The weekly clarion., 1879-02-19
Mississippi and the aine-Teller Com
mittee.
The Testimony ON Both sides,
WASHINGTON, February u, 1879.

THE TELLER COMMITTEE.
The Teller Committee to-day examined
Gen Reuben a. Davis, of Mississippi.
Gen. Davis testified that he was a candi-
date for Cor gress in the late election from
the First District; lie had been informed
nrivately of threats TO prevent him from
being heard the idea prevailed that he wao
endeayoring to reorganiZe the negroes IN
opposition to the Democrats; after election
heard that he had been hung in etigy and
then burned he was the Greeuback c Lndi-
date having been nominated by that party
in opposition 10 his own wishes, and was
voted for by colored people who understood
their interests on that question; he was at
first informed that he had been elected, out
was afterwards told that Muldrow was sue
cessful.
Senator Garland of the committee asked
the witness whether he did not once make
A speech in Congress about hanging North
ern men Witness replied that lie did In
December, 1859; it was during consdera-
ton of an election case; in that speech he
arraigned Republicans AS rebels, and said II
Seward would come South and utter such
sentiments AS he ent rtained aud had ire
duently expressed. he (witness) thought the
people would hang him before he returned
North Witness added: | was kicked out
of the Democratic party when boy, In
1885 l have since been kicked out on the
currency question, and am now out of the
party by force.
Senator Garland called the attention OF
the witness to his testimony before the
Boutwell, committee in 1876. witness SAID
he indorsed every word he then uttered he
had said the Radicals were bulldozers, aud
they operated on negroes by superstition,
threatening to put snakes and lizards into
them the Democrats now are obnoxious
to what he then said of the Radicals;
white man could not vote in the South
against the Democracy without being Os-
tracised, but l dread the assassin's knife
more than | do ostracism; he believed
great majority in his district was against
| bulldozing and ballOt-bGX stutning, but
there was a class OF ambitions, aspiring
| men who sought to render all persons OCi-
Gus who do not adopt their views; he
| claimed that by fair count tie could have
| beaten Col. Muldrow by 10 600 votes recent
events had developed the fact that we have
| the weakest government on earth; you can
| leglslate and you cannot protect me, and in
case of my death by violence you cannot
| give my wife and children pension; peo-
| pie can say. Your laws we defy and
| scorn," and yet you compel men to testify
on subjects which may subject them to
personal violence.
! VIM. II. VAssER,
| A native of Virginia, but living at Aber-
! deem since 1914, testified that he blp-
| tiZcd in the ola Wing party and since the
| war was elected on the Alcorn ticket State
| Treasurer; in the late election he supported
| the Greenback ticket, az Okolona; the pOlit-
ical meeting was very b0isterous; two
| thirds of the crowd seemed drunk; while
at West Point lie was called upon for a talk :;
| he was charged with making a Radical
speech lie had put his speech in print; the
crowd came in and one person demanded
what he was reading; he felt satisfied that
it was a buIldOzing crowd; good many
white people supported DaYis.
| Senator Cameron of Wisconsin: What
| you would call a Republican speech they
| would call Radical and insurrectOnary. a.
TI~4.IT
that Is not Democratic. A man who makes
such speech is considered pest, and if
the speaker is a man of ability lie is CO nsid-
cred dangerous pest; mans social and
business relations are affected by his politi-
| cal opinions
Senator Kirkwood: What is a Radical !
| A. | think Republican Senator would be
| called a R2dical-everyb body not a Demo-
crat; but you will find in Mississippi mid
dle-aged men and men advanced in life
moderate and respectful to all citizens,
| The confusion, and boisEerous and Illegal
conduct are confined To younger men, the
politics of Mississippi being largely gov
erned by them
Senator Teller: Why cannot the Repub-
lican party be re organized in Mississippi
| A. The Republican party there is virtually
dead; il has had no vitality since 1875 anC
1876; the leaders were mostly Northern
men. aud since the State passed INTO Dem
Ccratic hands the Republicans have beer
measure possible to prevent the State from
again falling into Republican hands; people
have great horror of being ruled by col
| cred people.
Senator Teller: Is there any objection K
Northern people coming into the State
! A. They look on it as an intrusion; thinl
the people have been demOralized by TIN
war. Witness said he had heard Of no con
vicrions in the Chisholm murder case ther
was an effort in Mississippi to divide th
Democratic party, and he would use his in
fluence to induce colOred men to vote hi
way.
Senator Kirkwood: What protection i
there for negroes who vote your way ? A
Protection given by white men. A cOlore,
man will vote for any man in opposition t
the Democratic party, if he can be pro
tected.
Senator Cameron: 1t has been elaine
that the colored vote was divided betwee
Republicans and Democrats A. NV ob
servation does not lead me to that conclu
sion.
Adjourned.
THE OTHER SIDE.
J. II Field, of Columbus, testified: H
did not know of an instance of intimidatio
or attempt to prevent any one from voting