National Republican., 1883-01-16
PAYING THE PENALTY.
A Whole Batch Of Mississippi Statesmen In
dicted for Election Frauds.
Col. EIanninR's Old Law Partner Among
Them-Tho Trials Begun.


court for the northern district of Mississippi
has been in session in this city since the first
Monday in December Hon. r. A. Hill, pre-
siding, with largo civil docket and u crowded
criminal docket. The array of attorneys
clients, jurors, and witnesses in attendance
makes quito an army of strangers and puts
our hotels and boarding houses to their full
capacity for entertainments Members of con-
gress would fully appreciate the necessity for
that $4,000 appropriation TO build us q court
house (Which, you will remember, unfor-
tunatcly miscnrried at the last SESSION. could
they forafew moments be wodged in the pres
ent narrow space, where the marshal is COM
pelled to place u guard around the court to
protect that venerable old gentleman being
smothcrcd
Thorc has been much uncharitable criti-
cism of the course heretofore pursued by
Judge Hill in relation to criminal cases, and
especially cases for violating election laws
There is no more conscientious aud upright
man to be found in the whole country, and
while his great leniency toward criminals has
doubtless had tho effect to encourage lawless-
ness and to bring his court into dsrcputo be-
fore the people of the whole country, vet his
~
and belief he has entertained that the moral
effect of gentle lectures and nominal fines
would gradually educate wrOngdocrs TO re-
spCct The laws. There is no doubt now, how
ever, that Judge Hill has reached the conclu-
sion that throwing clods must be dispensed
with or his court, aud country, too. must go
to the bad. Tho alarming increase in the
number and outrageous character of election
ohenses since his last court are quite sufficient
to keep grand jury busy for three months
were they to investigate them all, and to
bankrupt the treasury in their prosecution,
while 1t is II notorious fact that indictments
against some soventy-iiye election offenders
were found ut the term of this court after the
election of lSS0, many Of which We're of a
character for outrage without parallel, las
congress knows much about through the evil
denco in the Caso Of Buchanan vs.. Manning)
yet even those cases are insignificant in com
parison with tho character of the cases lust
presented.
The former cases were confined to the rnb-
Dlc, the unskilled youth of the county, who
nave been taught, under vicious leadership,
that IL is no harm TO steal votes. At the
present term of the court, however IL is the
lino lawyer, the polished gentleman, the odu-
Gated statesman who have succeeded to the
honor of arranging the detail of election
stealing, and some of whom have at this term
OF the court been so unfortunate as to have
grand jury" as candidates for the penitcn-
tiary. The records of the present term dis
close the fact that among those indicted are
Maj. William NJ. Strickland, apromincntattOr-
ney of Holly Springs, and Capt. II. NJ Watson
Of the same city tthe latter Col. Manning's
former law partncr), and n number of others
OF like degree Of personal high character, in
dicted for conspiracy to induce others to
change the returns of the vote of some four
counties in this congressional district after
the result had been ascortained and declared.
only mention those by way of illustration,
as 1t Is now matter of public fact. in Tala-
hatchie county whole squadron Csomc TWEEN
W have been indicted in bunch for riding to
tho polls in a body armed with Winchester
rifles, and by force of this character of ballots
compelling the officers ofelection TO retire, and
driving the voters back to the plantations,
thereby preventing any election whatever in
the western part of that county. There are "a
large Number Of others of like character, which
| taken altogether have fully convinced Judge
Hill that his policy toward this class Of cases
| heretofore has only aggravated the evil so
long complained Of ] notice that the present
term of this court has been the occasion for
Col. Van II. Manning's introducing rcsou-
ton in congress calling upon the attorney
general to rise and explain "why
one james II. Chalmers has been
employed as special counsel for the govern
mont ut the present term of Judge Hills court
In tho absence of any positive knowledge as
to the reason prompting the attorney general,
your correspondent thinks perhaps the same
reasons exist for the Gen. Chalmcrs's employ
ment ut the present term that made necessary
the employment of Col. Van H. Manning as
special counsel in tho same court, to assist
Col q. Wiley Wells, then our United States
district attorney, in the prosecution of tho
celebrated kukluN cases some years ago, and
[ ~ mn IN 81
Manning received u fec of some $4,000. Tho
exact amount will appear by the record of the
department Of Justice. The court was then,
Ms now, quito ovGTbuTdcned with cases of most
outrageous crimes Without any desire TO assist
the attorney general in his answer or give
notoriety to n "buncombc resolution" intro
duccd for the purpose of warming into life 10
frozen party sympathy for prosecuted mem
Der, let us hope that the resolution may be
promptly adopted, and that this last outrage
lthc employment Of Chalmers) nay bo exposed.
In this connection ii is n matter of fact
within the knowledge of your correspondent
that the present district attorney (Judge j. G.
ChGndler) some time since requested
to bo relieved from tho office Of dis
trict attorney, and would have re-
signed absolutely except for tho embarrass-
mont his resignation might have caused the
government Just Mt tho coming on of court.
Judge Chandler is one of the ablest lawyers
in the state and before he became district
attorney enjoyed one Of the largest private
practices in our state courts, but the manner
i'll which no pursued and successfully prose-
cuted 50 large a number Of election offenders
after the election of 1850 has brought upon
him that odium which In this state is suro to
follow any officer who does his duty in these
cases thereby, for the time boing, nearly de-
stroying the large private practice ho once
enjoyed JANUARY,