The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-05-13
Exit Chalmers.

| eX.COuIeQ0fdC0 bFISduleI 0cIeEdi
Chalmers, for his case is the most
offensive of all. There has never
been any disguise about the theft.
1t was deliberately planned and
deliberately executed three times.
and three times has General Chal-
mers taken possession OF seat in
Congress to which he had no more
moral right than he had to a seat on
the Supreme Bench. For two terms
a Democratic majority in Congress
made his retention of the stolen seat
not only possible, but in a limited
I-sense respeetmbsss sssr he beca1ne an
active and vociferous member of the
Democratic majority which defended
and sustained him. But with the
advent of Republican majority his
career ends, and he will return to
Mississippi thoroughly disgraced
and despised man, not only in the
North, but also among all right
thinking people of his own section.
A bIief summary of the career of this
typical Southern seat-snatcher will
not be uninstructive al this time.
He was one of the moving spirits
in the redemption" of Mississippi
BY means of the Unknown "Mis-
sissippi Plan" This method of sup
pressing the majority in a State was
invented after the Ku Klux and 9TH
er systems of reform by murder had
become unpopular. The main feat
ure of the 'Pian" was bulldozing by
means of rifle clubs and red shirt
brigades. The negroes were terrified
into staying away from the polls by
what was known aiterWard all
through the South as "show of
force" Armed Democrats pervaded
the State, riding furiously through
the negro settlements and discharg-
ing their rifles into the air. If the
terrorizing was not complete enough
to keep all the negroes from the polls
the "Plan" had a second reliance,
which was to have all the polling
places in charge of Demogratic Off
ciaIs who could be depended upon to
report Democratic majority no mat
ter what the vote might be. When
this "Plan' had worked SO well that
the Democrats gained possession of
the State Government. they proceed.
ed to redlstrict the State in order to
capture the Congressional delegation
also. All the heavy negro counties
along the river were put into one
district, which from its extreme
length and narrowness was at once
dubbed the "Shoe string" District.
1t reaches from one end of the State
to the other, and its length in a
straight line is 2S0 miles, while to
traverse 1t from end to end. following
the course of the river, one would
have to go no less than 800 miles.
The negro majority in this district
! was fully $4,000. General Chalmers
was selected as the man to try the
effect of the plan" upon this for.
midable opposition.
! He accepted the task and entered
upon it with great zeal. He mounted
cannon in wagon and started on
a tour of the district. Whenever
he reached place for holding a meet
ing he would have the gun discharged
several times as a preliminary -four
ish, causing such terror among the
negroes that they fed to the swamps
and remained till his departure. By
persistent use of the gun and its ac-
compartments of rifle clubs and other
bulldozing accessories. he was able tn
wipe out the $4,000 Republican ma.
jority and go to Washington with a
certificate of election and 5000 Dem
ocratic majority. This was in 1875.
In 1878 he repeated the performance,
and increased his majority to 5000.
There was less cannon that year, be-
cause the less noisy system of count.
ing out was in full play, and it really
made no difference in the majority
whether the "niggers" voted or not.
At no time. however, has it been
denied that in both elections he
gained his seat by gross and palpable
frauds. In 1880 he tried the expert
ment for the third time. but new
obstacles had then arisen. The mig
gers" had been acquiring wisdom
from experience. They could no
longer be terrified by big gun, and
they had learned to keep a tally al
the polls which was very awkward
when the vote came to be counted
and the figures revised. Tn addition
to this the Democratic conscience had
begun to arouse itself in some of the
newspaper Offices. and belief was
growing in the State that Chalmers
was OVERRIDING the business. The
vote against him was not only cast as
usual, but IL WAS cast 90 nIainlv thot