Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-17
TIE MISSISSIPPI PLAN AND oT6ER
METHODS

claus appears TO De Qtllbe lfTSpISseiple, anu
they are so accustomed to their peculiar
political methods as to have lost faith in all
others. An urgent appeal is already made
for the restoration of the Mississippi
Pan" and this is the way the Memphis
appeal gives countenance to the PROPOSE
ton. The incentive, be it understood, is
the allegation that deep-laid conspiracy
is on foot among the Republicans of Ger
tain district to outvote the Democrats at
the polls. such, says the appeal, sis
the plan of the Republican managers,
"and they have hope, in fact
have assurance, that Southern
Democrats will cooperate with them,
in the garb, dress and paraphernalia OF
that political ignis tatuus. the National
81 Party, of which Denis Kearney is the
leader, the brains and capital. Quake !!
"Let tie Mississippi plan be restored Can
"you stand Idly, supinely, and witness
the contamination of gigantic con-
"spiracy, in conception deeper and more
poignant than the fraud of 1876? No
"a thousand times no. Then awake, stir
g up your clubs, let the shout 90 up, put on
your red shirts, and let the ride begin, or
"we will be sold into political slavery, as
'was Joseph, without Divine favor to re-
"store US to our heritage" To compre-
bend the full significance of this advice it is
necessary to put ourselves IN the place OF
these Southern Democrats. Suppose, for
example, that there was danger that the
Democrats of Sacramento county would
outvote the Republicans and suppose the
RECORD UNION should advise the Republi
cans to arm themselves, start out on mid
vote with shot guns. There would be no
difficulty in arriving at correct esti-
nation OF the advice under such cir
cumstauces, and if the Republicans IN
dertook to follow it there would very
quickly be civil war. But this sort of
thing has been practiced SO long at
the South that even Northern men
read of it without special shock or wonder,
and feel somehow as if that region was ex-
empted from the obligations imposed on
the rest of the country. When a journal
like the Memphis Appeal prints such rec
concentrations as the above boldly, it must
of course be at once recognized that it
knows its audience, and is confident that
what it says will be approved. Is there
any part of the North where such advice
could be ventured upon by any journal ?
But the Mississippi plan is not the only one
which is being discussed at the South.
The Democrats there evidently believe that
there are more ways of killing dog than
choking it with butter. Here is another
pleasant extract, this time from the Mem
phis Aualanche. /" White men who dare
"avow themselves here as Republicans
" should be promptly branded as the bitter
" and malignant enemies Of the South. As
=" for the negroes, let them amuSe them
seEres, if they viH By roting The Radical
"fcket. Ne hare the count. We have
" thousand good and true men 1chose 5raue
ballots 'cU be found equal to those Of fve
Thousand cile radicals The name
''of every Northern man who presumes in
g this community to aspire to office through
" Republican votes should be saturated
with stencil"
1t will be seen that here another plan is
suggested. This is less bloodthirsty than
the other, but not less effective. The
negroes are TO be allowed to amuse them
selves by voting the radical ticket, and
then their ballots are to be destroyed, as
they were in Alabama the other day.
ave have the count" shrewdly observes
the 'AraJanche and therefore it is quite
unnecessary to use the shotgun policy.
The morality of counting each Southern
Democratic vote five times is frankly
aud boldly asserted, with cheerful and
shameless Indifference to criticism quite
diabolical in its ethics. The idea that
Republican should be permitted to exist at
the South is indeed almost resented, and
it is clearly intimated that for white
man there to be anything but Democrat
is the objectionable sin. The open and
reckless brutality and intolerance of all
these Southern journals distinguishes them !
from the press of the rest of the country
Enthusiastically. They appear to have no
conception whatever of political rights as
attaching to the opposition. The rul-
ing doctrine with them is that adverse
opinions must be suppressed either
by force or fraud. There is some division
of opinion as to the methods, but
there is complete unanimity as to the aim.
Whether by the Mississippi Plan or the
Alabama Plan, the one thing sought is the
extinction OF the Republican vote, and
the duty of stamping that vote out is
preached constantly as the first require
ment of Democratic allegiance. There is
no thought of tolerating Republican prin-
ciples The man who dares avow them is
at once denounced and branded as a leper
and villain. No Republican must raise
his hand or his voice; may presume to
aspire to office, or expect to have his vote
counted. This is the condition of things
by and through which the Democrats |
hope to elect General Hancock President. /
II is by the assistance of South made !
solid in these ways that the governmental |
change is being attempted which, the
Northern Democrats tell US, will place the |
country on the highest pinnacle of pros,
perity, and, in General Hancock's words,
secure everywhere "a free ballot, full
F." vote, and fair count. Is it possible
that sane men can vote the Democratic |
ticket in the light of such facts?
DEMOCRATIC ARGUMENTS
In an article a short time ago we OBJ |
served that the population of the South
90 has failed TO keep pace with that OF the |