The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1882-04-01
GEN. CHALMERS NOT A CANDI-
DATE.
Sc Dea0unees the App0rtssnBsBt rs
RtdieuIous1y GrOtesque.

hufcutOuny 0fOtesque-
The following letter from General
Chalmers To Mr.. Youngblood OF
the Commercial explains itself. The
General has u great many friends
all OF whom will regret to learn al
his determination 10 the matter.
WASHINGTON, March "a.
Mr.. J. W. Youngblood.
Dear Sir: As soon as | saw the
late congressional apportionmont of
Mississippi, | wrote to you to an
nouncc in the Commercial that |
would not be candidatc tor Con.
grcss from the new 4th district.
Your letter saying you ha with.
held the announcement and urging
me 10 reconsider my resolution has
been received. | have received let.
tets from other friends who, like
you, seem u think my services TO
the people Of my old district would
enable me 10 be elected on personal
grounds, notwithstanding there are
10000 colored and only 5000 white
voters in the distIi let, and nOtwlth.
standing the fact that King beat
Lowry 1000 in tho counties now
composing this district. | nm
obliged to you and other friends
for this kind opinion but my deter.
mination not to run remains unal-
tered. The apportionment of the
State is ridcul"usly grotesque and
in violation OF the plain letter of
the law of Congress. 1t would
have been IA very easy matter TO
have made seven democratic districts
in tho State tested by the votes Of
Lowry and King, and at the same
time to have observed the law in
making them OF contiguous terrific
ry and us nearly as practicable,
equal in population; but this was
not attempted. This is either a
public confession that tho legisla-
ture did not believe the Lowry aud
King vote to be honest and far,
or it has an evidence that they de.
tired 10 make one republican dis
trio! for some other purpose. No
member of Congress had any right
to expect \ district to be made for
him, but each had II right to expect
fair play and an equal chance To
compete before the people. But the
legislature gave enormous demo-
cratic majoriLles in some OF the dis.
trlcls aud left me in district which
King carried i,y 1000 majority.
Whether this was done to puni sh
me tor having dared to differ with
the distinguished gentleman, whom
they unanimously re elected to the
United States Senate OF not leave,
as they did, to conjecture.
II the State had been legally SUBJ
divided and party necessity had do
manded that l shoul! bo legislaied
out OF any chance tor re election, l
would not only have cheeriully
acQnicsccd but supported the meas
ure. But | beg leave to be excused
from using any personal or political
influence may have TO support an
act which violates both justice and
law; which places four thousand
more population in three districts
than in four; whish consolidates
heavy democratic inajoritics in two
districts and unnecessarily gives
away one to the enemy. The same
legislature refused TO allow tho peo-
pie even chance to say ut the
polls whether their judges should
be elected or appointed. and voted
down an amendment TO a corpora.
ton bill which in exact terms an.
noupced the democratic platform a.
To legislative control over corpora
tons within constitutional limit.
The same Legislature went through
the farce OF instructing its senators
to vote against Cowden's outlet sys
TEN, for the Mississippi river, while
it unanimously selected a senator,
who had refused TO obey the instruc
tons Of II previous legislature AS
l said to n northern democrat when
be assaulted the south AT this 10
democracy AN not a democrat"
and lido not propose to exercise any
personal or political influence l may
have to sustain slch legislation. Ii,
as believe, desire to punish me
has brought political disaster on any
OF my friends, l can only regret it
on their accent. The gallant DEM
ocracy of the old sixth district made
a heroic fight for years, aud when
tho day OF redistricilng came they
had right to expect some relief
from their burden. But their bur-
dens have iscrcased in the house of
their friends. In bidding adieu TO
those who stood by me 80 faithfully
and iearlcs-ly IN the past, words can
not express my debt OF gratitude.
Yours. respectfully,
JAS. r. CHALMERS.