Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-10-09

Chatham is yet rich in productive lands and
an industrious population, besides having the
richest iron and coal deposits south of Penn
sylvania Want of adequate transportation
is the only obstacle to the development of this
vast treasure. VIDocQ.
Correspondence of the Yorkville Enquirer.
LETTER FROM MISSISSIPPI.
MERIDIAN, Miss, Oct. 2, 1873.
do not notice grand rush of the negroes
to the support of the Alcorn ticket. Negroes
are like sheep-they 60 in gangs, and the
gang does not set towards Alcorn. Now and
then squad start out toward him, but when
they see that the whole flock does not come
they pause, turn around, and go back, just as
you have observed sheep do hundred times.
The negro vote Of Mississippi cannot be split.
Ham Carter, an influential but windy politi'
clan of color, came out for Alcorn the day of
the nomination, and now he says he don't
know who he is for, which is equivalent to
saying that he is for .Ames.
The solid column of negroes cannot be bro
ken into. If Alcorn gets any at all, he gets
the whole concern. Divided they will not be.
It is lamentable that this is true; for large,
overshadowing, indivisible black party is not
good for any State.
The Alcorn men point with satisfaction to
several counties where the negroes are "split
up" as between Ames and Alcorn but do
not imagine that the split is so deep but what
it will be healed before election.
To be sure the Alcorn ticket contains the
names of two negro men for important Offices;
but the bait is not likely to take. 1t has
been tried before. A Democratic hook can
not be baited with negro 80 but what its
original shape will appear and the purpose be
known. A niger can see niger in the
wood-pile as we'll as white man.
The Democracy are so anxious to beat
Ames that they are willing to lay their prin.
ciples on the shelf, so far as they may be said
to have any, in order to accomplish it. To
pacify the negroes they disband the Democrat
ic party and support Alcorn, a chief Radical.
In this way they hope to win black votes
enough to accomplish the object, although
they will not likely succeed for reasons before
given.
The anxiety to beat Ames amounts to a
passion among the whites. They endorse
Grant, subscribe to Republican principles,
hob-nob with the negroes-anything to defeat
Ben Buffers son-in-law.
1t was gravely proposed, before the disaf-
fection Of Alcorn, to put an entirely black
ticket in the field against Ames, and try to
beat him in that way. The ticket was to be
as black as tar-bucket, from top to bottom.
1t was thought that such gorgeous aud gilt
tering mark would call off the negroes from
Ames; but I doubt it. That man has such
hold upon their affections that he is fixture
in Mississippi politics so long as he chooses to
be. Having been Provisional Governor, and
elected to the Senate for six years, and know
ing the antipathy ofthe white people and tax.
payers to him, it would be the part Of good
taste in General Ames to at least get through
with one Office before he clutches for another.
But we must not look for display of good
taste in a who cumplacently votes five
thousand dollars of other peoples mouey into
his pocket. Such men will bear watching,
whether in Mississippi or Massachusetts.
Alcorn is as deep in the mud as Ames is in
the mire, he having also given his vote and
influence in furtherance of the great stea'.
The condition Of Mississippi is sad, indeed,
when she is so bound hand and foot and at
the mercy of rascality and ignorance that her
most available candidates for gubernatorial
honors are two back pay grabbers.
The Attorney. General has come out in an
opinion about mile long, in which he DE-
cides that there can be no constitutional elec-
tion held this year. 1t seems that the con.
stitution says one thing and the statutes
another. The law-making thinkers have fooled
with them so much that it would take Phil
adelphia lawyer to unravel theknot. You may
laugh that the discovery that no legal election
can be held this year was not made until both
tickets were in the field ; but such is the mel
ancholy fact. Of course Gov. Powers and
the other powers that be, are glad that there
is possibility of staving off the election auoth-
er year, for it gives them twelve months more
of place; but the people are aroused, they
want an election and will be apt to have it
whether it is legal or not. Afterward the
Courts can decide these matters. At present
it would appear that no attention will be paid
to the Attorney. Generals opinion, and the
campaign will 60 on.
It lis already very lively. Every day Ames
and Alcorn are on the stump in different por-
tions of the State, talking to the dear people
about the evils that will pile in upon US if the
other is elected. I understand that they have
agreed upon joint canvass, and will lock
horns together after this week.
Ames is no match for Alcorn, and will be
badly used up man before he gets through
with it. The little general is an orator Of the
Sunday.School order-he can say his piece
very we'll when not interrupted but when it
comes to answers, rejoinders and sir-rejoinders,
charges, counter-charges and repartee, and all
that sort of thing, Ames will be as mushy as
clay in the hands of the robust Mississippian.
He will be placed on the defensive and have
to defend his ticket, which is hard job. His
ticket is mean. 1t is not respectable. Gibbs,
candidate for Auditor of public accounts, is a
bad egg. Ames himselfhas charged him with