Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-08-15
The Yazoo Plan.

winch started the campaign OF terrorism ami
murder in 1875 In that campaign the syS
TEN of suppressng the negro vote was per
fected, which soon came TO be known all
over the South as the Mississippi plan. and
Yazoo claims the patent for its first invention.
How it worked in that county may be seen
from the fact that whereas in 1871 there were
1906 Republican votes cast. TO 991 Demo
cratic in 1875 there were but Republican
votes cast, in total of 4, 05l votes, the other
4 GA being Democratic The example thus
set was speedily followed throughout other
Southern States with like results The in
dignation aroused throughout the North hy
the utter subversion of Republican institu-
tons under the Mississippi plan is fresh in
the minds of ALL 1t has not yet subsidized.
But there have been all along journals like the
New York Nation and Springfield AtpHbd-
can, whose political panacea for the Southern
problem is always 10 let the whitc-linc Demo
cracy have their own way whose faith in the
eN-rebcls was not staggered even by the whole
sale substitution of the shot gun policy for
the fair and orderly rule of the majority
through the ballot-boN. wait awhile,
they said. This is now, 10 be sure, a unan-
imous thing The whites are united and
have established their supremacy over the
weaker race. But the time is coming when
the whites will divide Then they will find
it for their interest to secure the colored vote,
on one side or the other. The colored voter
will thus again become of consequence and
his rights will be restored by the very men
who now disregard them"
These short sighted nptimists failed 10 see
that the shot gun policy could he made as
effective to keep the vote unanimous at the
Southern polls us il was to make ii So i'll
1875. The whites did divide in Iazoo coun-
ty this year Mr.. Dixon and his friends who
had been active in wiping out the Republi-
can party in that county in 1870 did ind 1t
for their interest," in 1879, to conciliatc the
colnrcd voters andto promise them that they
should have a chance To vote for the men
of their choice. What the result was
our readers know The Democratic leaders
applied the Mississippi plan, as promptly
and effectually To Col Dixon and the In
dependents" as they ever hal to the Repub
cans Not only so; but they deliberately
hold up their conduct as an example for the
Southerners generally. Here the lazoo Sen
tiRei, the Democratic organ,-as it rcjoices
over the hulldoZing of Dixon, the lndepen-
dent candidate for sheriff Thus has laZoo
again won the proud title of the banner
county of Mississippi and laid down, moi
by words.hut deeds. the sound political doc
trinc, that fomentcrs of strife shall not SOW
the seeds of intcrnecinc strife within her
borders. Let her sister counties, who in -
so valiantly initiated her example, again as
sert their power, and all will be well with
them"
This example and advice is already ac-
cepted in other counties. The Corinth Miss
Record says IF the Democracy of Holmes
should he overthrown hy Radicalism under
its new name they will have none but them
selves to blame For they have the manly
and timely example Of the gallant Democracy
of Yazoo before them"
The Democratic paper of Rankin county,
says:
The Democracy of Rankin has made up
its mind 10 elect every man on It's ticket
and il is going to do ii in spite of the Rad-
Gals, independents, Grcenhackcrs. Federal
army, United States marshals, l. :. Grant
Rutherford b. Hayes and the devil. 1t has
its war paint on now, and we advise all sore
headed individuals to get ont of the way.
The poor ptiful, cowardly, mbber-dcguel-
tons who call themselves Independents, hut
who are really Radicals in disguise. have al |
ready begun the old Radical howl of fraud, |
bulldoZing, counting out, etc. This is done
to excite sympathy and as an excuse for |
their overwhelming defeat, which they now |
see Is inevitable, We warn these white |
skinned organizers of loyal-league clubs 10 90 |
little slow, TO cease their efforts To revive |
race prejudices before it is too late. This |
game was tried in lazoo county. and the In |
dependent candidates led by Ii. VI. Dixon,
their candidate for sheriff, aroused the pre-
JUDGES of the coOrcd people to such pitch
that race collision seemed inevitable, when
the white people met in mass convention
last Friday and demanded that he retire from
the canvass. which he did. We want peace,
and We are going 10 have it if have to tigh,
for it.
Thus is the Yazoo plan adopted through
out Mississippi; and it will probably he as
widely followed throughout the South as
was the original Mississippi plan. Hardly
single Southern paper has uttered any rebukc
Of the lazoo outrage, and the Northern
Democrats gave no sign that they ever heard
of it. But it is opening the eyes of some
who have been disposed 10 welcome Il return
of the Democracy 10 power. The New York
EoeAiHg Post has had strong SET towards
Democracy of late; but it is awakening To
the necessity of doing something To avert the
peril to Republican institutions. Comment
ing upon the lazoo infamy and the general
contrast between Northern order and South
ern disorder, it SUCCESSFULLY remarks:
What then, Shall we have more recon
struction laws, more federal interference in
States: That by no means follows hut one
thing is tolcrably certain. The conservative
Uoters IF Tie North, rithom rtgdyd 10 party.
,rW ~Iy 10 MemseictS That II tie J,olitirM
soiiity 81 ,cIich Tie South Is 10 Jg,ond. irhicA
is 80 CAREFULLY maintainai. and 10 ,rhich tie
politicians 80 confd0tly trust, secures no
6etter enforcement IF hIir and order than IL
seems To do IN Nisasappi tie solm South
cannot @ttly be charytd 'rith tie Goronmc.t
IF tie country This is not stalwariism or
scctionalism. Ii is common sense The only
way to meet the issue is to furnish satisfac-
tory proof that the Mississippi spirit is moi
the rule but II rare exception in the South
10 show that Southern opinion disapprovcs.
not coldly and formally, hut heartily and in
Il practical way, ouragcs 81 monstrous rs
that of lazoo county 1t is unavoidahly |
hard to do this So long aS the South remains
solid, because solidity is itself AN argument
the other way"
The Mississippi spirit" cannot he proved
TO be 'nct the rule, " till il ceases 10 rule the
South
N-n-rc AMI yn-rc