Daily Republican., 1884-02-27
Mississippi's Best Citizens.

s~DhSShPph AsC's
John Sherman never did better act
in the Senate than that which resulted
in the appointment Of a Senate Com
mittee of investigation into the Dan,
vile political murders and riots OF
Virginia and OF Copiah County, Missis,
sippi. The investigation has torn thu
mask from the face OF the Mississippi
Democracy, and has revealed an organ,
lied gang OF murderers, which will al.
ways bring blush of shame to the face
of justice 81 long as the ringleaders re-
main unhunc.
The investigation shows that a con.
tinued reign of terror has been kept up
by the Democrats. Colored people have
been whipped and shot, white men who
dared to be Republicans have been mur,
dered and their buildings burned, and
the most outrageous frauds have been
practiced at the ballot box. In enume.
rating these murders and outrages, we
will drop the Danville riots, and con
fine ourselves 10 the Copiah murders,
though the first is close on the heels OF
the latter in bloodthirstiness and cruelty
The outrages at either place are dis.
grace to the civilization of the age. Tht
chairman of the Republican County
Committee was whipped, and he was
afraid to tell who his whippers were
A poor colored woman came before tht
committee with her arm in sling. Two
weeks before the election, Il mob OF
masked men came to her house and
threw rope around the neck of hci
husband, Tom Wallis, who was an act
i've Republican. A scutfle ensued, when
the assailants began to shoot, killing
Wallis and wounding his wife.
The assailants then went away, and
the woman took to the woods.
Adolph Smith was whipped nearly to
death the night before the election, and
was told that he would be shot if he
dared to vote the Republican ticket
Quite number of other colored wit
nesses told the same story of whippngs
and how they had to hide away in the
woods for months afraid their lives
would he taken on sight if they met
with those bloodthirsty devils who are
called the best citizens of Mississippi.
Now let us see who is responsible for
this terrible state of affairs. In all the
testimony that has been taken, it has
not been shown that any Republican,
either black OF white, ever molested a
Democrat. Congressman BarkSdale
now occupies seat in Congress. He
would not be there without these terri
BILE murders. II the American Congress
would deal with him as his crimes mer-
it, it would turn him over to be- tried as
an accessory to murder, instead Of per-
mitting him to disgrace the seat he fills.
Copiah County is in his Congressional
district J. w. Bonderand is the son
of an officer of the ejel army and he
told how the Democratic mob told him
repeatedly : We are preparing to
carry this county no matter who is
h1rt." The night before the election
Mr.. Bonderand went to hear Congress-
man Barksdale speak in the Court
House More than one hundred armed
men were in the centre Of the room.
Barksdale addressed them saying that
he was glad to see in their faces fixed
determination to carry the election, no
matter what was the issue. He advis-
ed them to hang F. W. Bucks, the Re-
publican Supervisor, so high that the
birds of prey could not bury their beaks
in his body. ""Did he say that" stern
ly asked Senator salisbury, one Of the
committee, and Il Democratic Senator
from our own State of Delaware.
Just that, y said the young man, and
then he went on to tell how Meade, the
chairman Of the meeting excused him
self from speaking because he had been
so long in the saddle, while Bailey the
leader Of the mob, made the same ex
cuse, bnt aided that the negroes would
not vote, rs they had all been driven to
the woods, and closed his remark by
saying " | move TO appoint com
mittee to bury the independent dead to-
morrow This brings us up to the
eve Of election. The Democrats had
every thing prepared to carry it. They
were orgauized into bands of drilled
soldiers. armed to the teeth and mount
ed on horses.
The colored Republicans were hiding
in the woods, and white Republicans
We're in danger of being shot if they
ventured beyond their own doors. What |
is to hinder them from carrying the
election without further bloodshed
But no, the whetted Internal appetite
tor blood is not yet satiated. Another
victim is wanted, and he a white vic
tim.
The only murder of the election day
recorded is that Of Matthews, but it was
the most cold blooded murder Of all. He
had been prominent Republican, and
hcld several offices. He had alwaysl
lived Ill Mississippi, and dared to assert
his right rs lie pleased. Before the
election he was told by the Democrats
that he must not vote but on election
morning, in spite Of theappeals Of his
wife, he went to the place where he was
toully murdered.
George Hamilton, the Democratic
clerk Of the election, told how Mat
thews was murdered while voting ::
" There were only six of us in the room
five Democrats and Mr.. Matthews.
Matthews said he wanted to vote and
get away. When the polls were opened
Matthews was the first voter Wheeler
was the only man in the room who had
a gun. When Matthews voted Wheeler
was standing about eighteen feet off,
He lpVpleu hi, pIn and fred two cha rpes
in Matthews breast. When the
smoke lifted Wheeler was loading his
gun His son-in-law, who had been
standing outside the door, then came in.
" Lnplnr stnnI arnunl aud 1ulknl n