National Republican., 1882-08-21
Reward of Merit to Criminals.

| lected by their Northern brethren. we
never read of their exploits in the North
ern Democratic organs A recent occur
renee in Mississippi comes to us through
such sterling Democratic papers and is so
interesting that we give it to the readers
of The REPUBLICAN,.
The Clay County (DIiss.) Leader of July
81 contains a report of public meeting
held at The courthouse in West Point, in
that county, on the oath of the same
month, for the purpose of raising money
to relieve certain young men of the
county, upon whom fines were unjustly
imposed by the Federal court Mt Oxford,
upon tho illegal verdict of partisan
jury" The meeting was called to order
| by Captain j. L. Cromwell, DIR. Town
send was elected chairman, and l.. T.
Carlisle secretary. The report says:
Captain w. II. Robertson moved that at some
| future time we should have a glass. ball shooting
proceeds to be devoted TO tho above.named pur-
| pose.
MIR. J. H. Brinker stated that the ladies proposed
ut some future time 10 give a concert for the same
purpose for which this meeting was called, and
moved that committee of five be appointed us an
executive committee 10 make all arrangements
and MS carly as possible TO confer with the ladies'
SO as to have the shooting and concert 10 come off
on the same date. Carried.
Mcssrs ]. H. Brnkcr, d. l.. Cromwell ]. ]. Will
Jams, j. "A. Taliaferro, and Wiley Bell were ap.
pointed by the chair.
The same issue of the Leader has a re-
port of a meeting of this executive COM
mittee, at which subcommittee were ap-
pointed as follows:
Committee on printing, Mr. Wiley Bell, Major
| HGrndon, aud l.. II. Carlisle.
Committee TO select the ground and make all
the necessary arrangements for the shooting
match, Mr.. j. A. Talaferro Captain w. ii. Robert
son. Messrs. A. p. Cuttrell, J. Ii. McCord, Warren
| Ware and I. c. Exum.
10 confer with the ladies about arranging for
concert &c, Mr.. Jcp Williams Mr.. A. B. Connell,
aud Captain Fred Bcall.
On motion the chairman was added to the com
| mittee.
on rules and regulations for the shoot, Captain
u. l.. Cromwell, Messrs. George Coleman and J. d.
Franks.
We copy these names in order to en-
able the Senators and members from
Mississippi next winter to easily find
them by referring to our files when asked
what sort of citizens they are. We have
also before us one-sheet poster about
eighteen by twenty-four inches, which
announces in large type, under the head
Of call for troops" that "while the Eng
lish are calling for troops to put down
the rebellion of Arabi Bey, the people
of West Point are preparing for the
Grandest Glass Ball Shoot and Concert
on August 8, 1882 ever gotten up in North
Mississippi BeD" These festivities are for
the purpose Of paying the fines Of three citi-
eenS Of clay County arhO acre uWjttstly CON-
JIC7,ED IN THE FEDERAL COURT
at oxford of ELECTION Fra UDS. @Gsa
Come everybody? 1t will be Grand
Gala Day for all those who may attend"
We have also the small bill of particu.
lars, in which this announcement is
made:
Proceeds to be appropriated toward reimburs-
ing the young men uniustly fined by the Federal
court at oxford.
A special correspondent of the Mem.
phis appeal, under date of August 5, writes
from West Point the following account
of the entertainment thus advertised:
Thursday last was in West Point devoted to
patriotic service. Stores were closed and the goo
people of our town turned out TO glass ball
shoot during the day, and to concert at Whites
Hall at night. The proceeds net were applied to
the funds collecting for the payment of fines re.
| Gently imposed on several citizens of our county
by the Federal court at oxford, referred to in a
recent communication
The glass ball show was quite q success and the
entertainment at night by the beauty and chivalry
of West Point was brilliant affair." the success OF
inb ai,,1, 1,,ot ne 10
ladies', under tho supervision of Mrs. Fred Beal
Man, amid business cares reckless rivalries
may forget his duty to his country; but woman
surrounded by the sacred influences of home, and
cherishing above every other consideration the
future safety of her sons and daughters is ever
vgant. Her heart is the altar of patriotism upon
which the fires are always brightly burning
The convicted parties, who came from the
country to attend the entertainment, were re-
ceived and treated with every mark OF attention
and respect. At the close of the programme Cap
tain Fred Beall, in a neat and appropriate ad-
dress, assured these gentlemen that the people OF
Clay County believed they were innocent of the
charge brought against them (violating election
laws); that their sympathies were with them,
and that the names Of Connor, Caradne, and
Hallum would be cherished in the hearts and
memories of our people.
These men were convicted by mixed
jury in United States court of the crime
of ballot-box stuffing at an election for
Congressman. There were five convicted,
but on two of them a nominal fine of
only $40 was imposed. The three others
were fined $3.50 each. The object of treat
ing these convicted criminals as martyrs
is obvious. 1t is necessity in view OF
the fall election. The stufing of ballot
boxes must be sustained. This can only
be done by setting up the resolves of a
Bourbon meeting in opposition to the
verdict of jury made up of Democrats
and Republicans. Then, under the as
sertion of believing the convicts inno-
cent, the proceeds of public merry
making are devoted to paying the PEN
atty inflicted by the outraged law.
These facts are not only true, but
are exultingly published by the
papers above named. VIII some
Northern Democratic paper copy them
with comments? Will some Republican
member of Congress ask Mr.. Mul drow, the
Bourbon member from the district in
which these crimes were committed
when Congress reassembles, whether he
approves the conduct of the constituents
whose names we have given? Will
some Republican Senator then ask Senator
Lamar, at whose home these ballot-boX
suffers were convicted, and who has
been the law professor in the University
of Mississippi, located in that very city,