The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1868-06-12

| blnatlons- lst Russ on Crlms 2I1-o, 2c1
| The exercise of the elective franchise is
allowed by law to all qualified electors, free
| from threats, intimidation, compulsiOn. or
| illegal combination. The intention of the
| laws is that every elector shall vote accord,
| ing to the dictates of his own free will.
| Under our form of government the cleo
| tive franchise is considered the most valua-
| bic of all public rights, and persons unlaw-
| fully interfering with the free and unpreju-
| diced exercise of the same, are held to be
! criminals of high character. The offer of
| gifts or re3cdrds to influence the vote of an
| elector is punished with disqualification for
| any Office of profit or trust, exclusion from
| suffrage and Imprisonment in the penitentiary
| not more than two years, or IN the county
| Jail one year. or fined a thousand dollars, or
| both, at the discretion of the court. Code
| o79, art 81. That the managers of the 10y
| al Leagues have committed this crime, on a
/ most gigantic scale, there can be little
doubt. The fact that they have sworE all
| the feedmen in their lodges to SecreSy, and
| threatened them with criminal prosecutions
| 1T they diyul ged the secrets of the order, is
| evidence of criminal intent-that they were
| promised forty acres of land and mule
! and other rewards before the Convention
| election is a matter of confirmed RotoTiety.
| Our statute provides as follows;s TT 80
| Whoever shall procure, or endeavOr to pro-
| cure the vote of any elector. or the influence
| of any person over other electors, at any
! election, for himself or any candidate, by
means of violence. or threats of violence, or
| threat of withdrawing custom or dealing in
| business or trade, or of enforcing the pay
ment of a debt, or of bringing a suit or crIm-
inal prosecution, or by any other threat or
| injury to be inflicted by him, or by his
| means, shall, upon conviction, be forever
| disqualified to hold any office or place of
| trust, honor or profit, under the laws or con-
stitutiOn of this State, excluded from suf-
oh
| the penitentiary, for a term not exceeding
two years, or in a county jail, not more than
one year, or by fine not exceeding one thou
sand dollars, or by both such fine and i'm
prisOnment."
By our statute it is further provided that
II any person shall offer or give reward to
another for the purpose of inducing him to
persuade, or by any other means, not amount
ing to bribery, procure any person to rOte at
any election, for or against any person, the per-
son so giving or Offering, and he who shall
receive such reward, shall, upon conviction
| thereof, be imprisoned in the common Jail
for not more than one year, or fined not more
than five hundred dollars, or both, at the
discretion of the court" Rev Code, page
579, art. So That this statute fully covers
the gigantic frauds of the LOYAL Leagues in
the elective franchise, there can be no
reasonable doubt. That they procured the
freedmen, by means of unlawful oaths ana
pecuniary nature, to vote for the Radical
candidates and against the opponents at the
Convention election, and that they have
perfected this scheme and enlarged its crim-
inal proportions for the election the 22d
inst, is fact of which they publicly boast,
and no reason is perceived why Gen. Gillem
should not break up the lodges and disperse
the cOnspiratOrs.
CONVENTION COMMITTEES OF SEVEN.
AT SEVENTY DOLLARS PER DAY.
In addition to the Loyal Leagues estab-
ished all over the State, the late Convention
appointed committee of five-increased
now to seven, as we are informed-witb paw
of SO per day. This committee are author
lied to appoint three commissioners for
each county, at the same wages of registrars
to attend the election in each county, and
report to the committee. Inasmuch as Gen
Gillem has sole charge of the election, with
his military force, and has made ample pro
VISION tor the same, this committee and
commissioners of the Convention have no
lawful duties to perform They are not au-
thorized by the acts of Congress- nor bv
military orders. 1t is a fraud on the public
treasury of this State, and is manifestly
plan of the Convention to aid the Loyal
League In casting the negro vote for the
Radical candidates. The ouly duty reuuir
ed of these commissioners is to "attend the
election" "be present at the counting of the
the chairman of said committee, within
three days thereafter"
ONE HUNDRED AND ETGHTY-TH
COMMISSIONERS OF ELECTION, AT E
$l.09S PER DAY.
There are three Commissioners for each
county at So per day-with no time specified
when these offices shall end and no duties
to perform In which the public have any
interest whatever
Tere are sixty-one counties in the State
three Commissioners for each makes one
hundred and eighty-three Commissioners at
So per day. amounting to (Sl098) one thous-
and and Einety-eight dollars per day. for an
indefinite period of time.
GEN. GILLEM REQUESTED TO PROTECT
FREEDMEN.
The attention of Gea. Gillem. the Presi-
! dent and Congress, is called to this whole
| subject with the hope that they will see the
| propriety of protecting the freedmen from
| the VOLTS embrace of the Loyal Leagues
tue State of Mississippi and the United
| States from the public disgrace of permitting
| so abomInable fraud on the elective fran
chise, and the people of Mississippi from the
seizure of their government and revenues.
| WOULD DEMOCRATS BE ALLOWED To
| FORM SUCH A LEAGUE.
! If such vast and we'll organized conspir-
| dCy 10 corrupt, 1nUlHluaJe ana control the
! entire negro vote of the State, existed in
| the Democratic party, would it not be regar-
| ded as criminal offence-would it not he
| considered as unlawful attempt to pre-
vent some fifty sixty thousand voters
| from free exercise of the elective franchise
of what value is the elective franchise to
| the negro if he can be Kidnapped by the
! Loyal League and sworn to support their
| party and vote only such tickets as are put
| into his hands by the agents of that party.
Did Congress confer the right of suffrage
| on the negroes in order that few corrupt
| and designing men might direct their votes
to accomplish any selfish and corrupt pur-
! yose of their own !
1t is known that the members of the late
| Convention were elected in this manner by
the negro vote, and this alone should con
| denim their work.
| APPEAL To THE PRESIDENT. To CON-
GRESo AND THE COUNTRY.
/ Will the Commanding General allow the
same wicked farce to be enacted at the COM
ing election2 Will the President of the
| United States and the Congress of the
United States, wink at an enormous fraud
| of this character, perpetrated on the wards