The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-12-24
Another illustration.

We respectfully call the attention of the
Argus which, recently questioned the intelli-
gence of the PRESS because we declared
that the Southern Democracy resorted to
savage and brutal means to secure their po-
litical supremacy to what has lately occurred
in Georgia, one of the most liberal and civil
lied of Southern States Seven Democrats
were convicted in the United States Court
of beating, shooting and otherwise maltreat-
ing negroes who had voted for Emery Speer
an independent Democratic candidate for
Congress. AT this the newspaper organs of
the Southern Democracy were filled with
rage 0, it was monstrous! These con-
victed men were the martyrs of a political
persecution. The denuncation of the adj
ministration and of all who had been con-
cerned in the prosecution was bitter. The
utterances were very much like some we
have read in the Argus The other day the
convicted Ku Klux were called up for SEN
tence. when United States District judge
Mccoy addressed them in words which are
as reasonable as they are true. He said
The offence of which you have been convicted is
"a Il
elections is necessity for the good of this State
and OF the greatest Importance to the whole people,
of what avail is the form of Republic the machin
cry and parade of ballots and elections if the voter
may not cast his vote without fear? What is the
right of suffrage worth if it is to be exercised under
the fear that unless it be exercised SO as to suit the
notions OF the mob the voter will be walked up at
night by lawless band, and be shamefully and cru
ely beaten. The acts of which you have been found
guilty are not therefore mere acts of violence they
are attacks upon the very vitals of the Republic and
if permitted to continue would make the right 70
vote sham and snare. The circumstances rem
der this case a particularly aggravated one. The
violence was in the dead of night in the presence of
the wives and infant children of those maltreated
and the beating was most cruel and bloody Indeed
one could hardly suppose it possible that without
some special personal malice the heart of man could
have been capable of such deliberate, bitter and
heartess cruelty the evidence in this case exhi
bits. That the victims were negroes-former slaves
poor, helpless and ignorant as it seems to me- ag
gravates the offence. Their condition Of lfe their
poverty, their ignorance, ought to excite the sym,
pathy OF the good citizen instead of awakening the
lower and more degrading purposes of their nature
In view OF all these circumstances, but especially in
view of the effect which the prevalence of such acts
IT permitted, would have upon the freedom of elcc-
tions, and that those who do them may know that
they are running the risk of light penalty have
not felt myself at liberty to treat this offence as
mere assault and battery, but to consider it an
offence against liberty itself and to punish it
accordingly
That is good talk for Georgia Democrats
and for all Democrats to hear. 1t is right
and it is just and the pity is that anywhere
in America it is deserved and necessary.
The convicted men were sentenced to two
years imprisonment. What happened then?
Why five of these martyrs these worthy
Democrats who had been declared to be in
nocent victims of political persecution, made
full confession of their crime in order to ex-
culpate two of the seven whom they declared
had had no hand in the deVilish business
and ought not to suffer punishment. The
case of these two is to be reinyestigated.
But here are five men who make confession
OF having engaged in such outrages as we
charged upon Southern Democrats, and in
condemnation of which the Argus is we be-
lieve Systematically silent, at least we have
never seen any condemnation of such out
RACES in its columns 1t is ever ready with
excuses and denials; but it is curiously re-
served when the occasion calls for Judgment
against Southern Democrats.