The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-08-21
N. I. IIIDuHG.
Mob Rule i'm the South.

The case of Captain Dixon, of va
ZOO county, Miss, to which we called
attention few days ago, is not a re-
markable or isolated one. 1t is un-
pleasant to admit, as we must, that
similar things have happened, within
three years, in a great many other
counties in the Southern part of this
country. Yet it is a case which ought
to have the immediate and serious at
tention of the Government of the
United States, of all citizens who care
for that Government, and of those
Southern people who sincerely wonder
that there is not at the North entire
confidence in the sincerity of their
professions and III the loyalty of their
purposes.
There IS no partisanship in the case.
A young man, always Democrat,
and formerly a Confederate soldier,
was particularly conspicuous in driv-
ing the Republicans out of power in
Yazoo county. For his extraordinary
activity and effectiveness III that cam
paign he was presented valuable sill
yer testimonial by his fellow Demo-
Gratis, and was styled the bravest of
the brave" in the inscription thereon.
1t does not appear that he Is in any
respect in sympathy with the Repub-
lican party, or the Administration, or
Northern ideas. But he is an Ameri-
can citizen, and as such is entitled to
the full protection Of the laws in the
enjoyment Of all his rights. 1t hap
pens that he wishes to be elected
Sheriff, and has a great many support
ers. He calls himself an Independent
candidate, and the Democratic Con-
vention had nominated another per-
son. But considerable proportion
of the respectable, responsible and
law-abiding white citizens of the
county supported him, being Demo-
Gratis like himself, and nearly all the
colored voters, who happen to be nu-
merous in that county. The Demo-
Gratis, convinced that they could not
defeat this independent Democrat,
proceeded to treat him just as if he
had been a Republican. They gath
cred a mob of three or four hundred
rough loafers, all armed and filled
with bad whisky, and waited upon
Dixon in force, informing him that
he must 90 out Of the county the
next morning never to return, or
''abide the consequences"
Dixon himself appears to be cour-
ageous man. But he had a family,
and their lives were in danger. He
had friends whose lives were threat
ened. He saw no relief, and signed a
paper withdrawing from the canvass
Oh the express condition that he and
his family and friends should be
spared. Some of his friends addressed
formal letter to Judge Morris, an
ex-Attorney-General of the State,
asking advice, but were answered that
the law was powerless, and that JUS
tice was a farce III such a case. The
Democratic Judge, indeed, reminded
them that Just such desperate and
lawless things had been done in many
counties, under pressure of suppos-
ed necessity" to get rid of Radical
rule, but that it had been hoped and
promised that an era of peace would
follow the restoration Of white Demo-
Gratis to power He could do nothing.
They could do nothing. The mob
rules in Yazoo, and Democracy is tri-
umphant, not only over BLACK Re
publicans," but over Independent
Democrats of substance and charac-
/ ter, who obey the law.
This incident is Of no Importance
whatever by itself. 1t does not be-
come more worthy of attention be-
cause the bulldozed candidate and his
friends were Democrats and Confed-
crates. In hundreds of instances Re
publicans have been treated in like
manner; i'll scores of cases they have
persisted in claiming their rights as
free American citizens, and have been
murdered. 1t does not matter that
the man was white, or that he was
highly respectable But let us ASK
one question: Is this free country
If so, what power is to be put fortl