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Show COERCING VOTERS. A special to the Tribune says that all the lock tenders, bank watchers and other employes em-ployes of the State canals of New York ! were compelled to pay $5 each to the Democratic Dem-ocratic campaign fund, and that when the men were paid their wages that amount was demanded, and if not complied with, the men were discharged. We very much doubt this, especially when we remember re-member that yesterday was election day in New York and the result was in favor of the Democrats and against the Republicans. Repub-licans. On the supposition that such was the case, we should say that such action was but an intimidation and a coercion of voters. The man who is from any circumstance cir-cumstance compelled to vote a ticket he does not like, will naturally be an enemy to the party so compelling him, and if the party shall be returned re-turned to power, he will feel that it is there unjustly ; and he will be right in his feeling. Coercing Voters' by one method is as bad as coercing by another method, and in hard times, with winter fast approaching, ap-proaching, to threaten to deprive a man of the means of livelihood is as wicked as to threaten a man's life if he does not vote a certain way. If we remember rightly, I the Civil Service Act of New York makes it a crime to solicit campaign funds from public employes, and this coercion of the State canal men was a solicitation so-licitation of the most persuasive kind. It should be remembered that this charge of coercion comes from Republican Repub-lican sources, and that that party would only be too well pleased to be able to fasten some such crime upon the Democrats Demo-crats of New York, as they are very sore over their defeat of last year and yesterday. yester-day. If this report should prove to be untrue, those who started it are as vile as those who would coerce a voter. |