Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-05-17

The end Of the trial in the Mississippi
Matthews, concerning which all our read
ers are informed. has come and the YER
dict Of the jury is mot guilty" This
verdict is rendered although Wheeler him
self acknowledged that he did the killing.
and other evidence overwhelmingly
proved it. The defence OF Wheeler was
that though he shot and killed Matthews
he was ordered to do it by the democratic
party. and therefore that the democratic
party and not he was the real murderer.
Is this trial and this astounding verdict
to be accepted as final by the people Of
this country Is murder to be licensed
in Mississippi where perpetrated in obedi-
ence to the command of the democratic
party in that State ? Are democrats in
New England prepared to endorse the
verdict of the Mississippi jary. that muir
der is allowable. even laudable. when
committed in behalf of the democratic
party How many democrats in Maine
will endorse that doctrine ? Wheeler cast
the responsibility upon the democratic
party. when he said before the investigat-
ing committee, 1T was not who killed
Matthews, but the democratic party" and
the jury accepted his statement as a
good defence and on that pronounced
him mot guilty" II this be true,
rs il undoubtedly is. it presents as
harsh an arraignnment of the democratic
party, by democratic jury. as any repub
lcan organ or speaker ever made against
that party.
In this connection let our readers con-
slider the following giving the substance
of the
Majority Report ON the Cepiah Case.
The report of the majority Of the Senate
Committee on Elections and Privileges is q
brief abstract of the testimony relative to the
murder of J. 7. Matthews at the polls in
Copiah county. Mississippi. last November.
In other words il is history of the case taken
from living witnesses. From the report it is
learned that Copiah county contains a small
majority OF negroes, tUht Tue Whites are peO-
pie Of intelligence, that the negoes are order
" and industrious. and generally that there
was no provocation for political disturbance
II further appears that there were two tickets
in the held,a democratic and an independent,
the latter composed entirely of white natives,
who belonged to respectable families. 1t
also appears that large number Of white
men we're intending to support the inde pen
dent county ticket IL further appears by
the testimony that the democratic managers
undertook by violence. to intimidate the sup
porters Of the independent ticket.
An armed body of white men rode about
nights three weeks before election. One
colored leader was murdered. another man
and his wife we're shot. several we're whipped.
the house Of another was burned, many were
warned not to vote, and others escaped to
the woods. Independents were not permitted
to addrcss meetings, the Independent County
Committee was not permitted to meet. and
one Of the independent candidates was ad-
vised TO leave the county, which he did.
One Jones, chairman Of the couRty super
visors, officers who assess the taxes and
direct county expenditures, Was permitted to
escape With his life by leaving the country.
The result of oil theee outrages was q reign
of terror two weeks before the election. OF
the murder Of Matthews the public is famil-
lar. The man Who committed the crime did
il because he vas assigned the task. at was
not who killed Matthews" said Wheeler,
.but the democratic party" II was. there
fore. simply and purely political a.,
sassination. 1t has been said that
Matthews was violent man. This is not
sustained BY the testimony; on the contrary,
his opponents testified that he was "a public
spirited. generous and peaceable man. who
always helped anybody who was in Distress
He was the wealthiest man in the country
and had powerful influence with both whites
and blacks. He vas notified that if he voted
he would be murdered. and he was.
The report of the committee, beyond .
mere statem ent of the facts which the inves
tigation developed. covers but little over
page. In that space il notes the fact that
Democrats in the South have asked with
tone Of exultation and defiance, what remedy
10 proposed for these things. The commit
tee admits that 90 long as any considerable
political party shall deem it for its interest to
countenance such crimes, the remedy will be
attended with difficulty. The committee,
however, believes that such outrages cannot
long endure when they are held up to the
daylight. The communities that commit
euch crimes counot long withstand the alb
horance of the country. The committee
notes the seusitiveness of the most of the
democratic witnesses who were above the
level of rufiisnism. All that the committee
recommends is the publication of the report
for the information Of the country, and that
after the next election in Mississippi, unless
Il shall be fair and free. there shall be fnll
investigation Of the condition of things in
that State. with q view of determining the
question whether Republican government ex-
ists there, and whether II il entitled to its ex-
ist'ng representation or has forfeited it in
whole or in part By reason of the denial or
infringement of the right of any portion of
the citizens to vote.