The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-01-13
THE FIFTH DISTRICT.
Hon. c. Z. Rockers Reply to Col. j. b.
DeaScR's Notice Of Contest.
ST. Louis. Mo. De-. 81. 1850


SR-Tour note of intention 40 contestt
my seat III the 47th Congress received al
Washington City, on the 9th Of December.
1880
Your first specification Of cause of contes,
that A large number OF voters in the
counties of Kinds, Copiah, Rankin. Frank
I'm, simpson, Amite and Pike, who would
have voted Tor me We're prevented from
doing 50 by force and by violent aud threat
enlng demonstrations on the part OF Your
supporters the number OF voters 80 pre-
vented from voting and from even attending
the polling places for that purpose estimate
$ follows: Ia Kinds county, 1000: in
Copiah, 1900; in Rankin, 1000: in Simp.
son, 5000; in Pike, 500 in Amite. 1000 !.
IN Franklin, Geo; amounting, in the aggre-
gate to ii 400" is demurred to because of
its VaguenesS, Indebtedness aud uncertain
~. 1t Is not stated at what precinct in any
or either of said counties named in said spe-
clhcation persons were prevented from vot
ing for you oy force and by violent demon
STATIONS on the part of supporters OF my
self. In point of fact, the election for Con-
gressmen in each and every precinct in each
and every county named was profoundly
quiet and orderly and you did receive votes
in each and every county named 10y you in
this specification, thus showing that your
supporters were not prevented from casting
their votes for you.
As 10 your 81 specification, that an the
counties named above large proportion Of
the votes actually cast for me were upon
insufficient and frivolous preteXts, or no
preteXts at all, thrown out and not counted
BY the inspectors and commissioners OF
election-the votes l estimate in the several
counties as follows; In Kinds. 5000; in
Rankin, 800; in Copiah, zoe; IN Simp
son, 800; in Pike, 800 in Amite, ,2OJ; IN
Franklin, 300; amounting in all 10 5000
votes, Is equally vague, uncertain, and
indefinite in not charging at any or what
precinct these alleged irregularities occurred,
and is therefore demurred to. Ii your first
specifications be true then your second speci-
ication must be false, for in the first speci-
fication YOU alleged that your supporters
were prevented from voting by violence and
fraud and force and in your second specifi-
cation you allege that you did receive votes,
and that on slight preteXts, or no preteXts,
they were thrown out to the amount OF
5 900. In point of fact there was no con
number OF votes thrown out in
any precinct of any one of the counties
named and all the votes polled were fairly
counted by the commissioners Of the cleo
ton.
AS to your third specification, that I'm
the dstrib button on tickets with my name as
a candidate for Congress thereon were in
tercepted and by force and violence OH the
part of your supports prevented from max
ing such distribution | also charge the
same in other counties and that my tickets
were fraudulently suppressedand destroyed
is, if possible, more vague, uncertain and
indefinite than the other specifications in
this, that it does not state what persons they
were who were prevented from distributing
your tickets, or who it was that by force,
and violence prevented the distribution,
nor does it name the precinct at what it
occurred, noa time, nor place where these
are alleged to have occurred
in the counties of Kinds, and is, therefore,
demurred to. In point of fact there was no
prevention of the distribution of your tick
cts in said county of Kinds, nor was there
any fraudulent suppression or destruction of
said tickets.
As to your 4th specification that "In
the county of Copiah a large number of
persons whose votes were afterwards counted
for YOU were not registered yoters-a pre-
tence of registration having been made
without the attendance of persons seeking
registration from lists of names sent up
from different parts OF the county,, Is
demurred to because of its yagueness and
in that it does not state who
the persons were whose votes were east and
not registered or what number there was
In point of fact it is not true that votes
were cast for me in said comfy OF COpiah
which were not registered.
As to your fifth specification, that "ln the
of Hancock, two hundred persons
were bv force, fraud and intimidation COM
PEELED to vote for you when they intended
casting their votes for me" Is vague, I'M
certain and Indefinite, baoa-ass At doss not
state who the persons were who were pre-
vented from voting or who used the force
and fraud or at what place or precinct in
said county it occurred and IL therefore
demurred to- In point OF fact it is not
true that the number of persons named
were prevented from voting for you and
compelled to vote for me in said county.
As to your sixth and last specification,
that FIu the counties of Amite, Franklin,
Copiah Kinds, Rankin and Simpson, and
Pike there were votes actually cast for me,
and counted for you, | estimate as follows
In the county of Amite, 1000; Franklin,
300; Copiah, 900; Kinds, 800 Rankin,
| 900; Simpson, 800; Pike, 500, making in
all $500 votes,p Is vague, uncertain ana
indefinite, III this, that it does not state at
what precinct or precincts in any or either
or all of said counties said alleged irregu-
Iarities occurred, and is therefore demurred
to. In point of fact no such Irregularities
occurred as is alleged in your sixth speciti-
cation in said counties. If your sixth
specification is true what becomes of the
allegation made in your first specification
that your supporters were prevented from
voting for you by force, fraud and violent
In general answer to your notice Of con-
test, | will show that you ran as an indie
at hat wa
called by the Executive Committee of the
Republican party to meet at Magnolia, in
.he county of Pike which you attended and
made speech to, and advised that no nomi- /
nation be made, and said convention adj
burned without making a nomination. You
refused to delare yourself a Republican, /
though at the time holding federal office (
Inder the present administration, to-wit, +
he office of postmaster of the town Of Brook +
raven, in the county of Lincoln, and had /
leld numerous other Offices at the hands Of
he Republican party, but ran as independ /
mt candidate and had 30, 600 tickets printed .
It the Office of the Brookhaven Ledger, in .
he town Of Brookhaven, with your name on .
he Democratic ticket with Hancock and +
english, and ION the Republican ticket +
With Garfield and Arthur, and on the
freenback ticket with Weaver, and your
elf distributed your tickets through the
ounties. You advocated no principle, and
vowed no policy. but spread your nets to
atch votes from every quarter. The Dis
riot is composed of sixteen counties, is
argely Democratic, and you well knew that
GU could not be elected if you avowed
ourself a Republican. Hence your want
f fealty to the party which had supported
on for so many years. | beat you, the in
ependent candidate, and l. n. Osburn,
laimiog to be the regular Republican can
idate. and DIR. VIM. Patterson, the regular
ominee of the Greenback party, all put
,gether between four and five thousand
otes. Respectfully,
CHAs. E. HOOKER.
ruce Thinks His Race Ought to Have
Cabinet Appointment.
E. NJ in Courier-JournaL
tsRnt do von not think Your race is en-