The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-17
RIVER AT s A. NJ.
GENUINE CoERCIoN-

We have heard so much about CO.
erclon during the progress of this cam
paign that it is interesting when gen
uine instances of it come under no.
tice. We find them supplied literally
In the reports of the special correspond
ents of the G. b e, who have been
making and are now completing their
thorough canvass of the situation in
Minnesota. 1t would be more accurate.
perhaps, to speak of this new depart
ure in politics as the application of the
boycott to political affairs, rather than
as coercion. No man can force an
other, under secret ballot law, to
vote anyway except as he pleases. He
can so intimidate him as to prevent him
from giving expression to his political
beliefs and seeking to impress them
upon others. This is what we find to
be happening in the smaller cities and
towns in nearly all parts of this state.
1t is an evidence of the bitterness that
has been introduced into the campaign
by agitation of the class issue, and of
the submergence of the old idea of alb
solute freedom of speech and of thought
in affairs political, that such a condi-
ton should exist
The boycott is applied In all
these cases, not to the employe.
but to the employer The men
ace is held over the heads of business
men, and not of laboring men. From
dozens of points our correspondents re-
port that merchants and manufacture
ers. all persons, in fact, who depend
upon public custom for their support
and whose livelihood is derived from
trade, either refuse to express them
selves altogether, or give their opinions
under pledge of secrecy and on the
condition that their names shall not
be mentioned. The reason that they
give for this is that they fear the eff
ieet upon their business of a frank
declaration of their political attitude
Both sides appear to be under this ap
prehension, although, nine-tenths of all
such persons being in favor of the
gold standard, the political boycott
acts most effectually in the silver in
terest
No matter in which direction this
weapon may cut. it is an outrage and
disgrace that it should be emploved in
any American community. The carry
ing of political luminosity into business
life and commercial relations is one
symptom of the growth in this coun-
Try of tendency to repress and de-
stroy individual liberty, which has
never shone out so strongly as in tba
Bryan campaign. 1t is a part of the
gospel of hate which that gentleman
and his associates and supporters n,o-
TESS so vigorously Their issue being
to set man against man and to declare
that he who does not happen to apraa
with you is traitor to his country
ana person so vile that even his
right to existence may be questioned
it is no wonder that those who ,is+on
TO them believe that all measures are
permissible when such a battle is IN
oe fought. Politics becomes to then,
no longer the free play of intelligence
and moral forces, with view to ascer-
tain by balancing them where the
opinion of the majority lies, but it is
changed into demoniacal contest for
mastery. in which no fate is too
frightful for the defeated, and all
measures that preservation can
suggest sre to be sanctioned. This Is
the reason why right-thinking people.
however they may feel on the silver
question are getting daily to regard
the Bryan campaign as not only a
threat against prosperity and honor.
but az crusade against the best thing
that the Ions process of evolution has
wrought fer i..ankind.
Consider the sltitatigr. ksnar. whose
business is buying ard selling Ger