The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-10-13
BY COLORED HRE-
PUBLICANS TO VOTERS
OF COLOR.

Fellow-citizens of Washington county:
The condition of public affairs of our
county, as it at present exists, and as it
has existed for five years past, is such
that something out of the ordinary course
of party policy is necessary to protect the
material interests Of our people. The
great mass of the Republican party in
this county, and in fact the whole State,
is composed of people of color. We com
pose the voting class, who have been
made the instruments of designing and
treacherous demagogues, who, for their
own selfish and dishonest purposes, have
made use of the offices to which they were
elected by our sufrages as means of max
ing themselves suddenly wealthy, without
regard to the interests of their constituents
whom they have shamelessly plundered.
These meU are in general not connected
with us who have elected them by any
ties of interest; and as class sedulously
abstain from any act showing a desire to
assist in bearing part of the burdens
they have so constantly been heaping
upon US, but have, instead, been keeping
their iIl-gotten gains in such places and
condition as to prevent any revenue
coming from it to the support of the gov
eminent, or to assist in paying the taxes
they were so ready to impose.
The people of Washington county
have been more shamolessly robbed than
the people of any other county in the
State-money absolutely stolen or en-
bezzled by the men who obtained their
offices by our sufrages, to the amount Of
| tens of thousands Of dollars, and all the
| county officials, with scarcely an excep.
ton, banding together for mutual assist
ance and to sustain each other, and like
other bands of thieves, each to play the
part assigned him. This system of high
I handed robbery has resulted in enormous
/ taxation, which has steadily increased
until it has become double what it was
/ five years ago, without particle Of cor
! responding benefit. The condition Of
/ the public buildings, of the roads and
/ bridges, and public works generally, is
source of shame to our people and
/ our schools, as schools, may be said to
I have scarcely an existence. Our county
is branded as the Utopia Of dishonest and
corrupt officials-has a State, and almost
national reputation as the harvest-ield
of political plunderers, who are and have
1 0eG0 DeCkIil1 ut luC NiNhlo VI pGOylA hAAo
have been blindly led to offer themselves
as prev to these INSCRIPTIONS and insa-
table political vultures. All effort to
overturn this organized band have hith-
erto been ia vain, and spirit is even
now being manifested by some Of our
unfortunate, misguided people, to con.
tinue as blindly following the leadership
of the same men who have openly and
VIGOROUSLY proven themselves to be un-
worthy of public trust and confidence.
Some of these men, gOrged with the
hard-earned gains of our laboring popu
lation, of which they have been riaed,
despairing of being again suffered t.
fatten at the public crib, are now taking
their departure for other lands, there C
reveI in the wealth so suddenly
and dishonesty accumulated in this
county. The remainder, not YET
satisfied, and "a hoping to PerPetuate
their disastrous rule, are now striving
by any means to again foiSt upon Us, a