Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-10-19
THE SOLID SOUTH.
Speech of Attorney General Taft.

DISCUSSION OF THE OUTHfRS QUESTION
THE DANGERS THAT WOULD ATTEND THE
ACCESSION OF THE DEMOCRATS To POWER
Attorney General Tan delivered his first
speech in the Ohio campaign AZ Pixies Opera
House. Cincinnati. "A feW evenings ago II wa.
mainly devoted 10 discussion Of the Southern
situation, concerning which he, Of course. has
unequaled facilities tor obtaining accurate in
formation. We make the following extracts:
THE BoAsr OF SOLID SOUTH.
A solid South is what the Democratic leader
claim and boast OF. But solid South for the
Democracy implies fraud and ntmidation in
the worst form. 1t IS well known that the
States Alabama. Mississippi, Louisiana. South
Carolins and Florida have large Republican
malorties if they vote. At least there j NOR
al certainty that such is the case. The Repub-
lean majority in Mississippi until the late shot
gun campaign was not less than thirty thou
sand. In South Carolina il has ALWAYS been
large; SO in Loui.ians, and in Florida. There
was sudden change in Mississippi from q
heavy Republican 10 heavy Democratic ma
jority. and the evidence OF unparalleled frauds
and intimi dations l. abundant. The frauds
and inlimidations were 4 sufficient cause for
the change, and there ID not shown 10 be any
other. There is the same convincing proof OF
the fraud and intimidation by which Alabama
was carried. They have been 10 numerous for
any detail will refer to but one instancr
which has been brought torciby to my atteu-
ton. ii is that Of the murder of young man
whose father was a Republican lawyer and the
fsther and son were both attending Repub-
can meeting. The father came to me. In COM
pany with a Senator from his State, and eXhib-
tied indictments which hsd been found against
the nurderers OF his son, and begged the priv
ilege OF assisting in their prosecution.
The following, from a letter of an intelligent
gentleman TO the President. may be taken rs "A
sample of daily communications 10 the Govern
ment from the South:
| Abstract from a letter 10 the President dated
august 10, 1876
I'm South Carolina, where there is undoubt-
| eddy Republican majority. rife and saber
| clubs are organized to do The work OF the ku-
kluX Khan, and by intimidation interrupt anc
defeat all political meetings.-Hundreds OF
| armed and mounted men assemble crowd out
the negroes. and claim half the time for speak
ing. Should the Republicans make any resist
, ance to their demands blood would be shed.
| Although the county officials are Republicans,
their hands are virtually tied against such force
| Should they make arrests. no jury could con.
vict.-Witnesses stand ready to prove in Aibi, ,
and colored men would testify at the risk Of
| their lives. None but cOlored men would come
| to the assistance Of the officials. The Govern
| or has no militia except negroes, and they
| undisciplined, unframed, ignorant Of military
and wholly unequal to cope with the While
| Liners on the other side. Many of these lead
ing spirits were charged with kukluXing in
1870 and 1871, and are more bitter to-day than
they were then, and Simply because they think
| the Government will not punish them now any
more than it did then. The lenency and Glenn
| ency Of the National Government has been mis-
| taken for cOwardicc, and the longer they live
| the holder and more outSpokep these men
| grow. At the Democratic ratification meeting
held in Columbia,S s.. c., on the 10th ms ant some
| OF the speakers openly advised their bearers to
| put out OF the way the white Republicans first
| then the mulattoes and then the negroes. They
said they did not fear the United States army !;
| they had met it once without benchiDg, and
| they were ready to do so again. They were
going to carry this State at whatever cost. I'm.
less the Government makes some show of force
| by sending the military to these infected coun-
ties as a sort Of moral support to the Republ-
cans, 1t will not only be useless to expect US to
carry the election, but white Republicans will
not be permitted to live in peace and quiet and
express their political sentiments"
| Another gentleman Of undoubted reliability
| and Of conservative character was present at q
recent meeting st HernandQ, Miss. As the
speaking was about beginning white man
| commenced disturbance by attacking negro
with 3 cudgel. Immediately the whites open
ed fire. Five negroes and two whites were
| shot. He writes:
September 10, 1876.
81 myself witnessed the first blow and the
| first shot at HerhandO yesterday. They both
| came from the whites, and | saw nothing TO
| provoke the blow, and the shot was certainly
an unpsrdonably brutality.
GENERAL GARY's ADVICE.
In . letter to the President, Of September II.
gentleman Of reliable character writes from
Edgefeld. 8. c.:
s'General Gary is advising the rifle clubs
which hsye been formed by the old rebel Dem
ocsacy to attack the United States soldiers now
stalioued here, and run them away from here,
He says in sll his public speeches that he would
not hesitate to lead company Of men to attack
them and kill the last one Of them. | tell you
Mr.. President, that the same old rebel spirit is
in these men yet, and nothing but the strong
arm Of your Government will bring them to