Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-08-28
From Washington.
WASHINGTON. Ane- u 1sza

q Ill 81 y.
Mr. EDITOR:
The attention of the country is again
called to Mississippi. Henry NJ Dix
on, we'll known citizen of Yazoo Co.,
has been for some months an indepen-
dent candidate for Sheriff of that coun-
ty, supported by a portion OF the
whites, and large majority of the ne
groes, in opposition 10 StubbIcfeld,
the regular Democratic nominee
An armed mob from all portions of
the county assembled on the stree,
near BarkSdale's store, and sent com
mcttee of six to the dwelling of Mr..
D3on with instructions to demand on
behalf of the mob that he should i'm
mediately quit his canvass and leave
the county or die. He replied with
out hesitation he would not quit The
committee returned to the mob and re-
ported.
BY this time the young Mayor, J.
IL. Holt, appeared in front OF Dixon's
house with gun in his hands, and
speaking to the mob, said: 1.-The
"She"iff of this town is with you and
will do nothing, but l, as Mayor of
''th's town, will kill the first man who
attempts to cross this threshold"
The moo were for a while appalled,
at the determined and unexpected ac-
ton. Meanwhile the greatest conster-
nation spread throughout the town.
Mr.. Dixon wife and six small chill
>dren were in the house at the time.
A parley of six hours was INDUCED,
the mob continuing to increase, when
finally Mr. Dixon to save the lives of
his family, sent card declining to be
candidate.
A HeralEs dispatch says the
y azoo" plan has been tried in Ran
kin county. A mass meeting of Dem
ocrats appointed committee to order
Mayor &. L. Sutton to withdraw from
the canvass and leave the country.
Sutton is an old and respectable
citizen, with no offence charged against
him, except his candidacy.
THE SOUTHERN METHODS.
The Nafchez (Nliss.) Democrat
says that "Indepcndency thus far in
this State has meant Radicalism, and
IL ,cilJ Be treated rith the same screritg
that has met all attempts to reriUe Re
publicanism. Here is the open
avowal Of force and violence 1t is a
plain declaration that Republication
has been suppressed and Democracy
made triumphant by the rife and the
bludgeon.
The chairman of the Democratic
State Committee who is a prominent
candidate for United States Senator,
has issued an address to his party
which concludes with these words
Relieved from the menace of organ
lied opposition, majorities are liable to
become Indifferent to the maintenance
of their own organization and to d.
vide amogn themselves. 1t should be
remembered that the reforms which
have been inaugurated can be perfect
ed and carried out only BY aiqid Qd-
herGnce to the discipline and observance
Of the methods By ,chich the victories
Of 1915, '76 and II acere acop.''
What are these ''methods?" "How
were these victories won = The dates
are significant Mr. Barksdale's list
of the mokel campaigns and victories
begins with 1873 That was the year
when the mississippi plan" of bull
doing was first tried 1t was inaugu-
rated in the same county of Hazoo
which is now the scene of a similar at.
tempt. In the election of Governor
In 1873, that county showed Re-
publican vote Of 2,409 and a Demo
cratic vote of CIT. In 1875 Its vote
was returned as Republican Z, Demo
cratic 4,044! These extraordinary
figures tell their own story. No such
amazing change was produced by natu-
raj causes. Nothing short of force or
fraud reduced the republican vote
from ,, 400 to I, or swelled the Demo
cratic vote from Gil, to 4,044 1t is
matter OF history that the method
of intimidation was introduced in that
year of 1875, and it explains what
would otherwise be nexplicabIe. And
having discovered this plan the Demo
Gratis tried it again in &c and II
When, therefore, the chairman of
the State Committee insists upon OBJ.
serving the methods by which the
victories Of those years were won, the