establishments?-A. I do not. I suppose there are more of those than of Republicans, because the workmen are generally Irish and German.

Q. Do you think that those workmen would have voted the tickets which they did vote if the meeting had not been got up?-A. I suppose

So.

Q. There was a pretty warm feeling down there in Worcester? It is the focal point of the antagonism to Butler ?-A. Yes.

Q. From Worcester goes out the influence of the opposition to Butler ? -A. Yes, sir.

Q. (By Mr. PLATT.) Not all?-A. Not all. We don't wish to monopoWe only wish that there was a great deal more.

lize all.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Q. Was this a meeting of those who were specially antagonized to General Butler?-A. O, I think not.

Q. It was a meeting simply of those who were Republicans and connected with the Republican organization?-A. Yes.

Q. Had you been called into council in the election campaign of November, 1877-A. I think not.

Q. Were you called into council in 1876 ?—A. No, sir; I think not. Q. This was the first time that you had come together?-A. Yes, it was the first time that we had come together.

Q. You seem to have been a forlorn hope?-A. No, we were rather hopeful. We knew that we had to be rather active.

Q. You had a lively antagonist? A. Yes.

Q. Then the meeting, being neither for speakers nor for money, was for some other purpose, and that was simply the exertion of the influence of the gentlemen who were there, that was the purpose?—A. That was the design.

Q. That was urged by Mr. Thayer?-A. Yes.

Q. Did you follow out that design?-A. I simply went home and attended to my business.

Q. You made no effort to influence your employés ?-A. Not a particle.

By Mr. PLATT:

Q. Were those who were there, aside from the influence they had as manufacturers, men of influence in the city, leading men ?—A. Yes, sir; and gentlemen who always take considerable interest in a Republican

canvass.

Q. They were men who were generally interested in public matters?— A. Certainly.

By Mr. BLAIR:

Q. Was this opposition to General Butler made against him personally, or rather to the dangerous financial theories which he advocated?—A. The theories he seemed to advocate were what stirred us up.

Q. What was the general feeling among manufacturers as to the effect upon the industries of this State if the financial theories of General Butler should prevail?-A. It was deemed of great importance that they should not prevail, that they would be very injurious to our inter

ests.

Q. Do you consider the interests of the manufacturer and the workmen whom he employs as substantially identical ?—A. We always regard them in that light.

Q. How is it possible for one to flourish unless the other does?—A. They cannot, in our judgment.

Q. You looked upon this then as an issue which involved the prosperity of the laboring people quite as much as it involved the prosperity of the employers?-A. The prosperity of all classes.

Q. Theu any special influence which you wished to exert was in the way of enlightening the voters as to the real nature of the issues involved?—A. That was my desire, so far as I had any influence.

Q. You were actuated by a desire to promote that policy which would be for their interest as well as for your own?-A. Certainly.

Q. So far as you know were any unlawful or improper means employed by manufacturers in your city or anywhere in the State?—A. I heard of none in our vicinity or elsewhere. I do not believe that any were exerted.

Q. The feeling which you had in connection with the party's success was rather of an industrial than of a strictly political character?-A. It was partly both.

WILLIAM T. SHUMWAY Sworn and examined.

By Mr. BLAIR:

Question. Where do you reside?-Answer. In Webster.

Q. You have lived there how long?-A. Thirty-three years.

Q. What town offices have you held there?-A. Those of treasurer and selectman.

Q. Were you one of the selectmen at the election last autumn ?—A. I

was.

Q. How much of the time on election day were you present?-A. All of the time, except about fifteen or twenty minutes.

Q. As one of the selectmen it was your duty to be in charge of the voting?-A. In charge of the voting and in charge of the ballot-box.

Q. Have you connection with any manufacturing corporation in that town?-A. None whatever.

Q. What is your business?-A. The dry goods trade.

Q. Explain in regard to the situation of the ballot boxes, if there were more than one, and the uses to which they were respectively put.-A. There were two boxes, one for the State ticket and one for the ticket for representative to the general court of Massachusetts. The Representative in Congress was on the State ticket.

Q. How were those boxes situated with reference to each other?—A. They were placed side by side. I had charge of one and one of the other selectmen of the other, with the check perhaps three or four feet to the right. As a man came up to vote, he would call his name, if the man with the check list did not remember it. And upon his name being found on the check list or the voter's list, it would be checked, when we then opened the box, let the man vote and closed immediately.

Q. You had charge of one of these boxes, had you ?--A. I had charge of the State ticket box, the one for the tickets which contained the names of candidates for governor and Representative in Congress.

Q. Who had charge of the other box ?--A. Some of the time, Mr. Moore; the rest of the time, Mr. Howell.

Q. Mr. Moore had charge of the box in which were placed the tickets for the candidates for representative to the general court? He had nothing to do with the other box containing the names of the candidates for governor?-A. Nothing, unless it was at the time I was out for my dinner, fifteen or twenty minutes.

Q. Was it his duty or had he an opportunity to watch or control the vote of any man voting for governor?-A. Not in the least. He could not tell what ticket it was that a man was putting in the box in front of me, if he was attending to his own.

Q. So that you both were engaged in depositing ballots at the same time, were you?-A. Yes.

Q. The voters came up and passed along in front of the box ?--A. Yes. I think that at that time there was a space of perhaps six feet in width for them to go through.

Q. To which box did the voters come first?--A. The one that held the State ticket. The other was the next to the right.

Q. So that, as the voter approached, he would be under your eye rather than under the eye of Mr. Moore ?--A. Yes.

Q. How far apart did you and Mr. Moore stand?--A. We were seated. We were as near as we could sit comfortably.

Q. Was the floor on which the voter stood a little lower than where you were seated ?--A. Yes, sir.

Q. So that the voter was below you?--A. I should think perhaps two and a half feet below.

Q. As he passed along, was the face of the voter with reference to yourself, higher or lower ?--A. It was a little lower.

Q. A little lower than the table on which the box was placed ?--A. Yes.

Q. So that, as the voter approached, if he carried his ballot in the or dinary position, there were, between you and the ballot, the boxes and table that were in front of you. Could there then have been any reasonably good chance to scan the ballot as the voter approached ?--A. No chance whatever.

Q. There could be no chance unless it was thrust into the face of the selectmen?-A. No chance whatever.

Q. Did you notice any watchfulness on the part of the selectmen to see the votes as they were put in ?--A. Nothing, only to see that a voter put in only one.

Q. Did you observe Mr. Moore scrutinizing the conduct of the voter ?-A. I did not see him to speak to him at all.

Q. Did you observe him intermeddling or interfering with the conduct of the election in any way?--A. Not in any way or manner.

Q. Did any one, among the officers, conducting the balloting ?--A. No, one.

Q. As the voting was going on, did you notice on the floor of the house any interference by Republicans with Democrats?--A. No, sir; the only man who seemed to be at all anxious to have the men take the tickets was Mr. Waters.

Q. What was he doing?-A. Distributing votes and urging them to take his vote. He was the only man who seemed to be at all anxious in thrusting his votes into the hands of other people.

Q. He is the man who has testified here about the universal depravity of everybody else?-A. He is the one.

Q. In regard to the voting in envelopes, or the casting of votes that were inclosed in sealed envelopes, state whether there was much of that done.-A. Very little. I should think that some half a dozen were put in.

Q. You had occasion to open those envelopes afterwards, had you?— A. Yes, sir.

Q. Have you any recollection for whom they were cast, whether for

the Republican or the Democratic candidate?—A. I could not tell, as it was not part of my duty to see.

Q. You opened the sealed envelopes to ascertain how many votes there were?-A. Yes; to see that there was but one in an envelope and then put it it the pile where it belonged.

Q. You are not interested in any of these corporations?-A. Not in the least.

Q. They never undertook to intimidate you, and you dare to tell how it was there that day; now, if you do dare to tell it, let us know what you saw on the part of any one in regard to the intimidation of voters or any such practice; the committee will see that you are protected if you tell about it.-A. Í shall run my risk. I have no doubt I will be protected without the committee.

Q. Have you ever known of a freer election than was that of last November?-A. Never. It was the universally expressed opinion that it was the most quiet and orderly election that was ever known in the town.

By Mr. McDONALD :

Q. Pure and peaceable, was it?-A. Pure and peaceable.

Q. Pretty much one way ?-A. No; it was as near even as not to be rather exciting to those who cared much about it, but I was not inter. ested very much.

Q. How many stores are there in Webster ?-A. I should say about twenty-five, dry-goods and others.

Q. Who are your principal customers?-A. The operatives in the mills, in the shoe shops, and on the farms.

Q. In the factories ?-A. Besides the factories there are a good many shoe works.

Q. They are factories too?-A. Yes.

Q. So that the factory hands are your principal customers ?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. Do you get orders from the mills?-A. No, sir.

Q. You had charge of one of the boxes, you say, for most of the day? -A. Yes.

Q. And Mr. Moore had part of the day?-A. He had charge of the other box.

Q. How much of the day?—A. I could not recollect; I think nearly the whole time.

Q. You and he sat there side by side as the voters came along. Where they passed along, you say, was some two and a half feet below where these boxes were on the table. You had no difficulty in seeing who they were?-A. No.

Q. It was your duty to see that they were the right men ?-A. Yes, sir; that they were the ones whose names we had registered.

Q. It was Mr. Moore's duty to see in the same way?-A. Yes; they came to me first and I would call the name.

Q. Then Mr. Moore, sitting there by your side, could hear the name called and see the person who responded before the person voted in your box?-A. Yes.

Q. After the name was found on the registry and the man had voted in your box, he passed on to Mr. Moore's box?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. So that they were standing in front of you both at the time they were voting in the one box and in the other?-A. Yes.

ASHER T. MOORE sworn and examined.

By Mr. BLAIR :

Question. Do you reside in Webster?-Answer. Yes, sir.

Q. What is your employment?-A. I am superintendent of the woolen department of the Slater Manufacturing Company.

Q. How many men have you under you in your works?-A. Some two hundred, probably.

Q. How long have you occupied that position over them?-A. Some ten years.

Q. How many voters are there among those men ?-A. Thirty, perhaps.

Q. Of what nationalities are the men?-A. Irish, French, and Ger

mau.

Q. Any Americans?-A. Very few.

Q. About how many of Irish ?-A. I should say one-half of them.
Q. Of Germans?-A. Maybe a third.

Q. The rest are French ?—A. Yes, with a few English.

Q. From where do the French come?-A. Mostly from Canada.

Q. About how are they divided politically?-A. I should say that three-fourths of them are Democrats.

Q. Has that been so generally for the last ten years?—A. It has. Q. Have you not had them long enough to change them all into Republicans by bulldozing, intimidation, and the like?-A. We have not been able to do much of that yet.

Q. Has there been any change in the practice with regard to your workmen as to the effort to control their votes at all recently?-A. Not at all.

Q. You pursue the same system that you have pursued for the last ten years and you have not made much headway in changing Democrats into Republicans?-A. Very little.

Q. Do you think your performance in this respect has been satisfactory to your company?-A. I do.

Q. Do you mean to say that they are satisfied with such a meager result as that?—A. I do.

Q. What are your employers ?-A. I should say they are Conservative Republicans.

Q. They must be very conservative, must they not, if your effort is to keep a two-third Democratic vote there all the time?-A. They take very little interest in influencing a vote one way or the other; they have never taken but very little interest in that.

Q. Never for this last ten years?-A. No, sir.

Q. You have superiors there?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. Has your political conduct ever been interfered with in any way by your superiors or employers?-A. Not in the least.

Q. Or have they ever intimated to you that they desired you to exert any political influence one way or the other over your help?—A. No, sir. Q. Have you ever known Mr. Slater or the owners of this property or controllers of this corporation to make use of their relation toward their employés or any of the subordinates to affect a political result?-A. No, sir.

Q. Have you known of their threatening any of their superintendents with discharge or any of their workmen with loss of employment or any pecuniary disadvantage to promote a political result?-A. Never. Q. You attended the election last autumn ?-A. I did. Q. Did you vote?-A. Yes, sir.