National Republican., 1880-03-01
lIISSISsIPPI.
Working the sherman Boom Among onleinis

OKOLONA, MISS rdDruary III, 1851.
To The Editor of The Naiional Republican:
SIR: Having reached this point after an
extended tour through the State, / will hero
take the time to dot down such political in
formation as have been able to gather from
the most reliable sources.
Tho most important question that seems to
disturb tho equilibrium OF the Republicans of
the State is, Shall the voice Of tho masses pro.
! vail in tho county primaries to select dole.
gates TO tho State convention, or shall the
| revenue officers so manipulate the primaries
as to stiGo the will Of a lar.e majority of the
| Republicans? That such an effort is being
made Is no secret here, and the work is being
| rushed forward with Il vim worthy of q nobler
and better cause. They arc passing around from
county to county, ostensihly on official busi-
moss, but in reality working up tho interests
of Secretary Sherman, and right well are th0y
doing their work, for in it lies their future
| hope.
As startling as it may appear to tho reader
not cOnversant with political movements here,
nevertheless it is truo that the plan OF placing
| Mississippi in tho sherman line was In prog
ress year ago. All parties holding Federal
positions, either in the revenue or pOstOilico
departments. suspected or known 10 be In
clined iayorably to either Grant or Blaine,
were summarly removed and their places
| filed by rlcm who were willing 10 boom" for
Sherman; and where 1t was difficult to scCnre
la Sherman man Democrat was substituted rs
a compromise between Senators Bruce and
Lamar Through this method of removals
| Sherman and Bruce have 5killIully managed
| to weed out of Office every Republican friendly
| to Grant or Blaine, except in tho Department
of Justice, and am Informed that oven there
an cii,rG had been made but 50 far ii had
failed.
| Whether Mr.. Sherman is coguzant of the
| lnct that these mani puatiOns wcrO and are
still going on in Ills interest cannot he
vouched for with accuracy. but tho Supposition
Is that he docs know, for 1t is not reasonable
| to suppose that Senator Bruce would volun
tarily engage in this shameful work without
some understanding with the Secretary. Not
withstanling all these labCriOus efforts and
trickury rrsorted to by Federal officials, fluid
that sherman has no following IN the State
except few oiliCe.hOldors, while tho rank
and file OF the party are unit for Grant
The GolOred element greatly prupondorates
in the makeup of the Republican
party, uud have yet to lind {
single instance where coiOrod man
not holding q Federal position IL not foi
Grant, WHOM they revere next To the martyrct
Lincoln, and 'or whom, should he be the choice
of tho Chicag Convention, Lboy would cvor
,uce. death ia she effort to vote for once
more. Yet, with al. tECse facts staring thc
oflice.holders full in the face, they still persist
.
But | may state here that their labor ant
trouble win amount TO nothing IN Mississippi
The Republicans eH mdSSe do not intend 10 sub
NIT to this Federal interference, and IL Il
stated ou good authority that If they attomp
to take an active part in shaping the selection
Of delegates the party will sit down on" ant
squelch thom.
While the great popular sentiment of tht
State is almost unanimous for the nomination
of General Grant, | find that Ion,-James q
Blaine Is held in high esteem for his patriotic
devotion to Republican principles and for hi
able, manly and statosmanlike course In Con
gress mud If il should occur that Grant viii
not receive the nomination, Blaine will be th
next choice of tho Mississippi delegation. Th
selection of either will electrfy and arous
the enthusiasm of the party to double renewed
exertion to carry tho State, but ii is doubtful
if such result can be obtained, however wol
organized. The Democrats are in possession
| of tho election machinery, and they will no
, scruplo to resort to their old method of count
ing out" for ID is generally believed, and n
doubt correctly, too, that two keys have beer
|. furnished 10 each voting precinct in the Stat
by tho Democratic State executive committe
, that tho "cOuutiug.ouV policy may be carriet
out with more certainty, precision am
celebrity, ''' '--..
The Republicans of this Congressional dis
r triot, now misrtpresuntcl by H. l., Muldrow
who is to be Ielegatod to private life, are favor
ably inclined to put Il candidate Of their Ow
in tho field and tho name Of Colonel A. /
, ShWttuck, of Chckasnw county, formerly In
tcrnul Revenue collector for the Northern dis
lrict Of Mississippi, has been suggested as
suitable and most nYlllaOlo man. Ho IS SAL
, 10 be u very refined aud elegant gentlomel
7 AyoNDALG