Q. A witness, James F. Bouner, has testified that he was discharged from the Slater mills after being threatened through Mr. Slater by Mr. Hilton that if he did not vote as Hilton (or Slater) wished, and induce the men under him to vote, he would be sent from the mills. Is that statement true or false?-A. It is false.

Q. Who is this James F. Bouner?-A. He is a man who lives in the village. That is all I know about the man.

Q. Do you know anything about his having been discharged?-A. No, sir; only for worthlessness, as we may term it. That was not owing to the election whatever. It was five months previous to the last (November) election and some weeks after the town election.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Q. How long were you at the polls?-A. I went to the polls about a quarter past two and left at three. I was not at the polls all of that time; I was not at the polls five minutes.

Q. What were you doing?-A. Nothing, only in conversation with

friends.

Q. You made no attempt to distribute tickets?—A. No, sir. I am always the last man to leave the mill to go to vote. 1 make it a rule to send my hands before me so that I know when they come back and when I can leave my work in safety.

Q. All who were entitled to go had gone before you ?—A. Yes, sir. Q. Do you know of any voters in the mill who did not go to vote that day -A. Not that I know of.

Q. Do you know the politics of the men in the mill ?—A. They are about equally divided. I don't know but that the Democrats have a majority of two.

Q. How many voters are there among them?-A. There are about twenty in the cambric works. Of those about eleven are Democrats.

Q. How many of those voted the Democratic ticket?-A. Elevenall whom I suppose to be Democrats. It does not matter to me what they are; I don't bother about it.

Q. Do you think that everybody who wanted to vote for Butler there did vote for him?-A. Yes, sir; they had that privilege.

Q. Did any of them vote for Abbott that you know of?-A. I couldn't

say.

Q. You do not talk any politics about the establishment?-A. No, sir. It is not very becoming for overseers to do so.

Q. Were you at the polls in 1877-A. Yes, sir.

Q. How long did you stay there then?-A. I couldn't tell you; it is so long ago, and I can't keep these things in memory all the time. Q. You were somewhat active last fall?-A. No, sir. As I told you,

I sent every voter out of the mill before I went myself.

Q. In 1876 were you a voter ?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. Do you remember how long you were at the polls that day?—A. No, sir.

Q. Was the superintendent there that day?—A. No, sir.

By Mr. McDONALD:

Q. You have been in these works about sixteen years, and two years of that time you have been superintendent of the cambric works ?—A. Yes, sir.

Q. How long have you known this Mr. Bonner?-A. I couldn't tell you how long I have known him certainly, only that it is probably some five or six years.

Q. Was he under you?-A. No, sir; none of the time.

Q. He was in what establishment?-A. He was on the Slater Woolen Company's farm.

Q. Then you don't know anything about him, except as to his work?— A. I do not.

Q. You do not know what he was discharged for, do you?—A. I don't, only that it was some misconduct in his town; that was all.

Q. Do you know of any misconduct?-A. From what was going on generally among the people; that was all.

Q. You do not know anything about it yourself?-A. Definitely, no, sir.

PHILIP L. MOEN sworn and examined.

By Mr. PLATT:

Question. Do you reside at Webster ?-Answer. I do.

Q. Are you a manufacturer?—A. I am.

Q. Of what firm?-A. The Washburne & Moen Manufacturing Company.

Q. Are you the president and manager?-A. I am.

Q. About how many men did that establishment employ in 1878 ?— A. About 1,300, I think.

Q. Do you know how many of them are voters?-A. I have not the least idea.

Q. Do you know the relative proportions of Republicans and Democrats?-A. I could only judge from their nationality; it would be a mere surmise. I have not the least idea how they were divided.

Q. Were you present at a meeting of some of the leading citizens of Webster held prior to the fall election of 1878 ?—A. I was

Q. Will you state as concisely as you can what was said and done at that meeting?-A. Nearly all that was said there was said in the way of remarks made by Judge Thayer, who was chairman of our State committee. He stated that the canvass had been made; that all the prob abilities were in favor of the Republicans succeeding at the gubernatorial election; that it was of great importance that we should have a full vote, and that we should certainly carry Worcester if we could bring out our full vote. There seemed to be some little lukewarmness, it was thought, among the leading Republicans.

Q. Was any suggestion made at that meeting, either open or covert, that the manufacturers should exert an influence or put a pressure upon their hands to vote against Butler ?-A. There was not the least.

Q. As a manufacturer, did you attempt in any way to influence your employés in their votes ?-A. I did not, either directly or indirectly. Q. One witness testified here that he had heard that at that meeting it was proposed, on the part of somebody, that the manufacturers should not openly threaten their hands with discharge, but should talk in a way which would give them to feel that they were in danger of discharge unless they voted for Butler, and that you objected to that.-A. I don't think any such suggestion was made. I was there during the whole session, and there was nothing approaching that, or anything like it.

Q. It was testified that they must not openly say this, but that they must present the alternative in some way.-A. Nothing of that kind was said in my hearing. The most that was said was that we ought to address our men upon the canvass upon the importance of sound money. I believe that some such suggestion as that was made. That was the most pointed suggestion that was made.

Q. So far as your knowledge is concerned, was any effort made by your superintendent or officers, or otherwise, to try to control the votes. of the employés so as to have them cast against Butler?—A. None whatever.

Q. None was by your direction?-A. None was by my direction or my knowledge.

Q. And if done you would have been pretty likely to have heard of it? A. I would have been pretty like to have heard of it. I spent my time there.

By Mr. McDONALD :

Q. How were the members of this meeting brought together?—A. I think by a written request to attend the meeting. I received a note from somebody; I have forgotten from whom.

Q. Where was the meeting held?-A. At the office of Colonel Washburne.

Q. In the inner office?-A. There is no inner office; there are what might be called two large offices in one, the partition having been removed. The place was formerly used for two stores.

Q. It was a second-story room?—A. It was.

Q. The two rooms had been thrown into one?-A. Yes, sir.

Q. With a division between them still forming a partition?-A. There was very little division, indeed.

Q. You were in the back part of the place?-A. Yes, sir; they were two front offices, not back.

Q. One would be a little nearer the door than the other?-A. Yes. Q. How many persons were in attendance at that meeting ?—A. I should think not much more than a dozen; it seems to me there were not more than that.

Q. Can you give me the names of those who were present?—A. I can give the names of several of those who were present. Those were, I think, Mr. George Crompton, Mr. E. W. Vaill, Mr. George S. Barton. I don't recall any others except Judge Thayer and Colonel Washburne, though there were others.

Q. Was Mr. Walker there?-A. Joseph H. Walker was present, I remember. He left before the meeting was over; he had to go out of town.

Q. All of those parties, except Mr. Thayer, the chairman of the RepublicanState central committee, and Mr. Washburne, the chairman of the city committee of Worcester, were what are termed manufacturers, were they not?-A. Yes; most of them, I think, were such.

Q. They were all persons having charge of or in some manner interested in employing more or less help in manufacturing establishments?—

A. Yes, sir.

Q. What number of employés would you say that that meeting represented ?—A. I never thought of it in that light. It might have been two thousand, possibly more.

Q. Were they all of the county of Worcester ?-A. Of the city of Worcester. I think there was nobody there from out of town.

Q. They were what may be termed the leading manufacturers of the city of Worcester?-A. They were.

Q. You say that, as far as speech-making took place there, the prin cipal speech was made by Mr. Thayer, the chairman of the State central committee?-A. It was.

Q. Did he explain the purpose of calling that meeting?-A. He thought there was some lukewarmness and that we were in danger, as we some

times are, of not bringing out the full Republican vote. He thought that if the employers

Q. Had he any doubt how you would vote?-A. I suppose not. He ought not to have had.

Q. Nor of any other gentleman who was there?-A. I suppose not. Q. What further did he say ?-A. That we should interest ourselves to have the Republican voters vote.

Q. The Republican voters from where?-A. Those in our employ. Q. From the mills?-A. From the mills.

acter.

Q. You say there was a suggestion made that you ought to bring your employés together and talk to them. Do you remember who made that suggestion?-A. I do not. There were some suggestions of that charHe urged upon them the importance of the canvass, to endeavor to bring out a full vote, and explained the importance of the election. Q. Do you remember in substance just what Mr. Thayer said to you with reference to the importance of the election ?-A. I could not say. I remember distinctly the manner in which he expressed his confidence as to the result, and that he said the canvass, so far as it had been made, indicated that there would be a sufficient vote to carry the election for the Republicans.

Q. He said that the canvass, so far as it had been made, indicated that result. What further did he say in reference to your exerting your personal influence as well as giving your votes to the cause?—A. I do not recall any suggestion other than the one I have named.

Q. When that suggestion was made, about calling the mill hands together and addressing them, who objected to it ?-A. I believe that I remarked that I never did speak to my men as to how they should vote. Q. Do you recollect whether Mr. Crompton joined you in that ?—A. I do not.

Q. Or Mr. Walker?-A. No, sir.

Q. You cannot remember from whom the suggestion came?—A. I

cannot.

Q. Did it not come from Mr. Thayer?-A. It might have. I do not recollect that it did.

Q. Did he not rather upbraid you for not using this influence upon your men?-A. I do not recollect.

Q. Did he not speak of the activity and time that other members were devoting to this cause, and rebuke you for your sluggishness?—A. I think not.

Q. He gave you some account of how the canvassing had been progressing up to that time, did he not?-A. He simply made the general remark without giving the particulars.

Q. Did he not tell you that the committee had issued a circular to ministers to have them influence their several congregations ?—A. That was not stated in that meeting.

Q. You knew that such a circular had been issued?—A. If there was any such, I have forgotten it. I am not a very active politician, not a ward politician.

Q. Mr. Thayer was very actitive-A. Yes; certainly; he is.

Q. Did he not stir you with his eloquence ?-A. I do not know. We are always very much interested in what he says.

Q. He threw a great deal of earnestness into his discourse on that occasion?-A. Perhaps so.

Q. Do you say you are sure that, in speaking of the instrumentalities which the party were using, he did not say anything in relation to the

circular to ministers of the gospel?-A. I am sure he made no allusion to anything of the sort.

Q. In his testimony here, the other day, giving his reasons for having called you in among others, he said he regarded you as a man possessing a good deal of moral influence on account of your connection with the church, or something to that effect.-A. That may be; I do not know how much I have; it may be very little.

Q. Was any suggestion of that kind made?-A. Nothing of the sort. was intimated.

Q. Had you ever before been called in to attend a manufacturers' meeting of that kind?-A. I do not remember any.

Q. Was it not the first gathering of manufacturers in a political canvass that you ever attended?—A. I think it was.

Q. Did it not strike you as unusually strange?-A. No; I do not think it struck me as unusually strange. We had a good deal at stake about sound money in those days.

Q. Do you not think it a little strange that manufacturers were singled out? Why should they not have called in some of the merchants, the bankers, and so forth ?-A. I do not know; it was thought, perhaps that they would have a little more influence in several ways.

Q. He thought that these gentlemen who represented several thous and men would probably in their influence be a little more efficacious than would be others?-A. Very likely.

By the CHAIRMAN:

Q. In the meeting there, did not Mr. Thayer exhort all the gentlemen there to use all the influence they had with those upon whom they had influence?—A. I think he might have; to use all their influence over those over whom they had influence, in a proper way. I think he might have used the expression.

Q. Was Mr. Washburne connected with you as a manufacturer?—A. No, sir; he is in the insurance business.

Q. Was anything said about money?-A. No, sir; nothing was said about money.

Q. Were any of the gentlemen there speakers?-A. Mr. Walker made speeches sometimes.

Q. Was it to utilize the speaking talent of the gentlemen present that the meeting was called ?-A. I think not, particularly.

Q. It was simply to get an exertion of the influence which the gentlemen who were called there possessed?-A. I think so.

Q. You yourself opposed the exertion of any influence you possessed directly upon your employés ?-A. I did; I told them that.

Q. Did not Mr. Washburne express himself to the effect that it was right that such influence should be exerted?-A. Perhaps he did; I do not recollect it.

Q. Mr. Washburne said the purpose was to get them to use their influence upon the employés, and that he thought that that was was right? -A. No, sir. Does he say so there! [Indicating the stenographic notes.]

Q. My impression is that in his testimony he said he thought it was right. Do not understand me as saying he stated that he thought it was right to intimidate workmen.-A. No, sir.

Q. Did you, later, understand Mr. Washburne as saying that be had subsequently seen any employers of labor ?-A. I have not the least recollection of that.

Q. Do you know how many Democractic voters there are in those