The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-10-29
APPEALS TO VOTERS
To Assert Their Rights at the Ballot
Box and Not to Submit to Co
ercion or Intimidation.
Organization Pledged TO Protect
Voters and Punish the scoun-
dreIs who Attempt to In
timidate Them.

Chicago, Oct. 22.-[special. l-Senator
tional committee. has given out the
following:
To THE AMERICAN PEOPLE:
I'm view of the fact that the great
corporations, with scarcely an excep-
tlon, and many of the large employers
of labor in the United States. are en-
gagged in a concerted effort to coerce
their employees into voting at the ap-
preaching election gainst their own
convictions. 1 deem 1t my duty to call
upon all those who believe in the SUI
premacy of the law and the untram-
meled freedom of the individual in the
right of exercising the ballot to use
their utmost effort to prevent the sue
cess OF this most fragrant act of law
lessness; for IL this conspiracy succeeds
government by corporation will have
superseded government by the people.
Corporations have no powers-ex-
cept those conferred specifically in the
laws creating them. The right to
coerce voters or to interfere with
American citizens in the exercise of
their rights at the ballot box are not
named in any of these acts of incor-
dertake to exercise such powers they
become lawbreakers and the good of
society demands that they be rebuked
and punished. During the present con-
test, which involves questions of the
utmost moment to the American peo-
pie, thousands of men have been COM
PEELED, by fear of losing their places, to
Join clubs andmarch in professions in
hah ho Of &c
from corporation bosses to vote the
Republican ticket, which are perfectly
understood to convey a threat of dis
charge in case of refusal, are made
every day to men who dare not resent
the insult.
"The corporations which thus app cal to
force and fraud strike at the very fuunda-
tion of Republican government, and the
lovers of free institutions must arouse
themselves Co cave the country from its
great peril.
Especially should the workingmen
assert their manhood rights. If they
vote their convictions and in accordance
with their interests, the DemocI attic
ticket is certain of election, and in that
case the employing corporations will
have no desire to embark upon q policy
of punishment. On the contrary, they
will be eager to conciliate employees
who will have behind the assertion OF
their rights the vast powers of fed
eral administration in sympathy with
those who toll. But should they SUBJ
init to coercion and elect an admin
istration that will be the creature of
the corporations and moneyed inter-
ests Of the country those workingmen
whose entire submissiveness Is regard
ed with suspicion will find themselves
replaced by men who can be depended
upon to vote as they are told. In the
contest that Is raging the salvation of
the workingman lies in the assertion
at the polls of his rights as free and
Independent American citizen.
1.-THE state laws providing for the Aus
tralian ballot, IL en- for ced, are ample to
protect every citizen in the secrecy of the
ballot, and the corporate anarchists m ust
be compelled to obey these laws, whether
they arc willing or not.
"The preparation of this attempted
outrage upon free suffrage will work
its own cure. An indignant people, Jealous
of their rights, will demand that the
legislatures, state and national, shall
proceed atonce by rigorous measures to
preVenl the possiplity OF repetitlon
VI such attempts hereafter
While the metropolitan press, with
few honorable exceptions, is under
the domination OF these incorporated
cohsplrators ana Is pasely supserVlent
10 their "lshes' the country newspa-
pers as RUE remain undebauched
ana are still In sympathy with the
principles OF government established
py washington ana Jefferson, and IL
lustrated ana maintained by jackson
ana Lincoln. They VIII cry out and
spare not until legislation Is had that