The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-11-26
A Picture of Radical alias Greenback
Voting.


We are permitted to make an extract
from a private letter received by a
gentleman in this city from friend in
DeSoto county, giving some account of
the contested election case now pro-
crossing in that county. 1t brings
wildly back the days of Ames, Cardo-
20 ct al. We commend it to the careful
reading and thoughtful attention of the
honest but deluded members of the
Greenback party in this State, and
would earnestly ask them if return to
the methods of voting here disclosed is
the entertainment to which they would
invite the people of the State
DEAR SIR-The contested election case
of C. NJ. Haynie vs. West, began on Mon
day last and is not yet closed. The Court
yesterday evening took recess until Mon
day morning next. The Attorneys engaged
in the case are, for the contestant Col. Tom
Harris of Holly Springs, I. p Manning, |.
r. Howe; for Defendant, Col. White,
Stands, Mckenzie, Stokes, Watson & Me
harg. Contestant complains of seven
voting preclnts, viz: Olive Branch,
Pleasant Hill, Reynolds, Ingrams Cockrum,
Horn Lake, Plain Point. In regard to the
two first, he alleges that at Olive Branch,
about one hundred and forty votes were
cast for him, which the officers of the cleo
ton refused to count, on the ground that
they (the Yoters) were numbered or marked
on the back with certain numerals OF
figures. He alleges that eighty-two votes
cast for him at Pleasant Hill, were rejected
for the same cause; at the other boxes
complained of, he alleges that the votes
were not properly counted, and that a
majority of the votes cast were polled for
him. We have been engaged this week in
taking evidence on the two first men,
toned grounds of complaint. Their plan
has been to examine each voter as to who
he voted for, for the office in question. The
great majority of them, of course, are
negroes, at least nine-tenths. They all
swear that they voted for Haynie, for Chan
Gerry Clerk, and on cross examination
almost invariably assert that they voted for
him for Circuit Clerk. Their tickets were
given to them by the Captains Of their Clubs
(their language) none of whom could read
or write. They all voted the straight
ticket, some of them calling it the National,
some the Greenback, some the Republican,
and others the Radical ticket. Their
names were taken down and numbers put
upon their tickets by members of their
party, and the Presidents of their Clubs
stood by and saw them put the tickets in
the boxes. Nearly all of them say that
this was done with their consent, but state al
the same time that they would have agreed
to any thing suggested by their leaders.
That they voted as they were instructed by
their leaders and invariably obeyed their
orders in all political matters. They were
ordered to attend the trial by the Captains
of their Clubs and all came without being
subpenaed. The case will turn upon these
two boxes. They will not be able to prove
any thing as to other boxes packed. Ballots
were not rejected anywhere except al
Pleasant Hill and Olive Branch, although
the system was adopted all over the county
except at fernando. Our defence will be
that even if this be all true, the ballots were
properly rejected; that the method OF
voting adopted was not the one contempla
ted by our Constitution and laws. That il
destroyed the secrecy of the ballot, enabling
the party managers and Presidents of Club.
to ascertain how every man in their party
voted and also all who voted against them,
which virtually destoys the constitutional
requirements of voting by ballot. | think
we will obtain verdict am confident that
no verdict will be rendered against us
They have undertaken their strongest case
West having a majority of only 10 +; if they
fail it is probable that they will not attempt
any other.