Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-06-13
"We Must Garry Them.a

Under this significant caution the
following Editorial appears in The
Mississippi Brookhaven Ledger of
May 2, 1878:
Because the people of Mississippi have re-
solved to elect six Representatives to Con-
gress this fall, the jackson Times wants to
know if the election is to be conducted on the
bull-dozing plan. Yes, if necessary-on that
or any plan to keep the Radicals out of pow
er. The first thing to do is to resolve to car
~ every district and the next is 10 do it. If
Independents and Radicals league together to
defeat Democratic victory, treat them alike
Mississippi is Democratic and must remain So
Let the Times not lose sight of that fact And
it is well enough to state here the walls of
the Times do not amount to anything. The
people pay no attention to them. They know
their duty and will maintain it, and the Times
can shake the bloody shirt from now till dooms-
day without effect. VIII the Times wall
again?
Aud the Columbus (Miss.) hide
pendent of May 4, on the Same sub.
jeet says
We epeat, we advocate pitching the cans
vass on a high key. Native sons of Mississippi
who haze proved themselves to be as base as
et-baggers, and native sons who may prone
themselves to be equally base b. cepting
the support OF the element which has BEEN
used to insult and Cypress the people of the
State, merit, and must be subjected to, the
same heroic treatment practced upon aliens
In this district Republicans and woud-be-
called Democrats, who have forfeited the re-
spect and confidence of their party friends, ARE
endeavoring to influence some prominent
Democrat to become an Independent cand-
date for Congress, promising him the support
of their black cohorts. If such one can be
found weak enough to yield, the Democratic
nominee must hunt him down az enemy to
the safety of the community.
We have conquered, and, having once con-
quered, must hold firmly and forever.
Now what are some OF the facts
as to Congressional districts in Mis-
sissippi2
In Republican times tho State
elected five Republican Represents.
tives at majorities ranging from B..
900 to 10000, and one Democrat at
q majority of about 5000. The dis
tricts were blocked out OF coutigu.
Gus counties, and without gerry
Wandering that could be complained
i of. When the Democracy came in.
/ TO power by the shotgun policy of
1875, they immediately redistricted
the State without any regard to do
cency or right, and with the sole
view of electing nearly solid DEM
ocratic delegation. There is pub
lie crime connected with this unprec-
edented wrong which the people CT
the country should know.
( By the acs of 1876 five Democrat.
/ ic districts wero created, two very
close, and one Republican compris-
! ing all counties on tho Mississippi
river from Memphis TO New Orleans
distance of nearly five hundred
miles. 1t is known as the Shoe
String or BLACK Snake district, be.
ing all length with little breadth. In
some places this district is less than
ten miles acaoss, and in no case
wider than county. 1t embraces
the negro belt and by tho census of
! 1870 has IS. 900 colored majority of
qualified electors. This district was
labelled Radical by it's creators, and
the most inveterate bull-dozer had
no idea then of it's ever being carried
by his party. But the political rob-
bera and murderers who could sub
vert majority of 10000 in the State
by meditatsd and pubIically organ
lied crime were equal, by the same
means, to $4,000 in district. A fit
ting leader was found in General
Chalmers, the lieutenant of Forrest
at Fort Pillow, and by systematized
intimidation, bull-dozipg. rioting,
Misunderstanding, and false count.
ing. Chalmers was returned elected
with a majority of 3, 500. Three humid
dred pages of testimony before Sem
stor Morton's committee tell of the
terrible prosecutions Republicans
suffered in this stamping out of their
political life thirty or moro being
hung to trees or shot to death in
single county. One thousand pages
could not record the atrocities CON-
mitted in that campaign in this sim
gle district. Chalmers is now in
Congress and is feted by Bostonians
in Faneuil Hall as representative
of Southern goodwill, honor and
Cancellation.
The Ledger above quoted frankly
acknowledges the spirit in which the
approaching canvass is to be con-
Quoted, and solid Democratic dele.
egation from Mississippi secured by
whatever means NAV be required
jast as was done 10 1876. Yet good
natnced Republicans in the North
eredulcusly wonder if these things
can be so,and imagine they sre made
up for campaign purposes. Let them
go there and see. MIssIssIPIAN.