The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-21
..Tbe Question OF Numbers.

The lasC number of The CLARION con-
tains an article on the subject Of the rela-
tive voting capacity of the whites and
blacks in Mississippi which goes to show
that the Radicals have majority OF TWEEN
ty-seYen thousand in the Statei We ques-
ton the figures of our usually correct
neighbOr, but were they true, we doubt the
propriety of this census report ventilation.
and The CLAREoN's advice to abandon the
field without contest.-Vicksburg Herald.
THE CLARION never I" advised the
abandonment of the field without a con-
test" In the controversy about how the
contest" ought TO be made, we have
never even given an opinion; but have
left the field of dispute to others. The
Herald doubts the propriety of venti-
lating the census report. We did not
begin the ventilation" business. We
have a dim recollection that the Herald
set the example; and if it was proper to
s'ventilate" the matter at all, there was
"propriety" in giving the whole truth
provided it is the mission of newspapers
to impart information that will enable
the public to form correct conclusions.
There is nothing to be gained by I'M
derrating the strength of an adversary.
Rational men who undertake to accom-
plish a work will always inform them
selves of the nature and extent of it, and
the difficulties to be surmounted IN order
to determine best how to do it.
There is every reasonable ground to
believe that the negro voting majority in
this State is from fifteen to twenty thou
sand-nearer the latter than the former
figures common sense dictates that
the s'white men, with white mans par
ty and white mans platform, to bor-
row familiar slogan, should know ex-
actly how many colored men they will
have to induce to run on that line to
succeed. Besides, we have lively APP
preciation of the fact that in every gen
eral election which has taken place since
the black voters came to their newly ac-
ouired privilege, and when the issue was
the reclamation Of the State from the
rule of the bayonet, as In the contests of
1869 and 1872, The majorities were in
the neighborhood of 10000 against us.
The talk of the Herald about Demo-
cratic prospects in other States IS idle.
We have to take care of ourselves. What
does it avail the down-trodden and plum
dered people Of Mississippi, if the dry
bones that have been resurected by the
Hunkers in Ohio, should live-a thing
not among the remotest possibilities?
What avail to US if half dozen other
States, out of thirty-siX, have managed
to elect " Democratic" Governors Is
that helping Mississippi, or doing away
with the census figures and the still more
APPALLING actualities of past elections?
Since the subject Of Democratic sue
cesses and prospects have been thrust on
our attention, it is well to remember that
the party is in a minority in thirty States
that it has been beaten for thirteen
successive years, and in the last election
the popular majority against 1t was 49,,
000 In this State we are told that the
candidates nominated caused an immense
number of voters to be seized with a big
disgust and they wouldn't 60 to the polls
Now, let the self-righteous patriots, if
they are not really men in Buckram,
come from their hiding-places and go to
the front! Let them pitch in There
is work to be done! High horses, mag
nifcent stills, folded arms and self
are fine things only when
the enemy is divided into factions, each
rending the other; but they wont do
when your friends are fighting the com
mon foe. High riding and stills don't
overcome negro majorities They don't
carry elections.