The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-07-21
THE mIssIss1pp1 REPUBLICANS.

About tho breezest thing In poiiucs lbt
nresent season, SO prolific of surprises, has
brought fourth, is the pronouncement Jast Is
sued by the republican state committee OF
Mississippi That body met last week at Jack
son, and after due deliheration, resolved &c
call no convention this year and put no re-
publican ticket in the field, although in an
accompanying address they claim to represent
majority of $4,000 of the voters Of that state
The resolution is doubtless intended as Il with
erlng sarcasm against the Hayes Order No l.
the committee beng composed of office mold
ers, who by that order being prohibited from
running the machine, the machine cannot be
run. The committee also arraign the presi.
dental decision to send no more troops To the
south to help the republicans carry elections,
by asserting that since the withdrawal of such
aid, Fraud, intimidation and violence have
practically dsiranchsed the republican party
in this state" and until the time shall come
when, with government baycnets to back US,
I'VE can stand erect in any presence as free
men and assert and enforce our rights at the
ballot box, we believe II 10 be the part Of Wis,
dom to refrain from The unequal and hapeles:
codte5t,"
Tie lrst suggestion that presents itself %
reading this manifesto Is, that If the machine
cannot be run by any but these Office holders,
why don't they resign and run the machine
Are they such bondslaves to office that rath-
er than resign they are willing to let major
ity Of 10000 be tyrannized over by q misera
bic minority and the liberties or the people
and their material prosperity TO the dem.
milton bowows? If the holding Of Office has
had such deteriorating effect on their man.
hood ii seems to be about time for the presi.
dent to interfere and release them from the
degrading yoke.
The second suggestion the manifesto of
these unhappy office holders suggests Is, if
of30,000, in vote ola little over 100.
is, if $4,000 able bodied voters are
so helpless in the presence of $1,000 voters
hat the intimidation and violence of the lat.
er are able practically TO distranchise The |
j,000 what is universal suffrage in such
Of society worth anyhow? Accord
ng to this Mississippi manifesto the introduc.
ion of two strange anomalies in our polvi-
,al system are necessary: first the presence
If band of soldiers at every poll on election
lay to protect three independent, manly, stall
|art voters against the intimidation of one
voter; and secondly, a band Of Office holders
o run the machine, 50 that tie said three yo,.
,rs shall not be inundated or cajoled by the
me voter into voting the wrong way. 1t may
DC very unforunatc-ca amious in fact for
he republican party of Mississippi, whose
existence seems to be SO strangely wrapped
Up in dozen, more or less of federal office
holders, if, rather than introduce such an in.
lovation the nation should prefer to let the
party in that state 90 by the board, but it real.
y looks as if the people as we'll as President
Hayes have about concluded that if q majority
'f3O,O0O in 100000 voters cannot govern them.
selves and will not even attempt to assert
heir rights, it is for all practical purposes a
mere minority, fit only to be governed and
nay as well be abolished.