The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-07-04
FoR The CLARIoE.l
Mr. Singleton and the Presidential
Steal

Endeayoring TO parry the force of ny
observations touching the nomination Of
Mr.. Singleton for the Speakership, The
CLARION seems, in its last issue, either
to have failed to perceive the point of
my objection to its unqualified condem-
nation Of Ex-Speaker Randall and its
ardent laudation of Mr. Singleton, or to
now desire to shift the grounds Of its
nomination.
In THE CLARION of May 20 was an
editorial statement that the strongest
point yet made against Mr.. Randall was
the following arraignment taken from
the New York World, viz
after all the rascalities of the return
ing boards had become known; after the
frauds and perjurers of the Electoral
Commission hadbeen contaminated after
the road had been made clear for re-
versal of the popular verdict in the
| Presidential election, even then the
defeated Republican candidate, Ruther-
ford j. Hayes, could not have been ac-
corded the Office stolen from Mr.. Tilden,
| if Speaker Randall had not aided the
Republican minority of the House on
the evening Of March and the early
morning of March 2, 1877 in forcing a
vote on the objections sent down from
the Joint convention, thus bringing the
convention again together to complete
the fraudulent count" The CLARION
quotes this approyingly, and puts it
down as the strongest point made against
| Mr.. Randall.
Looking about for man who could
not be brought to aid Republican
minority in q Presidential steal, the
CLARION discovers the object Of its
search in the person of Mr.. Singleton.
Thinking the usually accurate CLAIR
ION had put its foot into it, an article
was written for last weeks CLARION
showing that Mr.. Singleton by his vote
on ten or fifteen separate propositions,
aided Mr.. Randall and Republican
minority Ito complete the fraudulent
count" The case seemed pretty well
made out that The CLARION had not
found in Mr.. Singleton the fittest instru-
ment with which to punish Mr., RandalPs
iniquity.
Now, however, THE CLARION says
itself, and is readers are perfectly
familiar with the fact that Mr. Singleton
did not vote to prevent the consummation
of the count, and that the fact has been
frequently iterated. aw
| read clearly and with great pleasure
every column of The CLARION, and l
have not detected any iteration of this
fact in its columns. 1t surely was not
iterated in the issue of May 20. When
Randall was put under the ban for the
doing of that thing which it now appears,
Singleton aided him with his vote every
time.
But enough. The intelligent readers
IF THE CLARION will sec that if Ran,
dali helped the Republicans steal the
Presidency, he had the backing of Mr..
Singleton on the memorable LIST, and I'd
March, 1877, in so doing. We must not
make fish of one and fowl of the other.
Mr. Singleton may be the proper man
for Speaker of the next House, but The
CLARION has given the wrong reason.
It's boomerang, thrown at Randall, has
flown back and struck its own candidate
square between the eyes. But it has
done more and worse: it has refreshed
the public mind with the proof of Mr..
Singleton's having done, so far as his
vote availed, what Mr.. Randall was him
self charged with doing. .
"RECoRD.n