Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-11-27
The Alleged Election Frauds and
Outrages in Mississippi.

Ae'P"'o SohSSihiho tHc
frauds attending the election in Missis-
sippi the 4th inst continue to find their
way into the newspapers from various
sources. Reference has already been
made to the outrages and irregularities in
Iazoo county--a county which in 1873
gave 2499 republican votes to 63S demo-
cratic, but which under the shotgun policy
gave 2 for Mr.. Hayes and 1872 for Mr..
Tilden in 1876. The Vicksburg Herald, a
democratic journal which dissents from
the policy of fraud and violence. is pro-
voked to comment as follows upon the
election in Yazoo county:
''The Yazoo Herald says we misrepresent
them, as usual, in a paragraph we wrote
about the Yazoo election. We did not pre-
tend to give any account of the YazOo cleo
ton. From what we have heard of the cleo
ton from both sides, we believe it to have
been a criminal farce. We think it no more
represented the wishes of the voters of Y azoo
county tina. would the edict of Mr.. James
Barksdale. We referred to the Silver Creek
precinct only as one instance Of the peculiar
tricks that were practiced. We heard that
as many as fifty shots were fired near the
polls in Yazoo city. We have heard that
fusillades of shots were fired at different
points nearly all over the county during the
few days just before the election, and that a
general determination was expressed to car
ry the election at all hazards. If these
things are not true, why did not the Yazoo
Herald contradict the specific charge that we
made about the Silver Creek box, viz That
q .. hny m tha Al.
poll books and other necessaries to hold the
elections and only contained two pens and
an inkstand, and was returned to Yazoo city
We have no doubt the returns as procured
and compiled show that the Bourbons carried
the county, but was the election such an one
as the civilized world would pronounce free,
fair and honest? If il was not, it was merely
the temporary triumph of perjury, fraud and
violence, and that sort of victory, while ii
may be regarded as glorious by the Yazoo
Herald. will surely produce evil results.
Only few short months will pass before
those poisonous seeds will surely produce
| fruit
The Herald, in referring to the voting
in De Soto county, in which, previous to
the shotgun campaign OF 1875, the repub-
licans had majority of about 1000, but
where, since that event, the democratic
majority has been about 900, says:
1.-The Benton County Argus and the Mem.
phis Avalanche claim that the election in De
Soto county was overwhelmingly fraudulent
They claim that large numbers of tickets
were thrown out because the voters wrote
their names on them, that ballot boxes were
stuffed, and tickets called out falsely, and
that one ballot box was stolen and burned
1t is for the people to say whether or not this
sort of rascalities shall ruin this State. II
they are persisted in they will ruin the State
beyond doubt"
Lowndes county is one where the
republican vote has been over 1000. and
until the shotgun era never fell below 275O
averaging more than 5000, the democratic
vote being less than one-fourth as large
The shotgun year the democrats had 9
majority in the county, and in 1876. wher
Tilden and reform received plurality
OF a quarter of a million of votes,n this
strong republican county gave two vote.
for Mr.. Hayes and 2073 for Mr. Tilden
A leading politician in that county was re-
Gently interviewed by correspondent O.
the Cincinnati Commercial, with the fol
lowing result
Mr'--- How are things political il
Lowndes county,"
''Well about the same as usual. whit,
people on top"