The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-08-19
The Bloody Shirt.

The Bloody Shirt.
At Cincinnati the democracy declared
that ''The right of free ballot is the right
preservative Of all rights. and must and
shall be maintained in every part of the
United States" On this platform thew hey,
placed union general and shouted in
great glee, mo more waving of the bloody
shirt" How, at this early stage of the cam
paign, events begin to give lie to the impu-
dent assumption of the democratic party
that it is the natural protector of a free
ballot! In every part of the south demo-
Gratis are taking steps to render a free bal
lot impossible In South Carolina the red
shirt, rifle, and sabre clubs give notice
through the public press that they will as
sumo control of any republican meetings
which may be convened. In Texas q Uni
ted States official is driven from his home
under threat of assassination because he
darcs to make republican speech, In
Missouri the American flag is hauled down.
torn into shreds, and plated into ropes
What i mockery is the nomination of q
union general by a political party guilty
Of these outrages! What Standardization
on the part of 4 union general to ac-
cept such nomination! Gen. Hancock
processes to love the flag which his SUD-
Porters trample in dust. That flag is the
emblem of the authority which he aspires to
WELD. Can he doubt that the DESIGN Of
his southern supporters is that he shall dis
grace rather than honor it? How dare he.
if he be Il loyal man, and if he be true to
his convictions, become the candidate of
party which with shotguns defes free
speech and BAN shes free citizens? There
is no room for doubt of the truth of these
reports. From every quarter of the south
they come we'll authenticated. The south
ern press trumpets them to the north in
tone Of lofty defiance. Says the Barnwell
Is. CO. People:
~ We learn that Z. W. -. Mackey and ". n.
1a1t the bravest and most brazen radicals in the
state, together with numerous lesser party LIGHTS
will be in Blackville on Tuesday. There IS one
lesson which the republicans of this state have not
learned. The sooner they know and become re-
conciled to the inevitable the better it will be for
them. 1t is this The democrats have obtained
control Ut the state Of South Carolina. and they
intend to retain it at every hazard and in spite Of
the utmost efforts Of local enemies and their
northern allies We arc requested by the highest
competent democratic authority to invite all demo-
cratic candidates to attend the republican meet
ing. They are expected to be on hand.
And the Barnwell Sentinel says:
1t is the duty of the democratic party t., have
representatives at this meeting from ali parts Of
the country. So let all clubs send fair representa-
tlves among them. Let them be men who viii
nail lies to the wall fast they are told Demo-
cratic candidates should attend to man.
The clubs here referred to are those
notorious Red Shirts, Rifles and Sabres.
which shot down innocent men in Ellen
ton in 1876 for the crime (?) of assembling
together as Republicans" Gen. Hancock,
what, in your opinion, does the phrase Tin
tend to retain control of the state of South
Carolina at every hazard" mean? It
means terrorism, and threats, and assassi-
nation to secure your election; and you
know it! 1t means that your candidacy in
South Carolina is to BE- supported at the
bayonet's point; and you know it! I.
means that, in South Carolina, democrats
will murder republicans to prevent them
from defeating you with free ballot; and
you know it!
The democratic party at Cincinnati de-
clared itself in favor of "homc rule" and
you, Gen. Hancock, will adopt that plat
form as your political creed. What do
you mean by ''home rule?'' Is it the
home rule which prevails in Texas? Mr..
Amos L. Bissell was threatened with as
sassination, and compelled to flee from his
home in the Town of Brazoria for his
Lie 1Or making speech in which he thus
described the character Of home rule in
Texas:
l complained that, while ample provisions
were made for the education Of the white chill
dron, only partial provision was made for the
colored; that the assessment for taxes was two or
three times as much on the property of colored
people us on the same kind of property belonging
to white people; and further, that, while colorel
persons confined in Jail were hired out for the
benefit OF county treasury. white in the same
tx were not intcrfercd with.
Is this the sort of ''home rule'' ca lied for
by the democratic platform, and Endorsed
by you, Gen Hancock?
Will some democrat in behalf of Ger.
Hancock, do us the favor to answer these
questions? One of two things is about to
happen; either the Bulldozers, the ku-
klux Klans, the Red Shirts, and rifle and
Sabre Clubs must disband, must cease to
murder, or the democratic party will wit
ness such bloody-shirt campaign as it has
not seen since the whipped Rebels sur
rendered at Appomattox. If the South is
to be kept solid by assassination, the
North will be made solid by horror -
Chicago Journal.