Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-15
CIVILIZED BULLDOZING.

Minority Report of the Senate Select Com
mittee on Election Frauds in Massachu-
sets and Rhode Island-The Question of
Unconstitutional Abridgment of Suffrage
Dodged.
WASHINGTON, May Ex-senator Blair, in be-
half of the minority of the Senate select COM
mittee appointed to inquire into the alleged
frauds, etc., in recent elections. to-day sub
mitted report taking issue with the findings
of the majority as presented by Senator Wallace
last month. In regard to the alleged intimi-
dation of voters in the States of Massachusetts,
and Rhode Island characterized by the major
ity as civilized bulldozing, the minority deny
that one single allegation of fraud, miscon-
duct. civilized or uncivilized bull
DOING or intimidation, or attempted
intimidation, or political misconduct
of any kind on the part of any Republican, or
any employer or manufacturer, or any person
of any party, either in the State of Massachu-
sets or Rhode Island, was proven before the
committee. No doubt some abuses may exist
since these States are in this world, but any
impartial person will say that the committee
did not find them. The conclu-
sions of the majority are not
in accordance with the facts. Not only were
none of these charges proven, on the contrary,
so utterly were they exploded by the intrinsic
weight of evidence before the committee, that
no impartial man who reads the printed evil
dence can contradict this assertion:
The minority reviewed at great length the
testimony taken in Massachusetts and Rhode
Island, and says we have thus touched upon all
the allegations of fact found by the majority
from the great mass of testimony taken by the
commission.
Without occupying more space and time than
we are at liberty to appropriate, it is impossi-
BILE to properly analyze the testimony
and exhibit the utter failure of this
partisan attempt to defame the people of
two of the most renowned of American COM
monwealths. If suffrage is free and pure any,
where on the face of the earth it is free and
pure in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Re-
ligious toleration rose in the one and
American liberty was born in the
other. Iu both the independent virtues
of the sires survive in their souls. Whoever
attempts to institute q parallel between them
and the terrible condition which has well nigh
exterminated the Republican government in
some less fortunate portions of our common
country, from which condition the eternal
principles of liberty and Justice, as they exist
and are practiced in Massachusetts and Rhode
Island, alone can rescue them, commits an act
of futile hostility to the cause of good govern
ment throughout the land.
The minority remark that, finding no evil
dence whatever of intimidation at elections
either In massachusetts OF huOue lslan0, Jney
concur with the majority of the committee, al
though for an opposite reason, that there is no
call for national legislation upon that subject
SO far as those States are
concerned. But, they add, We can
not admit the impotent doctrine of
the committee, that their conclusions of fact
were true, to-wit: That improper practices
exist in the States visited 80 far as the election
of national officers are concerned, and the free
dom of choice by voters has been
interfered with, and persons practically
threatened with dismissal from employment
if they voted in opposition to the wishes of
their employers, that it is not within the COM
potency Of Congress to correct this wrong by
additional legislation provided the State fails
to remedy so profound an evil. Suffrage is not
under the final control of States, so far as ma
tionaI elections are concerned. The duty is
devolved by the constitution upon States
which by adopting the constitution, they
have agreed to perform. If they fail to per-
form that duty they do not destroy the consti-
tuition, but simply violate their duty and COM
pei the interference of Congress to presume the
method of establishing and enforcing necessary
laws. The minority report is signed by Sena-
tors Blair, Hoar, Teller, and Knkwood.