The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-11-22
THE MANNING. oHALvHRs CASE
what the Press Say. Pro and Con. !.
vicksburg Herald (Dem.

LAT snS E1SSS 9ags ITO ana Con-
Vieksburg Herald Dem.
Our special states that when Tate county
was reached the returns gave dstsii@f
tally sheet which showed that . il.
Manning received .166 votes and j. Il.
| ChaRlbless, Az votes. II thar statement
i is true, Mr.. Myers, the Secretary IF State,
could not act otherwise than lie did. Chal-
mers clzims the ChambIess votes. but he
has just as much right to claim the Man.
ming votes Ii they had been cast for John
Smith or Thomgs Brown he would have
just as much right to them. We are now
going on the hypothesis the votes were cast
/ tor ChGmbEess instead of for Chalmers; we
can't say for whom they were cast, for we
do not know. Mr.. Myers perhaps thinks
/ the ], 472 voters intended to vote for Chal.
mers, but he claims no legal evidence that
| they did vote for Chalmers was furnished
him. His explanation that his duty is only
ministerial is in the nature of exeusing
himself, aud no excuse or explanation was
needed, If Manning is fairly and legally
elected. The whole question, as far rs
| right, justice and sound policy are involved,
is in the truth of the matter rs % the 1,472
votes referred to. If they were cast for
| Chalmers instead of for Chambless, they
ought to have been returned for him and
| the certificate issued to him. No election
official should have the power to dislran-
chise any citizen. II the votes were cast
| for Chalmers and the county officials GER
| titled to false returns to trick him out OF
| them, great wrong was committed. We
cannot sympathize with Chalmers though,
for he attempted and partially succeeded in
much greater fraud. He has only been
compelled to take dose of his own med
icine.
vicksburg Commercial. (Dem.)
The whole city was startled last Saturday
night by the Commercials extra announcing
| that the Secretary of State had, after can
vassing the vote of the Second Cougression-
| al District, given his certificate of election
to Hon Van Fl. Manning instead of Gen.
Chalmers, whose election by large and
decisive majority had so generally been
understood by the public and conceded by
all men irrespective of party feeling or
| desires. There was but one expression on
reading the iextra, and that was surprise
and indignation. Throughout the day yes
| terday the same subject was generally dis
/ cussed and commented on with the one
! result of disapproval and, in too many in
stances, of fiercest condemnation. Ii is the
general impression, however, that Mr..
| Manning cannot afford to stain pure and
brilliant political and public record by
accepting piece of partisan Injustice upon
a bare technieaity. That he would contest
the count by Marshall county was generally
| understood, and it seems his counsel APP
proved of the purpose. But Mr.. Manning
himself could surely not have mad the least
expectation or desire to gain his commits
sion on so frivilous ground as a clerical
| blunder in the spelling of a name whether
Intentional or by accident 1t was notori-
nus that j. L, Chalmers was a candidate
for Congress and that James r. Chambl IS
was not. No mention had been made any
where of any ticket in Tate county having
the name of J. r. Chambless on it. The
| Chambless name is familiar to the people
Of Tate county, large family of that name
residing in the county. In fact, the county
was represented three years ago in the
State Legislature by Mr.. Chambless. The
voters of Tate county knew they were not
casting their votes for Mr.. J. r, Chambless
| but for ]. r. Chalmers, and the bal
| lots now in the ballot boxes in Tate
county, will disclose what no one
denies-that 1872 of them contain the name
of J. r. Chalmers, and not one that of the
name off. r. Chambless. 1t may be that
the Secretary OF State was compelled by a
strict construction of law to give his GER
| tifcate to Mr.. Manning and that the Gov
ernor was equally bound to issue the COM
mission to Mr.. Manning accordingly. II
such is the case the law becomes the con-
venient instrument by which the most
fragrant wrong can be perpetrated and
technically justified; and any advantage
taken of it by men so high in authority as
the Governor or Secretary of State sets a
precedent dangerous alike to the stability
of elective form of government and the
preservation of honesty and confidence in
the exercise of the franchise.
N. 0. Picayune, (Dem,)
1t seems that they sent up from Tate
county TO Jackson, Miss, tally-sheet, Civ
ing 1872 votes to 81 R. ChambIess." The
readers of Sundays Picayune had the par
tieulars by telegraph, and will not doubt that
Gen. Chalmers was unquestionably elected.
To defraud him out his certificate isshame-
full and indefensible. and legal technicalites
cSnnot excuse it. The Mississippi Demo-
cracy ought not to be defiled by any such
subterfuge. Unless it can be demonstrated
that there really is a person named ~. r.
Chambless," who actually was voted for in
Tate county, the officials at Jackson will
not beexcused for count which could have |
been rectifed by returning the tally-sheet
for resurrection. But Congress will, beyond |
doubt, correct the matter, give the recalci-
trant his seat, and make him happy.
Memphis Avalanche, Qnd.)
Fourteen hundred and seventy-two BAL
lots were polled in Tate county for ~ r. |
Chalmers" and the vote was so certified by |
the commissioners of election of the county. /
But on the back of this document some un-
known person had written 81. r. Cham
bless" received 1872 votes, and without any
the Secretary OF State throws
out these 1872 votes. Do they call this a