Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-08-29
The Ya2Oo Mob Ordered by the Demo-
cratic Party,

The more the Yazoo County MISSY
mob is probed the more odious it be-
comes. 1t was hideous enough as a
mere exhibition of violence on the part
of the Democrats of county famous
for its record of bulldozing. If it shall
appear that the mob was actually insti-
gated by leading Demoratic politicians
of the State, with view to keep Mis-
sissippi solid" it will present an in
finitely more hideous aspect A New
York Tribune correspondent charges
this to be the fact. He says that Con-
gressmen Singleton and Major Barks-
u 'Gommittees," Tffsffeed u tea StYfa2 tYfsa2d6f
and held d consultation with the local
Democratic leaders. He says further.
They represented to those leaders that IL
would never do to allow an independent party
to be formed in Yazoo; that it must be nipped
In the bud; and that YaZoo and all Mssisstp-
pi must be kept "soid." Not many days
passed before the advice given bore fruit in
the Yazoo uprising On his return to jack
son, Chairman Barksdale Issued a circular to
the Democratic Conservative party" OF Mis-
sissippi, the concluding paragraph Of which
reads as follows: " Relieved from the menace
of organized opposition, maiorities are apt to
becuflie Indifferent to the maintenance of their
own organization, and to divide among them
selves. 1t should be rem fiembered that the re-
forms which have been inaugurated can be
perfected and carried out only by rigid ad-
herence to the discipline and observance of
the methods by which the victories of 1875,
'76, and III were won."
If this statement Is true, and there is
every reason to believe and none to
doubt it, the mob-spirit was inspired by
the official representatives of the Dem
ocratic party of Mississippi. The Chair
man of the Democratic State Commit
tee, supported by Democratic Con-
gressman, goes to Yazoo County, holds
a consultation with the local Democrat
ic leaders, and orders for the formation
of the mob are deliberately issued. In
few days the mob assemblies and forces
Dixon, the Independent candidate for
Sheriff, to retire from the canvass.
Then follows the circular to the " Dem
ecratic Conservative (P) party nf Mis-
sissippi," in which Major Barksdale,
the official head of the Democratic par
ty, uses such language as would be ap-
propriate in the address of a General to
his troops after a successful engage
ment. He defines the nature of the
campaign carried on,-defines it so
clearly as to leave no doubt that the
shotgun policy is to be continued. He
actually says that "the methods by
which the victories of 1875, '76 and VI
were won' are to be pursued ''rigidly."
We all know what those methods were
They were comprised in single word
-" bulldozing," - mobs, hangings,
shootings, terrorism, intimidation, and
frauds upon the ballot-bOxes. The Dem
ocratic party of Mississippi throws off
it's mask. 1t declares through the
Chairman of its State Committee that
Yazoo and all Mississippi must be
kept solidr' And by the side of Major
Barksdale, supporting and countenanc-
ing his threat against the freedom of
suffrage, stands Democratic Congress
mani Mr.. Singleton is Democratic
law maker, but he coolly advises the
local Democratic leaders of YazoO
County to defy all law, to crush out by
mob violence freedom of speech and
political action in a county of his dis
trict! All this is monstrous, infamous!
But there is only one Democratic paper
in Mississippi possessing honor and
moral courage enough to protest against
! the infamous proceeding. That paper
is the Vicksburg Herald. 1t has taken
a manly course, but it has also paid the
penalty. At "called meeting" of the
Democratic citizens of Yazoo County "a
resolution was adopted wherein the
Herald vas denounced as an enc
my to the community" 1t is claimed
by Northern Democrats that the Oko-
Iona States does not represent Southern
sentiment. DIR. McKown, of Arcola,
ILL.,, with whom the Tribune lately had
some controversy on the subject of the
patriotism and political virtue of the
Southern wing of the Democratic party,
treated with well-simulated scorn the
claim that the Okolona StateS repre-
sents anybody. But the Yazoo moi
followed the teaching of the Okolons
States newspaper, and the citizens OF
Yazoo County in public meeting assem-
bled have repudiated the teaching OF
the Vicksburg Herald. And, as the
mob was inspired by the Chairman ol
the Democratic State Committee, it may
be presumed that the Reputation OF the
Herald was inspired by the same au
thority.
1t may be fairly charged that the
Democratic leadership of the country
North as well as South, sympathizes