American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-01-08


against it.. To avoid threatened
deeds of resistance and violence to
State au' hority, as well as towards
county cflhials and individuals, an"
the possible consequences, a com
mittee of prominent citizens. power
full in controlling ore CT the politi
cal organizations of the State, gave
their pledges that they would edo
all in their power TO preserve peace
and good order, and secure ii tar
election" As to their power "to
preserve peace and good order, and
secure IL, fair election" | did not en-
terrain Il doubt. This novel and
humiliating spectacle, in the gov
eminent of a free people, was pre-
scented: Regularly organized legal
authority, unable to preserve peace
and good or,lcr and secure fair
election; the leaders OF a political
organization assume to do 1t, with
the acct edited power.
The deeds of violence already al
luded to, and many similar ones OF
greater or less magnitude, i'll varl
Gus parts of the State, had the effect
to int midate many voters. The
extent of such intimidation may be
judged from the following facts:
In various countit s, the meeting
together and consulting of voters
before election, an important pro-
ceeding in IL government like ours,
had TO be wholly OF partially aban-
donpd.
In one county, not only was there
no preliminary canvass, but the
danger was regarded AS SO great
that no convention was held to
nominate candidates for Offices.
In certain counties. tickets could
not lie freely and safely -disti ibuted,
and in one county not at all.
From one county prominent can
didates for Office fled before election,
fearing violence, if not assassina-
ton.
In another county, one party,
through fear of the evil consrquen-
ces il they refused. struck from theI
tickets the names OF candidates for
m,Hy and regularly nominated, and
substituted those of their OppO-
uents, with whom there existed no
political affinity.
In certain. counties, on the day of
election, voters were driven from
the polls by armed peD, or so intim-
islated by them that they feared to
vote.
In one county the principal coun-
ty officials were driven away from
their posts OH the day following the
election, and have been refugees
since. Tnis county, Amite, was one
remote from the seat of government,
where the effort to organize the mil
itia succeeded.
These are effects, not detailed
statements of the causes which pro-
duced item.
The courts of tne State have been
unable to dispense justice in such
cases.
The conviction that frauds were
perpetrated at the late election.
gathers strength by comparison o;
the returns with those of proceeds
ing elections.
That the great evil which has be-
fallen the State may he RENE died, II
first becomes necessary to inquire
into it's causes. The happy finab
cial condition of the State, and thu
comparatively small amount needed
for its support, preclude the posi-
bility of financial cause lntlmI-
.lation was not prnpOitioned to
counties in accordance with their
Indebtedness. Thorough intimida-
ton was effected in some counties
whose finances were in the most
fiourishing condition.
The charac er of the events which
have transpired cOmpels the con-
cluslon that the evil is to he attrib
uted to a race question. 1t did not
have it's origin at this time. The
inhabitants of the State are some
what equally divided between the
two races. They have, until recent
years, borne the relations of master
and slave. By power external to
the State, the slave has been made
the civil and political equal of the
msster. The wi1kdrawal of thi..
restraining fQIee>leaves the formerly
dOminantrace to re assert its su
premacy. Though the complete
supremacy of former years may not
be possible, still the tendency is
towards supremacy. The effort in
this direction has heretofore and
elsewhere resulted. as in this elec>
ton, in violence, loss of life and in
timldarion. How far this effort has
resulted in the virtual disfranchise-
ment of the one race, and revolu
tionized the State Government is a
question worthy the most pattern
and careful consideration.
Unless every class of citizens be
thoroughly protected in the exercise
of all their rights and privileges.
our Government proves unequal to
it's pretensions. The nation, Iecog-
nizing race antagoniSms, has an,ici-
pated them, in the interests OF liber-
ty and equality. by notifications of
the fundamental law of the land !;
and | recommend, as both right and
expedienr, action in harmony with
such notifications.
THE STATE FINANCES.
The CONDITION of the States fl.
nances is unprecedentetlly favora-
ble.
The real debit of the Stata-that