuat
tckct, but when these men came to vote on
election day men in the employ of the Hope
Company stood at the ballot
)ox and watched the ballots all day. Some of |
hese Democrats went home without voting.
md others declared mat they did not dare to
fote. AT woonsocket there are seven or eight
arre manufacturing establishments usually
'pe ating as corporations. They employ many
Forkmen. a majority OF whom are of foreign
birth. and among the employees are many
whose opinions are Democratic. 1t WAS shown
hat at Almost every election for years ihese
gems. who were Republicans, and in
cry many cases under circumstances
renth Ward Of Provo Providcnce ' at the the
by the cops 81 cd
ANY was at the polls with his book, and as ev-
ny man working for his establishment would
asst his ballot he would check his name or
vrite his name down upon the BOOK. He was
lot there as an official of the election. He
sould watch to see which way man voted,
nd then make memoranda in his book. En-
loyes complained of this and said they were
fraid to vote. The ward was largely Demo- ,
ratio, and this action produced disturbance
n the part of citizens, who sought to have the
lme-kecper removed because the employees
+ the Corliss Steam-Engine Company were
fraid if they voted according to their princi-
les they would be discharged from the works,
nd he was finally removed from the place. | .
he company employed several hundred men
that time.
The civilized bull-dozin9 which find to
ave existed in the ancient and honored Com ,
ionv ealths of Massachu sets aud Rhode Isl
nd is an evil which the people of those states
lust themselves Correct. and your committee q
eel that In bringing the facts to the public !,
axe they will help TO strengthen a sentiment l
lready in existence, and aid in crystallizingit
ITO such statutory enactment5 of those =
tates as will correct the evil or punish its rep
tition. l
he Price Paid for a Fraudulent {
President.
In the multitude of items that make =
p the Deficiency bill, which passed the