St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-29
Political Murder.
A RuLLpozER RuLLpozEp.

A BULLDOZER BULLDOZED.
Our news columns give the intelli-
gence that Capt. Henry M. Dixon, in
dependent candidate for sheriffin Yazoo
county, Mississippi, was assassinated on
the principal street of that city in broad
day, by James Fl. Barksdale, candi-
date for Office on the democratic ticket.
All our readers may not know the pre-
vious history of this case which is now
the talk of the nation. .-.a. ...-
Capt. Dixon announced himself some
weeks since as an independent candi-
date for sheriff. This so aroused the
indignation of the democrats of that
county that an armed mob visited him
and fairly forced him to sign an agree
ment to withdraw from the field. AT
forwards it seems he was persuaded by
his friends to re-enter the contest, and
for this temerity he was shot down in
cold blood by prominent democratic
politician. -.rh ... ...- ..."
As outrageous and FLOODED as
this assassination is, it has its features
of justice. Dixon was himself prom
inent bulldozer. In 1875, he was
leader in this mississippi plan" which
redeemed the state from the radicals.
In that year Mr.. Redfield of the Cincin-
natl Commercial was in Mississippi, and
in letter to his paper he says: "In
the past sixty days not less than one
hundred men have been killedr-all the
murders being of political character,
and all the victims being republicans.
On one occasion, when Sheriff Morgan
was addressing the Republican Club of
Yazoo City, he was denounced by an
armed ruffian as liar, and Immediate
ly some fifty shots were fred from the
crowd. Mitchell, leading white re-
publican, was shot dead, and several
negroes were wounded.
In another letter Mr.. Redfield men
tions "H. M. Dixon, who took such a
prominent part in the shooting at the
time Mitchell was killed. These scenes
were repeated all over the state, and
the republican vote was suppressed.
Then, a few months after the election,
Mr.. DixOn's fellow citizens presented
him with massive silver pitcher suit
ably inscribed.
Notwithstanding Capt. DixOn's emf
nent services to- the democratic party |
and the South, he was given dose of
his own medicine when he had the
courage to go contrary to the wishes of
of his party, and there is not the least
danger, that his murderer will ever be
punished for it unless some one gives
him dose in kind.
The worst feature of this business is
the fact that many of the leading men
of Mississippi either approve of such
work, or are silent in regard to it. Be-
fore the murder, but while this excite
ment Was going on, the Natchez (Miss.)
Democrat said that "independency thus
far in this state has meant radicalism,
and it will be treated with the same
severity that has met all attempts to
revive republicanism." The Corinth
Miss.) Record boldly declared that all
opposition to the democracy must be
put down at the muzzle of the rifle.
The chairman of the democratic state
committee, who is also candidate for
U. S. Senator, concluded an address
with these words "The reforms which
have been inaugurated can be perfected
and carried out only by rigid ad-
herence to the discipline and observ
ance of the methods by which the vic
tories of 1875, '76 and n were won"
Those victories, as all know, were won
by the shotgun.
Since the assassination Senator La
mar has been interviewed at Washing
ton, but he refuses to express his views
''for fear that his language may be mis-
construed" Such is the feeble utter
ance of the great Mississippi Senator
when a democrat and Confederate SOL
dier is shot in the back by brother
democrat for his political actions and
opinions. What hope is there for
state which does not repudiate such
barbarism9 .....