The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-22
CoPIAH oUTRAGEs.
A Mississippi Congressman Before the
Comminee.

COmmi zee.
WA HINGToN, March 81 Major E. Barks-
dale, member OF Congress from Mississippi,
who, according to some testimony taken by the
Copiah county sub-c ,mmibtee of the Senate,
made speech at H4zelhurst, advising the
Democrats to carry Cepiah county, by the shot
gun If necessary, and to hang Button, Re
publican candidate, was before the snb-com-
mittee of the Senate committee on privileges
and elections this morning, and made state
ment under oath in his own vindication. He
denied the charge in toto. He said the people
OF Copiah county had always been character
lied with love of law and order, and in the
events Of the last election there was nothing
Inconsistent with that record. He made two
speeches in Hazelhnrst one day before the
last eecton-one in the afternoon to process
sion of the county people on horseback, and
the other in the evening to the local Demo-
cratic club. He could not remember whether
mounted men of the afternoon procession were
armed with shot guns His attention was
ca lied to the statements of witnesses about his
speech, and he pronounced all the assertions
that he had encouraged violence, as false.
Addressing Major Barksdale, (the witness,)
Senator Hoar asked: "Did you read some res
olutions purporting TO have been passed after
the election, at public meeting?"
Eyes, sir; have them here"
"Well now may inquire whether YOU ap-
prove or disapprove of the resolotions?"
81 will not answer that question further
than to say the resolutions have not been prop
erly understood by the public, and have been
misrepresented III you will permit, will re-
fer to them so that my understanding of the
purport of your question may be clear. Will
you permit me, slr?"
"No, sir. you have stated that you decline
to answer"
II decline to answer without an explanation
of the reasons that influence my reply. The
racnlntiOua in thoea words fWitnana haro
read the Copiah county resolution). l regard
these resolutions simply as a reply to the
threats made by Mathews himself and the clan
that he was at the head of, againLt the Ctr
zens."
"Then you mean to say you don't approve of
them"
81 mean to say they have been misrepresent-
ed and my understanding"
''My question was not whether the public
had been properly informed, but whether you
approve of the resolutions"
"Well, my answer has been given"
Senator Frye-"Does he know of any threats
made by Mathews? l want TO know whether
witness, in his statement, means 10 testify
that he ever heard Mathews say anything OF
the kind he has referred to.
Witness said that he had not heard Mathews
make any threats, but he had heard OF them
from others.
MIR. Frye-You have no right, as witness,
60 make that answer, aud you know it.
w Nuo1o- fscll, Wuou yOu Say you OlU
not know it, or you did know it, then il is not
ths manuer in which gentlemen address each
other.
Mr.. Hoar-You say you are familiar with
The political history of Mississippi. There is
one resolution to the effect tpat Copah shakes
hands with Yazoo. Do you know what that
means?
Well, no, sir; will not undertake to inter-
pret Lhat.
You had no knowledge of the facts?
had nothing to do with getting up the reso-
lutions.
Do YOU remember any public fact in the his
tory of Yazoo which might help interpret that
resolution?
will not answer that question. / will not
undertake to interpret that resolution.
Witness, in the further conrse of the colo
guy, said that the people of Yazoo county we're
law abiding people. He knew of nothing 10
the history of either Yazao or Copiah which
would compare with the "Tewksbury HORROR
Mr. Hoar-Thst you know ali about.
Witness-I have seen it stated officially.
You acquainted with Tew ksbury, and
not we'll acquainted with Yazoo?
Pretty well acquainted with both, and do
not know anything so much to the discFedit OF
Yazoo as to Tewksbury
Senator Hoar expressed the hope that the
official investigation OF the affairs of Y4zoo
county wonld show them TO be as false as those
respecting Te wksbury.