The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-12-31
THE ANES ADMINISTRATION
FROM AN. INDEPENDENT
REPUBLICAN.
SPEECH OF
HON. CHAS. E. FURLONG
senator from Warren County.

Delivered in the Senate of Mississippi
at the Called Session of the Legs
lat,ere, on Friday, December 18th,
1874
! The Senate having under consideration
/ the majority and minority reports Of the
Joint Committee of both Houses, to
which had been referred the subject OF
the Governors message, Senator Furlong
/ said:
/ Mr.. PRESIDENT +: propose to respond
to 50 much OF His Excellency's official
communication to the Legislature as
asks
"wHAT Is THE REL OR PRETENDED
CAUSE" FOR THE RECENT DIFFICULTIES
IN WARREN COUNTY?
And in doing so, shall perhaps make oc-
casional and Incidental reference to such
other topics as shall be necessary to a
correct understanding Of recent existing,
and prospective disorders and dangers,
not merely in the district which | have
the honor to represent, but also elsewhere
and in many places, throughout the whole
State.
Sir, the official incompetency, corrup-
ton, fraud, and outrages that have I'M
doubtedly been practised, exhibited and
proved in that county, and which, from
their long continuance, their frequency,
and their unparalleled perhdy and
atrocitv, have become widely known,
notorious, and confessed, were only the
instances that Immediately preceded and
precipitated the unhappy troubles that
have occurred there But the first great
cause of all our difficulties exists here, at
THE DOOR OF THIS ADMINISTRATION,
aud are to be found in the crimes and
treasons, illegal, or corrupty legaIized,
which have been for the last twelve
months Systematically perpetrated or at
tempted, and are now being per! etrated
or attempted by Governor Ames and his
immediate political household.
Let US then, in the first intance, look
at few of the numerous examples Of
both
ILLEGAL AND LOCALIZED EXTRAvA-
GRANGE
which this State Government is indulge
ing and practicing as part Of It's ordinary
system Of operations. Some OF these, ii
is true, grow out OF the inexperienced
and want of care which was manifested
by the frames of the Constitution itself
but they are not on that account any the
less oppressive to the people at home, who
bear all the burdens, and receive none of
the honors of the Government, and |
su bmit that it was in the power, and was
the duty of every Legislature, that has
since assembled and is in the power, and
is the duty of this Legislature to pave the
way and provide the opportunity to
amend even that instrument; remove the
temptation to profligacy, and lay the
foundations of the State deep and solid
economy. The Constitutional difficulties,
to which | refer now, and there are many
others, are in the first plac,, the system
of Registration which was copied from
the reconstruction acts of Congress, is not
only failure in its intention to exclude
illegal and fraudulent votes, but is an
expensive and useless encumbrance upon
the sacred privilege Of the citizens to
exercise the elective franchise.
EVERY GENERAL ELECTION
in the State costs the people at the very
lowest estimate, one hundred thousand
dollars, to say nothing OF the loss of time
bv all the voters, and at least one half of
this sum is to pay for the idle and ridicu
lous ceremony OF allowing worthless
politicians and in many instances, some
lazy and worthless vagabond or ballot
box stuler, to administer to every voter
an UNDECIDED and unnecessary oath, and
then write the amazed and bewildered
voters name-fOr not one half of them
can write-on a list kept for that purpose
The names of thousands of persons who
are not entitled to vote get upon these list,
and thousands of others who are entitled
to vote are emitted at every election. In
this ma .ner. thuu- .nds OF nameless frauds
arr success II lraciiced by one party
o. this other in the preparation of these
lists II affords no pract.c cal protection =
th,. purity 81 Gle tiou, but on the cos
trarv, Is It eli an instrument Of fraud,
corruption ana oppression And yet, It,
preparation amt enforcement costs nj
every election vastly more than the
election itself. Still we are always
informed that nobody can 90 behind the
registration books. All who are registered
can vote whether entitled to do SO or not;
and none who are not registered shall vote
no matter how just and righteous their
claims may be- Let this be changed, sir
and let all the bona fde inhabitants of
the State who are otherwise entitled to
vote, stay at home if they choose to do
so, till the election itself begins, and
tlRen let them 90 at once to the polls, I'M
sworn and unregistered, and vote their
choice, ''just once and 10 oftener," and
then return to their homes.
Again, sir
THE LEGISLATURE