St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-11-12
THE GREAT INTIMIDATOR.

In Harper's Weekly for Nov. is one
of Nast's caricatures that is worthy
more than a passing notice. A ''prac-
teal politician" of the Tammany hall
type stands facing "License," once
Iiberty hall" In his right hand is a
bottle labeled cold rye" which he holds
to the nose of rum soaked fellow, a
representative of the class of beings
in the North who are ever ready to ex-
change votes for rum. In the pOliti-
clans left hand is a bottle labeled
whisky" into which a barefOOted and
ragged darkey is gazing with an ex-
pectant smile on his face. Underneath
the picture is the legend, "The great
est American intimidatOrs, North and
South" while the politician says to
both, "Vote as | dictate"
Mast never made picture truer to
life. The fellow at the right is a ia
milar figure in every Northern city.
In many New England towns he is not
a stranger. Everywhere men can be
found ready to exchange the poison
for the wretched mans vote. Even in
Massachusetts it has been found neces-
sary to enact new law to overcome
the influence of rum, and liquor saloons
are now required to be closed on cleo
tion days.
We have no thought of repeating
old temperance stories. The world is
making wonderful advances and, with
al, is growing better as the days go on.
But stop a moment and study this pic
ture. How near the edge of this
precipice is it worth while for this ma
ton to go? If rum can be exchanged
for votes to any extent in New England
communities if the men holding the
offices and shaping the course of the
government are put in power by rum
bought votes, what will be, what must
he the final result ? What sort of a
superstructure can be built on rum
foundation ?
But this influence is at work with
greater success in the South than in
the North as a vOte-buying power
More potent than the bulldOzer's rifle
is the bottle of whisky in the hands of
the scheming politician who seeks the
poor freedmaD's vote. The Sunday
following Cleveland's inauguration,
when the colOred people of the South
were. terror stricken because of the
fear that they were to be sold back in
to slavery and to be shot down like
dogs, General Armstrong called the
500 or more students of Hampton In
stitute together and told them that
they had little to fear from the shot
gun or the old shareholders power.
Those dangers were passed. But, he
said with all the emphasis he could
give it, another enemy lies in wait for
the freedman many times more to be
dreaded than the old slave catcher, the
enemy of strong drink. Worse than
the slavery of % years ago is the slav-
cry of rum. 1t is the one power that
will be used to get the black mans
vote, to rob him of his newly acquired
liberties. General Armstrong knew
whereof he spoke. He fought for the
black man and has since devoted his
life to preparing him for the duties of
So at last the North and South, once
at war, now at peace, have a common
enemy -rum. 1t is the power that
works in any way and every way to
accomplish its purpose, which is always
the downfall of the man or nation that
becomes it's victim. Here it works
insidiOusly and there openly and with
a brazen face, but both here and there
it always is, "The Great IutimidatOr."