Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-09-26
ESTABLISHED MARCH 80. 1886.
nment, which means
tho aIook<..t

about It. Bet me tell you how It operates,
In the year 1870, they had their second
| election under the State Government, not
for Governor, but for the Legislature and
| Congress. Powell Clayton the Governor OF
| the State and controller of all this election
machinery, appointed the registrars all over
| the State and was candidate for United
| States Senator. It was safe thing 10 bet
that he would be elected under that sys-
tenn, first he making all the registrars, and
they putting on lst as many voters as they
saw it.. Suppose you have title be to put
on the registry; they will not put you on,
and you cannot get on, and there is no
remedy for it. There is another hitch be-
yond that. Powell Clayton, Governor, and
his subordinateS are the State Boald Of
Canvassers with absolute power to reject
whatever votes they see Ct, and bring out
such q result as they choose. So
then it appeared when the Legislature
was chosen that it was largely Republican.
Yet Mr.. Clayton had not got control of 1t
enough TO elect him for tie Senate; he has
to throw out votes as President Of
the Board of Canvassere. He discards
these votes, those that lie pleases, 90 as to
bring In the candidate that be pleases. For
instance, IN one county there was an anti
Clayton ticket. He throws the votes out
three quarters of the Republican vote.
He throws out these and brings
in the Democratic ticket rather than
have the Republican ticket elected,
which was against him. SO he goes
through like this and makes out a Clayt on
majority which elects him to the Senat Q.
But in doing this you understand that you
cannot reject the votes cast for ore office
and admit the votes cast by the sarhe vo-
tiers for another Office. That Is perfectly
plain. Ii you decide that this poll is not :
legal poll, you have got to throw it out for
all purposes. So Mr.. Gov. Clayton throws
out the votes of the Republicans there, be-
cause they were electing an anti Clayton
ticket, and thereby defeat Thomas Bowles,
the Republican candidate, and elect
John Edwards, the Democratic candidate.
John Edwards comes forward with a
certificate as good as anybody's. Mr..
Bowles don't like it; the people generally
don't. He goes on and contests the cleo
ton, and with abundance Of testimony
proves that these votes of bis thrown out
for the sake Of electing Claxton were not
rightfully thrown out, and a committee in
the House Of Representatives takes the
case up, considers it from top to bottom,
and say unanimously, without dissenting
voice, that the people elected Thos. Bowles
and that he must have the seat. So on that
unanimous vote it goes up to the House,
which, by an equally unanimous vote,
says the same thing, and Bowles
is put in. 1t was not because he was q
Republican, because they fought just the
same thing in Texas, where they turned
out VIM. T. Clark, q Republican, and put
in d. g. Giddings, a Democrat, because he
was elected by good majority, and there
was not dissenting voice in the commit
tee or in the House. So then you see you
are not resting on my story about Mr.. Clay
ton and his government. Here is unani-
nous decision of committee on election
and the House of Representatives that Mr..
Clayton had fraudulently returned the
votes and had returned the man not elect
ed, and rejected and ousted the man who
was elected. This is not statement but
a conclusion by the highest possible author
ity.
Well, gentlemen, the Federal Court was
convened or held a session two or three
menths after these outrages of which tell
you:by Clayton and his board, aud the
grand Jury of that court examined into
these facts and indicted Powell Clayton
and his confederates for this crime. And
we had District Attorney prepared to put
him right straight through. Mr.. c. After
son, appointed by Gen. Grant, as good
as ever lived, was going to put
Mr.. Clayton through, and the States prison
was before him. But now MIR. Clayton
and his satellites walked on to Washington
and induced Gen. Grant to remove that
righteous and faithful District Attorney,
and put one Of Clayton's tools in his place;
and that was the end of the whole thing.
All gone to rack and ruin now, Mr.. Clayton
goes swimming into the United States Sem
ate instead of into the State prison.
You are asked what the Government has
to do about it? will tell you. They all
back themselves right on the power at
Washington, they all cry out, "Hurrah for
Grant; give him two terms; give him twenty
terms, if you like; these other fellows are /
diSloysl; they are one term men; put them
out" They say, turn them out and put in
these men who will stand by Clayton and
his board, and it is done. l want you to
see that this thing goes all back on you, the
people of the United States. You are sus.
tainers of these iniquities. IF we had gov
eminent in Washington which frowned upon
these Fevils, that Government would stop
all this business in short
time. [Applause.l The men who are rob-
bing South Carolina to-day would be on a
dead race out of that State two days after
they had. heard that another government
was about to- be installed at Washington.
Just as Bullock Of Georgia resigned and ran
away, so these men would all get out, if
hey did not feel that the mighty arm Of
The Federal Government was outstretched
for their protection and defense. 1t is
against this iniquity that we fight. The
villains who corrupt elections in Arkansas
are
All Sheuting for Grant,
shouting and working for him, and they are
gaining immunity for their crimes.
Fellow-c citizens, l do not know what will |
be the decision OF the people in the contest |
now before us. Everybody else is very conf |
dent that what they wish will be the re-
suit. l only know that if the people could |
ook into these wicked governments at the |
South and see them as they are, they would |
not longer be sustained by the public SEN
timent Of the North. know that, and | |
believe that light is creeping In. Two
thirds of our journals have never told the |
people what the truth is about these carpet |
bag Williams. They suppress the facts,they |
conceal the facts, and as a consequence |
the people do not understand them. To- |
day they say, what Reconciliation do you |
want? They say, we are reconciled; what |
more do you want? Now 1 am not recon-
ciled to have such robbers govern the States. |
want to be recOnciled. / want govern
ments that honest men can afford TO be re-
conciled to. l plead for reconciliation.
The Southern people have greatly sinned in
my judgment, and have greatly suffered. / |
had friend who went down to South |
Carolina and spent some time there and |
came back. He is very Jealous Republic |
ian, and be said that be had seen mauy |
,hings he did not like. He said 81 |
saw a man there who when the
began was living In |
Paris on an allowance from his father of |
$1,000 dollars year. BE is now clerk to |
4 negro assessor in Charleston at dollars |
4 day and mighty glad to get it." Now |
such things,do take place and I do think that |
he people have suffered great deal. I |
,hink it is time that generous hand was
to aid them. think that it |
s time that the northern people should |
,ay "COuntymen at the South, We have |
insisted that all the blacks shall be enfran- |
,hisad and thew have iheen anfranphised |