Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-01-05
Meeting Of the Legislature Of .Mississip.
pl, Louisiana, Ohio, New York,
- PennsTlVania and Minnesota.
Messages Ames aad Kellogg
Have to Ssy-The Former Cheeky,
Independent and Defiant to
the Last.
He Furnishes Fresh Supply OF Ammu.
milton for BlOOdy.Shirt Morton
-KellOgg's Figures Lamar
Ahead for Senator.

Special to the Appeal
JACKSON, Miss January 4.-Nearly
every member was present al the organ
izs ton Of the legislature to-day. J. NJ.
Stone. OF Alcorn county. was elected
president pro teRspoTe OF the senate, ana
D. Price Porter, of Hinjs county, secre.
iary. Counting the vote OF Furlong,
independent Republican, the SENATE has
two-thirds Democratic majority. H.
N. Street, Of Prentis9, was elected
speaker of the house, and George NJ.
Govan, of Marshall, clerk. The office
Of president pro ten1pore of the senate
becomes important from IT, fact that he
will probably be governor, as the ind
cations are that Governor Ames 81 d
Lieutenant Governor Davis will be in.
peached. Messrs. Lamar, George,
Lowry and Featherstone, aspirants for
ths United States senatorship, are here.
Lamar Is decidedly ahead; Lowry is de-
veloping considerable strength; Feath-
ers:one will get alb Jut fifteen votes on
the 1irst bsIlot, nearly all Of which will
20 10 Lamar. The governors message
was lead this afternoon, and gives con-
siderable offetse. II is spoken of as
falsifying the conduct Of the citizens
prior to the late election, and magnify
Ing incidents of the campaign. The
message opens by calling attention to
the late State election, and recltes the
events occurring at Clinton, In Septem-
ber, and says that lawless bands of men
controlled two other counties prior to
that time, and that violence reigned
elsewhere in the STATE, and appeals
came for protection from all directions.
The sentiment against the militia was
so powerful as to prevent its orgauiza-
ton, the sentiment growing out Of fear
OF race issue. Under these circum-
stances the governor called for ma
tional troops, but failed to receive
them. A renewed effort to Or
ganize the militia developed q deep
seated bitterness of the race issue, and
the conviction prevailed that they would
only erecipitate conflict it was sought
to svoid. The seizure, in one instance,
Of State arms on the way to the capital,
on the way from the capital,
were additional causes preventing the
organization of the militia; but because
an attempt was made to organize and
use ths militia force, class OF people
rebelled against it, and to avoid threat
ened deeds Of violence q committee of
prominent citizens, powerful in controll-
Ing nepolitical Organizatio1 ], gave their
pledges to preserve peace and good order
and secure fair election. This novel
and humiliating spectacle, in the gov
srnisaant 4oA a AroS people, wAa presented:
the regularly organized legal authority,
unable to preserve peace and good order
and secure fair election, the leaders OF
q political organization assume to do it,
with the accredited power to accom-
plish all they might attempt. The deeds
of violence alluded t. had the effect to
intimidste many voters. In proof Of
the practice of Intimidation, the meg
sage recites the following instances. In
various counties meetings Of the voters
for consultation had to be wholly or par
TALLY abandoned. In one county net
only was there no preliminary canvass,
but the danger was regarded so grest
that no convention was held to noni.
nate candidates. In certain counties
distributed, and in one county not st
all. From one county prominent candi-
dates fl before the election, fearing
violence, II not assassination. In an
other county one party, through fear Of
evil consequences II they refused, struck
from their tickets the names Of the
regularly nominated candidates and
substituted those OF their IoppOneGts,
WITH whom there existed no political
affinity. In certain counties voters
were driven from the polls by armed
men, or so intimidated that they feared
to vote. In one county the principal
county officials were driven from their
posts the day following the election, and
have since been refugees. In these
cases the courts have been unable to dis
pense Justice. The cause of all this in
timidstion and trouble is attributed to
the race question-the efforts of the
white race to reas3ert its old supremacy.
The message recommends q modlfics-
ton Of the fundamental laws of the
State SO as to bring about better feel
ing between the races. The State
finances are upprecedept!y favorable,
the real debt of the State beyond its
ability to pay is only half .
million dollsrs. The expenses of
the State government for the past
yesr were six bundled and eighteen
thousand dollars, q reduction upon the
expenses Of last year Of nearly three
hundred thousand dollars, while the re-
ceipts have been four hundred thousand
dollars over the disbursements. The
message recommends that taxes be
made payable only In United States cur
rency, and urges that the act 10 aid in
fI,n fr1ro i'm of ha bob nd
Nashville railroad be repesled. A
change in the public school laws, so as
to make the system, already good, still
better, Is advised. A liberal appropris.
ton is recommended for the proper
representation of sill the products
Of the State at the Centennial expo 81.
ton. The message concludes: "The
proepsrity and progress Of the State
must necessarily depend upon the feel
ing of security and contentment of the
people. Distrust and suspicion should
be dispelled by just and liberal legisla-
tion. This done, the solution OF the
many difficulties of the present time
will have been substantially accom-
plished."
LOUISIANA.
NEW ORLEANS, January 3.-The leg
islature met to-day and everything
passed off quietly. The house, alter re.
ceiving the governors message, ad-
journed cut Of respect to the memory of
l.. ii. Southland and E. l.. Pierson, de-
ceased members. Governor KellogR's |
megFage was exceedingly elaborate. He |
congratulates the people on the hopeful |
prospects Of the State, which he sscribes !
mainly to the fact that they are now on
the threshold OF full fruition of those |
financial reforms urged by himself,
which, at the last election, by the un.
questioned vote Of majority ofthe peo-
pie were engrafied on the constitution of
the State. He expresses his belief that
these amendments are not even vet full.
ly understood, and = mmarizss them as
follows: The debt ofthe State is reduced
to 6. point admittedly within the power
Of the State to meet, principal and in
terest at maturity, during the whole
term OF forty years over which the new
boflds run. The debt cannot be increased
beyond the point to which IL has thus
been limited The appalling load of
contingent debt, over S2l, ,0O0. 900 in
amount, never actually Incurred, but
standing on the statute books, a con-
slant source Of danger and uncertainty,
haa haon hIiFfad haunud .aaY,ws.o,goS,