The New Orleans bulletin., 1875-09-26
AMEs, ELECTION METHODS.
4 VERY GOOD LITTLE STORY TOLD BY SENATOR
ALCoRN.
tChlcago Times Washington Letter, 16.h.l

tChicago Times Washington Letter, 16.h.l
Senator Alcorn, of Mississippi, who hai
been in the city several days, placing his two
little girls in the convent school, at George
town, relates no end of good stories about
Mississippi plantation life. Mr.. Alcorn lives
upon plantation, where he employs thou.
J sand negroes, and he says that he never had
any trouble with them. In among these
thousand men there are no end of secret So
cieties, and every night there are marchlngs
and counter marchings all over his place.
Still, any of these connections have never
caused him or his family to fear an insurrec-
ton.
Illustrative of how the negroes are. led
about by the nose by unprincipled men, the
| Senator relates an amusing story. During
bis last canvass against Ames for the Cover
norship of the State there was very eager
contest As Alcorn employed upward OF 1000
men on his plantation, it was feared by the
Ames men that taey would all vote for their
employer. Upon the plantation is one old
patriarch by the name of "Shep," who was
the property of Alcorn before the war, and
who had the most of his life seen service on
the Alcorn plantation.
| One day a small-sized, dapper-mannered
carpet-bagger came up to Alcorn's plantation,
and went around secretly electioneering
among the negroes. He discovered that
"Shep" was leader among them all, and
unless he gained him over it would be useless
to look for votes for Ames on the plantation.
He fell iuto conversation with "Shep," and
gathered from him the scanty details of his
past life. He then went away without saying
a word to "Shep" about the election.
Several weeks after that, and short time
before the election, a large letter post-marked
Washington, and resplendent with red seals
and official stamps, came to the Alcorn PLAN
tation, addressed to "Shep." It was an
event in the old mans life A meeting of his
favorite secret society was at once called, and
one of the presiding officers, who could read
was detailed to open and read the awe
inspiring document 1t was as follows
EXECUTIVE MANSION. WASHINGTON, d. G, !
Headquarters of the Army and Navy and
Glorious Com.
My Dear hep-Although you are great
distance from me, and although you are only
one of my many colored children, yet know
all about you, and often have my eye upon
you. You were born on a plantation near
Lynchburg, in Virginia. You were owned
there by man by the name of Charles
Somers. Some years before the war you were
sold to Mr. Alcorn, in Mississippi. l know
julius, Robert and James Henry Augustus,
your boys, as we'll as Susan Ann Jane and
Roxana Virginia, your daughters You see,
Shep, that 1 am very great man. I know
all about my children.
have watchfui care over you all, and
have plan to make you all happy. want
you to vots for Gen. Ames for Governor this
fall and, my dear Shep, will give you my
reasons for so wishing. In the first place, |
Gen. Ames is my officer in your State, and |
want you to obey him. Mr.. Alcorn is an old |
stakeholder, you must not vote for him. If
Gen. Ames is elected propose to cut up Mr.. |
Acorn's plantation and give it to the slaves,
who so many years worked for him for moth
ing. will give you, my dear Shep, your
choice out of the lots when the plantation is
cut up. Do not forget to do all you can to get
votes for Ames. Good-by, my dear Shep.
Your friend and benefactor,
q. S. GRANT
"The great General of the army and navy,
and commander of the Commonwealth.
The letter carried "Snep" completely by
storm. An angel from heaven could not have
him that the letter was not from
the President. He voted for Ames, and car
ried upwards of 500 votes with him.
The above related incident is only one of
ihe many ways used by unscrupulous politi-
clans to hoodwink the simple-minded and
yulible negro.