Benjamnin F. Butler, Butler's Book: Autobiography and Personal Reminiscences of Major-General Benjamin Butler

[106] He further stated that this was the determination of all the corporations in the city. Not a word was said as to discharging anybody for voting. This interview was published broadcast and never denied.

One of the two committee-men referred to was apparently so well satisfied that the influence of the corporations would be potent to carry the election, that he resigned his candidacy for representative. Against my wishes, but in order to emphasize the fact that the issue was on the ten-hour law and must be fought out, I was nominated to fill his place. Of course I was not elected, all the “Hunker” Democrats cutting my name,--and there were about one hundred of them.

The ten-hour meeting which stood adjourned till the Saturday before election was held at City Hall on that day. As the threats to discharge men for voting as they chose had been wholly withdrawn by the managers of the corporations, and as the objectionable notice had been destroyed, ten-hour questions were there discussed only on their merits; and there was no interruption or disturbance.

The Whigs, however, held a meeting on Saturday evening in the train-house at the Merrimac Street station. As a large number of ten-hour men were Irishmen, one William S. Robinson, of Brooklyn, an Irish orator, was hired to address the working-men. He spoke from a platform car standing on the track. That meeting was slightly rebellious. His listeners gathered round the upper end of the car, and, leaning heavily upon it, moved it gently down the track, out of the depot and into the darkness. Although invited, I had declined to attend that meeting.

The election was held. Five Coalitionists and one Whig were elected; and the elections in the other towns of the State gave the Coalitionists a fair working majority in both House and Senate. We in Lowell, however, determined that the stamp of reprobation should be put upon the action of the mayor and aldermen in falsifying the returns, and giving certificates to those members apparently elected at the second election. So, upon the meeting of the legislature, when the representatives elected at the second election had taken their seats, we presented the claims to seats of our list of representatives elected at the first election, and their seats were given to them almost without opposition.

At the next session of the grand jury I had the action of the mayor and aldermen presented, and they were indicted. Upon the