Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-26

FREE SPEECH AND A FREE BALLOT.
 Recent occurrences in the South indicate that if the Democratic party means to main tain ''the right preseryative of all rights, y which it declared in the Cincinnati platform must be maintained, it is time that it began work
 In Alabama Republican meetings have been broken up. An ex-Confederate Brigadier and old-time Democrat and an F1ndepend- ent" citizen were constrained to publish their refusal of independent" Democratic nomi- nations These persons were all native and white citizens of the South, but they could the Bourbon Democracy. Indeed, one of them, the -Brigadier, frankly acknowledged that his duty to his family prevented his courting exile or extinction.
 Last July Dixon was murdered in Yazoo City, Mississippi, for the crime of being a candidate for office, contrary to the wish of the Democratic majority. His widow gradu- ally pined away and recently died. Dixon's brother went from Washington to Yazoo to see the dying woman and her children. He professed himself supporter of Garfield, and expressed the hope that Garfield would be elected. He was informed that such talk would not be tolerated in Yazoo, and that it would be safer to indulge in such expressions of opinion in Washington, to which place they advised him to return at once The Yazoo Herald noticed his ar formed him, editorially, that such opinions were not wanted there. One of the most conservative farmers on the river, about three miles above the city, Nathaniel Ingraham, gave him the same warning while he was mak- ing social call upon the family. 'I like you personally" said he, 'but can't have men here who talk as youdo, and say that you hope and believe that Garfield will be elected We don't intend that any votes shall be cast for Garfield here, and if you feel you talk you had better return to the North MT. Dixon says it was the general expression of the Democrats in Yazoo whom he met, that no votes should be cast for Garfield there, and that no discussion involving any support of the Republican party should be allowed,
 Customs Inspector Bissell addressed Re publican meeting in the town of Brazoria, Texas The next day he was met, while on his way home by Dr. Aschom and eight or ten other Democrats, who had been waiting to call him to account for his speech of the day before Dr. Aschom was spokesman and told Bissell that if he did not wish to follow Santee (meaning the Republican county clerk recently assassinated in his office on account of his politics) he had better stay at home, and that if he attempted to come to Brazoria again he would be put out of the way" Bissen replied that he saw no cause of complaint against him. Aschom answered: We don't propose to have any Yankees interfering with our county affairs Bissen said that having lived in Texas three years, and in the county of Bra zoria nearly two, and being a taxpayer, he claimed the right of free speech-upon which Dr. Aschom remarked, 'If you wish to save your life stay at home." Others gave him the same advice. Joel Bryan, wealthy planter, told him that if ever he attempted to make any more speeches in that county or take any more part in politics, he would ''slide off like Santee" or forget to wake up some fine morning" Later Bissell learned that his death was determined on, and he was urged to leave the county immediately He thought it best to do so, and though a'poor man must give up his place to avoid assassination. In making his report on this case District Attor- ney Burns says ''If the courts of the Ma, tional Government cannot protect the right of freedom of speech there will soon be no such right tolerated in the South"
 Thus is the right of freo speech, prepara- tory to the right of free ballot maintained in the South, and thus, in all probability, will 1t be maintained for some time yet. Will putting the Democratic party-which has been and is ruled by the South-in power make any change for the better? Is not another defeat of that party the best thing for the South and for the country? Would not such a defeat break up the solid South and be an effective stroke for free speech and free