The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-06-03
THE MISSISSIPPI PLAN.

/
passed through Chicago, the other day,
and was interviewed by reporter for
the Inter Ocean. Mr.. Lynch made a
strong fight for reelection to Congress
last fall, as he had done before, but was
counted out by the Democrats, and the
seat that he was entitled to given to
John Chalmers, VIGOROUSLY known as
"Foft Pillow" Chalmers, ON account
of his connection with that horrible
butchery during the war.
In reply to a question, Mr.. Lynch said
that he had not been in Mississippi for
several weeks, but was now on his return
there; that he had been spending several
weeks In preparing his case for presen-
tation to the House of Representatives
at its next session In December.
"What are the main features of your
case, Mr.. Lynch2 ?" asked the reporter.
tThere were nine election precincts, "
said he, sat which the polls were not
open, and no election, of course, was
held. In all of these precincts my
friends were In the majority. There were
| two precincts at which an election
was held, and where everything passed
off peaceablY, at each of which precincts
the Republicans had o large majority,
but from which returns were never
made; but actually the votes from said
precincts were suppressed. Even ex-
Guiding these precincts, the whole num-
Der of votes polled IN the district was
LIP, of which number I claim to have
received at least 5000. The testimony
taken In the case goes far to prove this.
SIN the counties Of Adams, Clay
| bourne, Jefferson, Washington and Viii
kinson not less than 5000 votes were
counted as returned for Chalmers that
were polled for me. The testimony
taken In the counties of Washington and
Adams, especially, in support of this
charge, is conclusive in every way. Civ
ing Chalmers the benefit of these frauds
the vote of the district, as returned by
the Precinct Inspectors and County
Commissioners, was as follows: Lynch,
1926; Chalmers, 10,257. AS returned
by the Commissioners to the Secretary
of State the vote was as follows: Lynch,
5,393; Chalmers, 9,172. The number of
votes rejected by the Commissioners was
as follows; Lynch, 5,522; Chalmers,
1,0S5."
"What reasons were assigned Tor this
wholesale rejection of votes?"
'"The chief reason" said the Missis~
some printers dashes. The objection is
too frivolous for anything. The law
does, indeed, prohibit any pictorial
designs on the ballots, just as similar
laws are on the statute books of Illinois,
| Ohio, Pennsylvania and nearly all the
other States; but in this case there was
nothing of the kind. There was simply
at the foot Of each ticket, a printers
dash, such as is used between articles in
newspapers. Yet, on this account, the
vote vas declared fraudulent, though the
dashes, believe me, were not as large as
those we're (indicating) between the IN
ter Ocean editorials"
"Were there any other reasons, so
fimsy as that, advanced"
"Another reason was that the election
clerks failed to send up, in some in
stances, with the returns, the list of the
names of those who voted, but this made
no difference when it happened ON the
| other side of the house. A third reason
was that, in some precincts, the precinct
officers did not state for what offices
Lynch and Chalmers were candidates
| fearful omission, truly.
''By way of illustration I will give you
an illustration: In the Bolivar precinct,
| 2. d.
made about as follows: JUlIu Ii. LyHUh
received 81 votes; James r. Chalmers
received IS votes. The astute Commits
sioners decided that this was an insult
ficient return, from the fact that they
had not stated what offices the men were
candidates for, and they therefore
threw out the whole vote of the
precinct. In one precinct in JET
ferson county, where [ had about
200 majority, the inspector who had
been appointed to carry the returns to
the county seat was overtaken on the
road by armed men-Democrats, of
course-and the box forcibly taken out
of his possession, and, with its contents,
destroyed. have in my possession an
affidavit of an election officer who was a
Democrat, in substantiat1on of this asser-
tion."
Mr.. Lynch said further that he was of
opinion that public sentiment IN his dis
trict was decidedly averse to Chalmers
pretensions. "The Vicksburg Herald"
said he, "the leading Democratic paper
in the district, admits that Chalmers was
fairly and honestly defeated in spite of
everything that was done in his behalf,
and that it reflects no credit on him or
his party or his State to be claiming
seat to which he has no equitable title. "
"What encouragement are you re-
ceiying, Mr.. Lynch, 10 making your
| contest?"
"My case is full and complete, the
testimony conclusive, and have not the
least doubt but what l will be success
full in the contest. At any rate, / am
uncompromisingly determined to fight
the case out to the bitter end.
" Is there army encouragement for the
Republican party in the South ?"
"I believe there is. Garfeld's cleo
ton is construed by the liberal and con-
sentative portion of Southern Democrats
as a rebuke to the methods 10y which the
South has been made solid. Many of
them are now satisfied that the Demo
cratic party can never get the ascenden-
CIV in this Government as long as the
South is solidly Democratic through
fraudulent methods"
EDO you see any hope for the party
in the Malone movement ?"
Yes, sir. At least to the extent of
fair ballot, and that is the main interest
we have in Malone. The Malone move
ment viii have good effect in aiding
our efforts in this direction. I believe
Malone ought to be sustained and en-
couraged by the National Republican
party and the administration for the
| moral effect it will have on the colored
people of the South, who see in Malone
projection against the Bourbon element
that has kept them down so long"
"Do you see any indication Of break
In the Democracy Of Mississippi IN sym
pathy with the Malone movement"
"There is some evidence Of it, but it
has not yet assumed shape It may be
that in course of time the opposition
will be sufficiently strong and well or
gained to make a successful fight against
Rourbonisn."