Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-08-08
Mississippi Politics Yazoo Mob.

as th' "'N 1900
is the Democrats who ventured 10 bolt the
regular white-line Democratic nominations
for sheriff and county clerk-are said to en-
brace from fourth TO a third of the better
class of the old white population, all hereto
fore Democrats, the white Republicans hay
ing long ago been driven from the county or
compelled to Join the Democrats. or at least
TO keep shady Captain NJ. ii. Dixon, the
leader of the independent movement, was a
Confederate soldier, has been since the war
Il prominent planter of lazoo county, and
was ALWAYS Democrat A correspondent
of the New York Times says: 'lle was
married to one of the most elegant and re-
fined ladies in that county. lie is man
whose courage, sohriety, and libcrality have
made him hosts of friends wherever he is
known. In 1915 he took such Il prominent
and influential part in displacing the Radical
anlin stalling the Democrats intopower. that
the party thought it incumbent upon 1t To
testify its appreciation of his services 10y
presenting to him II massive solid silver
pitcher, elegantly engraved, with the follow
ing Inscription: To the bravest of the brave,
Captain Henry NJ Dixon. Presented 10 him
by his Democratic fellow-citizens of lazoo
county, as Il humble testimonial OF their
high appreciation of his brilliant services i'll
the redemption Of the county from Radical
rule in 1870.
Ills crime was that lac announced himself
asa candidate for sheriff. and that heing a
better man and more respected than the resli-
/ lar nominee, he stood good chance OF divid-
l ing the white vote and OF securing ma
/ iuriiy of the colorcd votes, and 50 OF being
elected The bulldozcrs didnot like the out
look, and took the method they have found 50
cffectual in wiping out the Republican
party in Mississippi, 10 crush this
Independent" movement. What they
I did is set forth in letter addressed by a
number of the Independents TO Judge j. 5.
Morris, late Attorney General of Mississippi,
which is as follows
lAzoo COUNTY, July q, 1879.
] 4 ne non. j. -. doFse, ttthsNufy, -neSs-
DEAR SIR: In our extremity We appeal to
YOU, well knowing your great legal ability
and ycur determined opposition to every
thing that smacks of violence in elections,
and trust that you may feel disposed to give
us the benefit of your advice and assistance.
You are doubtless aware that Capt. ii. NJ.
Dixon was an independent candidate fer
sheriff of this county, and }. f. Bell, Esq.
/ oap,lilat. clerk TN llSt
Thursday companies organized in different
parts of the county were ordered 10 meet at
or near Benton. They did so, 10 the number OF
300 to 400 men. Capt. Dixon was attending
the registration at the different precincts, to
see that his friends registered. and he and
his friends. Flanagan and Frank Dixon mel
these armed men near Belmont and passed
through their lines They fell in, after he
passed, and followed him 10 laZoo City, and
demanded, first, that he leave the county
next morning Saturday, July go at sun
rise, under guard, and never return. This
he refused 10 agree to. They then made this
change: They demanded that he agree III
writing to withdraw from the canvass, foI
the present and the future, or take the con
sequences, which of course, meant death.
Dixon was forced to comply. On yesterday
Saturday. July 2G) J. Z. Bell, candidate
for chancery clerk, went TO Dover TO attend
registration. and found II military company
in line waiting for him. They sent four men
to demand his withdrawal, which he refused
DENYING their right to make the demand
They threatened 10 wait on him and compel
his declnatiOn.
Now, sir, is there no remedy for us! Is
there no source 10 which we can look fol
protection in our rights They now threaten
to compel every prominent Independent to
pledge his support TO their party or burn oul
houses and drive us from our homes. How
is this for n free country: Judge, help Us
with your advice and in any and every othel
way consistent with your sense of right and
Justice. James johnson, J. VI. Kicks, Z. ).
Bell, X. T. Cheatham, J. r. Bell, Jr.,
Robert Norman, l.. Rosenburg, Thomas
Norman. John King, T. X. Holmes, W. NJ
Richardson, Jesse Z. Bell, J. r. Bell, Sr.,
r. II. Polk. 4. ID. Holmes, 7. J. Adams, T.
J. Smith. Mack Carson. for ourselves and
many others.
The reply of Judge Morris is noticeable
document, and gives a very significant de
scririion of the state of society in that State
The picture, Br it remembered, is drawn by
a native Mississippi Democrat. Judge Morris
says:
VIcKsBrRG. Miss. July IS.
GENTLEMEN Il have your favor Of yes
and i would. if practicable. point You and
the people of your county 10 Il prompt and
| efficient remedy.
so far rs the form and theory of our law:
and judiciary are concerned, your remedy
ought TO be abundant and speedy. The
. ! nfya ~ which sr.aaE well DIE
fined by our statutes, and are well known tC
our courts. But under existing circum'
stances and in the midst of such political ex
citement. il is painful TO have TO admit that
practically our laws upon this subject are a
dead letter and our judiciary dead system,
because violence and fraud IN elections, and
fraud and perjury in covering them up
have in too many instances been the chief
instrumcntalities 10y which our public Off
GERS have got into power, AMI hy
which they expect 10 retain II.
Admitting for the present that
violence and criH!e were the appropriate
remedies for the extraordinary evils with
which We have been occasionally beset, still
the question is forced upon us are ti,ose
instrumcntalitics TO be the ordinary and per
manent policy Of Mississippi through all
time Is there 10 be no time il! our history
when these appliances shall he Abandoned
! The redemption of the State was announr-
ed four years ago. From that time 10 the
present we have been solcmnly pledged and
assured in all our politics! conventions, ana
notably in the celebrated Mississippi Valley
Labor Convention in this city, on tile 9Th
and 9th Of MAY last which was called into
existence by the sudden departure OF u large
number of our laboring element with their
families 10 Kansas and elsewhere, that ftaui..
violence and intimidation had forever ceased,
AS the agencies by which elections in this
State should he carried
] II one party in laZoO county cunpi organ
i've without consulting the other, II no cliiLag
can cast or receive yOte.without the con-
sent of his adversarics II Il party largely III
the majority can be dispersed and scattered
with IMMUNITY by an armed. mob-it requires
no prophet To fOretell that we shall cmbitter
/ the people of the Northern States and make
them solid" against us, AL that the Ia
boring classes Of that and many Of tho neigh
boring counties will leave en- masse for any
( where out of the State The emigrants from
tli. State will find the river full of steam
boats to carry them away. The fertile hill
plantations Of Mississippi will be given over
to the occupancy Of briais and wasting gull
/ lies and the Still more magnificent planta-
I llbIS 81 llc dLpp anu MlsSlsslIIil ibltOulr
/ will lie retained to the dominion OF alligators
moccasins, ind owls, and the still more desc
lating inundution.
God speed You in your good work, the
success of which alone can prevent these
disasters. Very respectfully.
J. :. MugRIs
When We said, several days since, that the
final result of ''lhc Mississippi plan would
be 10 reduce the sections in which ii prevails
to dcsnlation, We had not seen this letter
Our words were, it seems, but the uncon-
/ scious echo of the prediction of this Missis-
| sippi lawyer and Democrat His dcscrip-
ton of the political situation shows most
clearly what Southern Democracy
accomplishes when it has fullest
sway. The better elements of the
party are completely overbonc by in
limitation. Judge Morris advises them To