The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1880-01-08
THE COPIAH ELECTION.
The Facts about the Election of the
Independents, Mcneil and Buff
kin.


LETTER FROM DR.. A. HUNTER.
CRYSTAL SPRINGS, Mss, !
December 80, 1879.
EDITORS CLARION: As the question of
admitting tine Representatives of Copiah
county, Messrs. Mcneil and BufTkin. into
the councils of the Democratic party may
arise during the sitting Of the Legislature,
it may not be amiss in me to state some
facts in reference to the course pursued to
secure their election, especially that of Mr..
J. w. Mcneil.
In order to make the situation clear,
will state that parties are pretty evenly
balanced in the county that is to say, the
registry shows about as many black as white
voters registered. Perfect unity, therefore,
in the Democratic party is essential to sue
cess In order to secure this unity the Ex-
ecutive Committee thought it advisable to
hold first a primary election and then con:
firm the choice of the people by ratifying it
in Convention, The primary election and
Convention were both held and both re-
suited in the nomination of d. w. McRae
and myself for the Legislature. The Con-
vention required pledge from each can
didate that he would support the nominees
of the Convention and abide by its decis-
ion. This pledge 1caS very sOlemaiy giUea Jy
Mr.. Mcneil, hit only girea to be broken, for
as soon as he found he was defeated he en-
tered into negotiations with the Radical
leaders with a view to defeat the regular
nominees. The negotiations resulted in a
compact by which, on the one hand, the
Democratic party was to be disorganized;
and on the other the solid Radical neqr0
cote was to be given to the disorganizers.
This unrighteous compact was successful,
and the Democratic nominees were defeated.
The victory is as essentially a victory of
Radicalism as it could be, and it is 50 de-
clared by the leading Radicals in the
county. How could it be otherwise? The
Loyal Leagues we've revived and the negro
voters were marshaled aud marched up to
the polls solid for the Disorganizers. The
ticket they voted was a mongrel ticket, com
posed of Independents (so-caled) and Rad
icals In fact, Mcneil and Buffkin were
to all intents and purposes candidates run
ming in the interest Of j. p. Matthews, who
was the Radical candidate for the office of
Sheriff, and who, as a reward for his SER
vices in this matter, has since been APP
pointed United States Deputy Collector, in
place of Mr.. Edgar West, Democrat. There
would have been no contest in the county
but for this league between Mcneil and
Matthews.
Andnow, let me add, if these men elected
under such circumstances, especially Nc
Neil, who violated his pledges, should be
admitted into the caucuses of the Demo
cratic party in the Legislature, it will
have such blighting influence on the party
in this county as to seriously impair if not
actually destroy its organization. We re-
gard them as having not only withdrawn
from the party, but withdrawn in disgrace;
with broken VOWS on their lips, (those who
pledged themselves) and to go again into
caucus or convention with them would be
but giving them another opportunity to
betray. 1t would place the true men Of the
party at a disadvantage and give all the
opportunity to those who would not be
bound by their plighted faith. The policy
of taking disorganizers into the confidence
of the party is so obviously unjust to those
who have fought the good fight of faith"
that no organization can, in the future be
effected if it is DONE
Respectfully,
A. HUNTER.