The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-08-03

The secret Service Money ana
the Political Prosecutions.

HE secret service money oA0
the Political Prosecutions
The personal organ of Gov. Alcorn
the Leader, of the Goth inst, contains
the following announcement:
Gov. Alcorn, at the request Of District Al
tOTney jacobson. has retained Judges wiley
p. Harris and VIM. Yerger, to assist In the
prosecution of the Ku Klax outrages. The
Governor is evidently intent upon giving
the FULLEST support of the State 70 the ku
Klux prosecutions.
1t is thus authoratively stated that
Gov. Alcorn, after deliberately testifying
that the interference of the Federal au-
thorities to enforce order in this State
was reflection on his administration
that ''the State presented an unbrOke'l
''ecidence of civil obedience and order, =
and denouncing the authors of contrary
statements as ''knaves and libellers"
has Enthusiastically gone back on his
pledges, principles and declarations, and
joined in the vindictive crusade which he
pretended to deprecate as an uncalled for
invasion of his prerogatiyes and of the
rights Of the dOwn-trodden, outraged
and plundered people of the State. With
the facts of this committal staring him in
the face, he is using the money which is
collected from the people to carry on the
State government, in the employment of
counsel to prosecute and victimize peace
able and law-abiding citizens, who are
dragged from their homes by Federal
troops, thrown into prison, and indicted
VIGOROUSLY upon the procured, one-sided
testimony of perjured knaves who have
political and personal ends to accom-
plish.
The history of civil government does
not present more shameful prostitution
of power, more compliant trucking
to the strong at the expense of the weak
and helpless.
The Administration at Washington is
rich in money as it is powerful in its
agencies for hunting down our
citizens obnoxious to Radical of
fee holders who wish to retain their i'll
gotten places, and whose arrest may be
profitable to the spies, pimps and inform
ers who are prowling like hungry wolves
over the State. And yet Gov. Alcorn,
confronted by his own solemn assevera-
ton that such prosecution is degrading to
him and wrongful to the objects of these
malicious proceedings, actually employs
counsel, with money wrested from their
pockets in their poverty, to join in the
warfare
Inasmuch as lawyers are in the habit
of engaging their services on either side,
for fee, without respect to the merits OF
the case, it is not to be inferred that the
distinguished counsel designated by gu.
S. District Attorney jacobson" to rein
force him in this prosecution, either en-
dorse or approve it, or sanction the infa-
nous law under pretence of which it is
conducted, or the despicable motives
which prompts its authors. They are
simply employing their talent in the line
of their business. But Alcorn is a volun-
teer abettor of warfare which he has
proclaimed to be without justification,
and he refnes his crime against the Con-
stitutional rights and liberties of our peo-
pie by using for that purpose their own
hard-earned money, which he holds in
trust.
In the pending election it is to be de-
cided whether the funds drawn from the
pockets of the taxpayers and placed in
the Treasury for the maintenance of the
State government are to be devoted to
this diabolical service; or whether the
voice of the people shall be expressed
through their Legislature in condemna-
ton of the unconstitutional and barbar-
Gus law, in virtue of which these cruel,
cowardly and vindictive proceedings are
conducted.
The Foreman of the Grand Jury