Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-11-28
An Open Letter 10 the New York Times
To the EdItnr OF The New York Times.


FRIARs PGIST. Miss, November -, 1916.
l have Just seen that your columns have been
opened 10 an attack on me BY a correspondent from
Washington signed u. 4. >" and ask that you Will
extend me the same courtesy for a brief reply Ad-
nit, II you please, that his figures showing the rel
alive strength I'm this district are correct and
that Grants majority over Greeley was about II, 900
votes in 1872, and We will only see the same revu
sion OF opinion in the south that We see I'm the north
where HAYES receives about 500 OO0 less majority in
1876 than Grant did in 1872. The one result IS not
strange than the other unless YOU Insist on the
very inconsistent position for Republican TO as
sunle that the negro Is incompetent TO understand
political argument, and ullm0yed by the exposure or
official corruption. Your correspondent neglects to
state that IN this same district, In last
years election, when the imbecillty
Of Ames disrupted his party, the
Republican majority was reduced from 1000 down
to 1000, as you will see by a comparison of the votes
for state treasurer; and this time, starting with
1000 against me, have beaten Mr. Lynch about
1000 votes, being gain of 1000, or only 1000
more than the gain Of last year. Your correspondent
thinks It is impossible that this could have been
fairly done and selects my district as a striking ex
ample OF the intimidation, fraud and llegality OF
elections In the south. Now when you consider that
not only had all the Democrats OF the district thor
oushly aroused and working for me, but when nearly
al the leading Republicans and Hayes men-the
men In Office, sheTffs, clerks, and leading mer-
chants-men who In past times exercised unbOunded
Manning the sheriff. Waddell Perkins Irvine, owen
and Nesbitt. Of TlIiea; Harrington, Crowley, COch-
raDe. Brodie. WoFtham- Walters and Staeord nf
Coah0ua sUfeg, Oi DOiivaE; Judge SIaliOrd and
Foster. Of Washington Judge Jefors, OF Issaquena;
General Fitzgerald, OF Warren; Walter keaTn,
late private secretary OF AnleS In Jefferson; Captain
Key. Federal soldier; Griffin mayor of NatcheZ;
Foster. chancery clerk of Adams and Noble, sheriff
OF Wilkinson were my friends and supporersi
while Governor AlcOrn, my personal friend, voted
against me but did not work, and when YOU add 10
this long list OF prominent cOlOred men like Wood,
sheriff Of Adams: Davenport and WOoley. OF Clai-
borne; Lem Moore, Fields and Houston 1ate presl
dent OF the supervisors, of Issaquena; j. d. Web
ster and Shad lchancery clerk, Of Washington;
Murray county treasurer, Glass, HuddlestOn and
Ben Taylor, of Bolivar; Wade. ArmiStead and DR..
Brown; Of COahOma Hunter, Hall and Perkins, Su-
pervisOFs, and Carter, chancery clerk, Of Tunica,
and host OF lesser lights too numerous 20 mention,
who supported me; and when you are Informed
that GT. Lynch went only TO the county or principal
towns, while l went With brass bands. professions
and Daroecues 70 every precinct thllk you VIII agree
with me that II would have been strange IL mad not
defeated man who was almost unaided and alone.
The statement that theTe are mo more negro Demo
Gratis than SclaTag Republicans In the south ls
great mistake L was yery diieuI at iIst
Some came TO us last year under the name OF .the
peoples party" and independent Republicans"
and this year they proclaim themselves Democrats.
As soon as enough were obtained 20 keep each other
company, and 10 be self protecting we had diff
Guilty IN obtaining recruits. Your correspondent
9sils tnat tIIeeley cOulI t'e ODs5e9 more negro
votes than any man not the nominee OF the Repub-
lican party, and | thought SO too; b;It | was an
elector for Greeley and as strange you may think
II, many negroes then Informed ME that they would
vote for me II running on my own account but that
they would not vote for Greeley. And you viii per
nit me here 10 say that many negro speakers who
advocated Lynch said on the stump that the Ony Oh
lection they had to my election was that would not
be here to defend them IA the courts and they would
be sent 10 the penitentlary. This was prominent
and Oft repeated Argument in the district where
practice Law. II may be deemed egOtism IN me to
mention this, and only do il In selfdefenSe
against what / consider an unjust and
slanderOus assault upon me and IN the same
connection may add that after the election, when
was bout 10 leave home on boat my negro friends
and supporters with great enthusiasm drew me In a
buggy 70 the landing. There was certainly no evi-
dence Of intimidation in this have been twice a
candidate for state senator in this black belt
and both times received large negro vote, which
was Increased each time have been candidate,
notwithstanding the false charges which your cor
respondent nov makes aDOal FOTt Pillow were occa
sonally hurried at me. These ISLANDERS have been 50
often Feftted here, and there many men, white
and black. in the district who know them TO be false
that 20 man here who has any regard for truth would
repeat them. Mr Lynch tried Il twice IN the open
ing OF his canvass and lost many votes 10y IT, 30 that,
by the advice OF his friends, he abandoned It. The
Truth Is the Republican party of Mississippi have In
dOrSed toe many men who fought al Fort Pillow to
make any point on II nov. The Republican attorney
general ana former Congressman, Il. T. Harris; the
last Republican candidate for State treasurer, q. W
Buchanan; the Republican official of COahoma,
G. +. AlcOrn. and, more especially. the Hayes
and Wheeler electOr of the district. I. J. WOOdsOn,
were all IN my command at Fort Pillow aud some
Of them In the line shooting while was on my
horse being shot at And, furthermore, these gen
tlemen. though all opposed TO me In politics, will
all testify that all these charges made against me,
by men who do not even profess 70 know me, were
false They viii testify that no woman or boy was
ever murdered By or by any one else at Fort Pill
low; that there were no women or boys there When
we took the iOrt; that never had any staff officer
from the second Missouri cavalry, and that, so far
nom saying Il would not treat home made Yam
KEGS" meaning Tennesseans, 'as prisoners OF
war," that actually did protect Major Bradford
from threatened violence at the hands OF d TenneS-
see Confederate. YouH correspondent calls Lynch
the most popular c0lOred orator In the state, and
yet he lost twelve hundred votes I'm his county while
gained five hundred In mine over the last election.
and al the boz on my plantation received every
vote, white and black. while Hayes received sixty
four and Tiden forty votes, and I'm Tunica county,
where | am best known, nv majority over Lynch
five hundred and SiXty-seven, while Hayes's
majority over Tilden was 100 votes. Your cor
respondent processes to doubt the existence Of color
cd Democrats, but that there were many open and
ayOTel changes among c3i0red men IS well known
here. und We Democrats give them credit for an
honest change OF opinion. But Il may be possible
that The more Intelligent ana ambidgns were
prouptod Dy selIlnterest % Join uS. IL Is well
known that many negroes have held Office In this
district and that they have been enabled 10 do SO prin
c paly through the kindness Of Democratic friends
WAC made their bonds. In The Las canvass ii WAS
psnY asserted that no more Democrats would sign
Republican bonds, and Ia a district where Demo
cTats IRE almost the Only men Who can make official
bonds /. Is easy TO perceive what persuasive inIlI
eacs this would have 70 convert aspiring cOOre men
to the Democratic party. Il is all folly 10 say that
the r5Sul. Vas accomplished by tie Shotgun policy
or b. fraud. The simple solution Of the whole mat
Ter IS, that mind and money cultivated Intellect aud
accumulated wealth. always have. and alyayS will
control the world fOur correspondent vas UfOr-
tuuate In bis selection oi ths dlstrlr fer llustra-
ton. He must fix on some better exrcse, or aban-
don his idea Of throwing ont the electoral vote OF
Mississippi. FeTy respectfully,
JAS. Z. CHALMERS,
CongTesSman-elect Sixth District of Mississippi
-S---
san Francisco. November %: Private adyfces re-
cCyed here render Il probable that the revolution In
lower California reported Yesterday, IS the begin
ming OF an insurTectlOuaTy movement Ia favor Of
Por1irO DiaZ. which Wili spread throughout that
State Scarcely any government troops are there 10
oppose the reV0lutiOnlSts.
Calcutta. November %: The 0iReiH G,l-efie pub
fishes minute Of Sir Richard Temple. lieutenant
governor u Bengal giving the result Of his Visit
the districts Of southeastern Bengal, which were de-
wis.ated by the late cyclone. The minute confirms
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