The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-05-31

support OF the committee to Mississippi
| ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE, !
JACKSON, Miss, Nov. "a, 1875.
To HIS Ercelleneg U. s. Grant, President q
the United States:
SIR: Mississippi, with a Republican ma
JorIty two years ago of "a, 900, has Just gon
Democratic by an overwhelming majority
say 10000 This was no less astonishing I,
the Democrats than it was sad to the Repub
/ lIcans and inasmuch as many have under
| taken TO account for our defeat, and con
| tradictOry statements have been made as t,
the real cause, ! think it proper to write
and give you plain and
UNvARNIsHED STATEMENT
of affairs here, and while it is painful t.
/ give the whole truth, it will in some degree
relieve me, as legal adviser from the re
| sPonsibility OF many of the fatal blunders o.
! the present State administration, and Al
the same time give the real causes Of our de
! feat
GOV. AMEs
was inangurated in January, 1874, under
the most favorable auspices. His address
| promised economy and reform, and was
well received by the whole country. Even
our political opponents, in state of disrup-
/ ton, many of them having voted for him
expressed a willingness to support him in
| all that he had promised and advised; but
instead OF encouraging every indication OF
returning friendship, his cold indifference
drove them at once into direct antagonism.
/ He seemed to contract his views and narrow
1 his circle of friends to a few confidential adj
| visers, and, as it were, a close corporation of
| mercetary men, who knew but little Of the
wants of the people of the State and cared
less men who have no identity of sympathy
or interest in common with the people of
the State, and, to deal plainly, ! must cali
names. They were such men as j. b. Ray
mond, A. I. Morgan, A. r. Howe, and a
few lesser lights. -
RAYMOND,
the State printer, Is also clerk in the treas
urer's office and lobbyist around the Legis-
lature, especially on the printing bills,
which pay him near $4,000 per apnum,
when $4,000 would be too much. He
leaves his printing office in the hands of an
| other, it is said, at Il salary of 81, 800 per
annum III currency, aud takes a cierkship
i'll the State treasury at 81, 800 in State
warrants worth 10 or SO cents on the dol
lar. This he could well afford because he
handled the funds of the State, and if he
| cashed his own warrants he makes nearly
$4,000 per apnum on that, and there Is
nothing to prevent it exceBt his known hon.
it is persisted in to this day. The treasu-
REFS office is to change hands since the
special election to fill a vacancy, and his
office as State printer is about to expire,
and now he wants to be postmaster Mt Vicks-
burg. / regret to add that he is so degraded
that the charge of corruption and bribery Is
no offense to him, and it comes from various
sources.
MORGAN,
who il sheriff of Yazoo county, has long
been a refugee from his county. He was
chairman of the late State cuHyention, and
is now the husband of a very respectable
colored woman, and, when State Senator, he
offered in writing to sell his vote for $4,000:
Raymond refused to pay it, saying he had
already paid him 5000, and thaSwas enough
for that vote. I4H -
a A. r. HOWE,
ex-countv treasurer and ex-member OF fon-
gress, took from the treasury of Pamela
county through an ignorant colored
man and the board of supervisors, and
now unlawfully retains, the sum OF
50, 125 81 q have Il certified transcript OF
the reeord) and which he does not deny but
refuses to pay. This in brief is small part
of the record of three of the governors con-
! 6deptial advisers, friends and councillors,
and he must have known their character all
the while. Through these and other friends
he had very full control of tie Legislature
and could procure almost any legislation
that looked at all plausible, either for the
! good of the State, the good OF the party, or
| for selfaggrandizement, and the sequel has
shown how he has used that power. The
first session of
THE LEGISLATURES
passed with but little ifany reform, and we
| felt sad Under the constitution and laws
he was required to appoint 20 chancellors
| with the advice and consent of the Senate,
| This. of course, should have been done du'
ring the session of the Senate, but for some
| reason. best known to himself, he refused to
| do it. aAd waited until after the adjourn
ment and then made the appointments ID
/ vacation, and this was set aside by the s4-
preme court lsee Brady VS.. Howe, 90 Miss.
/ report page 607 } the court holding that the
| appointinapt should have been made during
| the session ofthe Senate. It was manliesIly
his dutv to have made the appointments
/ during the session of the Senate, and 10 h4ye
sent them in for confirmation As the terms Of
office expired long before the next session,
hat the Governor in his desire to controf the
| ;udieiary as we'll as the executive depart
ment of the State resofted TO the exPediencs
ofmaking the appointments IN vacation, Shl
thus holding the appointments over them
! until the next session of the Legislature
and II thsy did not please him in their de
.erees. etc. he could withhold their names
| a. he did in one case, thus making the Ju
dietary
/ sUgsERvIENT TO THE EXECUTIVE, !
in violation of the Constitution, (see articl'
3 sections and p aud he actually removes
4 Chancellor brennan, because IN q case
babeas corpus he refused bail to the Govern
OPS friend A. T. Morgan, on charge OF th'
4 Il Tn II sci
men to fill these important judiciary posi-
! tinns he did not confne himself to the lega
nyofession. He made some good appoint
ments. it is true, but in two or three IN
stances he appointed men who had receives
he laxy license only few days previous 10
the purpose of being appointed, who ha'
never had a case in court and who were
TOTALLY IGNORANT
Of the law or the practice of it, and did no
know a plea in bar from demurrer.
one case. a most VIGOROUSLY venal ana COZ
. rnnt, one. and for the avOwed purpose 0
~ g;rip0 strength to his friend HOwa for ION
gress' he appointed Howe's brother elSIk
u The Chancery Court and clerk OF the DoAI'
! of Supervisors of Pamela county Ior .ne
& press purpose of preventing an lnvestlgatlol
, IF Howe's indebtedness to Pamela count!
: Tn one case he appointed Mr.. Peyton, so
J of the Chief Justice, and then refused 7
| and his name to the Senate because he de
i cided q ease contrary to the Governor
wishes. and pending the trial of this case,
: sent for the Chief Justice and desired MI
: to control the action OF his son, the Chai
ceIlor. This aroused the
HONEST INDIGNATION
Of the Chief Justice, and broke OF n
friendly relations between them FAs Hnli
: Justice then dealt him a Weli-mente9 cast
I oation which resulted in the Eithholdlng !,
III fhe name of young Mr.. Peyton iIonl =
III ktte5 r. F1.zoov,s1nrE 474 troubles gre