The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-09-06

Washington Cottnty.-To impeach the |
character Of the election in Washington /
county a witness BY The name Of Putnam !
was called. His testimony is 10 be found
at page -. He does not allege any case
Of intimidation OF violence Of his own
Knowledge, but that the election was IN
fairly conducted by the inspectors at one
Of the precincts by unnecessarily delaying
the reception Of the votes. His allega-
tons are specifically met and fatty
contradicted by General William A.
Furguson, one Of the judges Of election,
wbose conduct had been impeached by
Putnam.
The deposition Of General Furguson
will be found at page -. in which the
character Ct the election j. fully and, we
I believe, truly stated. The examination
Of Putnam will disclose him to be 4 thor
ougly discreditabIe person. His COMES
siOns Of fraudulent and immoral life are
alone sufficient to deprive him Of credit;
but the testimony OF General Furguson,
who Is a gentleman Of high character
supplements the statements Of Putnam
in regard - his own career. (See depo-
sition Of Putnam, page -, and deposition
Of Gen. FurgusOn, page
Washington county, by the deposition
Of and -- and -, ap-
pears to have been the scene Of more
, than unusual misgovernment. The rela-
tive population Of the blacks to the
! whites was - to --, and as q result
nearly every official was & negro. TIE
T present sheriff Of the county, Scott, a
colored man, who was called before the
committee, did not in any degree impeach
the peace and good order Of the election.
e Greenvile, in Washington county, was
e the home of Gray, the infamous negro
r who was appointed by Ames brigadier-
: general Of tho militia. At page =, by
b the deposition of --, the conduct OF
3 Gray aud his immunity from all restraint
of law is set forth as follows
e His character is likewise spoken Of by
' Putnam. In short, we may here say that
e the picture of affairs presented by the
e negro rule in the county of Washington,
: as well as the adjoining county of Issa-
+ quena, fairly begglrs description. Nine
t ty-fve per cent OF the property is owned
/, by the whites, who Constitute but a small
C portion Of thethe entire population. AL
5 powers of local government are in tn
+ hands Of the negroes, who select the PEG
+; pie Of their own race almost wholly to fill
. every office boards of supervisors, utter
It y ignorant, incapable Of reading or writ
c ing, unable to add or substract or per
II form the simplest arithnIetical problem,
have entire sway over the taxes and
e property of the coInty. Their rule i,
j arbitrary, and often times insolent to an
e ntolerable degree. At page, despos
A., ton Of Mr.. Miller, will be found an ac-
e count Of the refusal Of board of negro
e supervisors to entertain or receive th,
IS humble petition of the white citizens o
.. the county presented by a venerabl,
ID and respectable white citizen for the
is privilege of having a white school estab
+; lished in the coutny where sixteen col
ored schools were already established
d the expense, Of course, to be borne by
g the property of the county, and even Tn,
d poor privilege Of having a portion o
IF the taxes taken from their own lands ap
l. piled to the benefit OF their own children
n was insolently denied.
no RE CONTINUED I