Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-02-29
THE SHOTGUN POLICY.
Termination of the COpiah County In.
vestigatiOn-A Geueral Review OF
Facts ElicIted During
the Inquiry.

A number of witnesses were called Wed
nesday in the Mississippi investigation at
New Orleans, both by Senators Jonas and
Frye. They brought out nothing new, and
were principally put on to deny and corrobor-
ate various minor points in the evidence.
Several democratic witnesses. seven of whom
were members of the Hazelhurst mob, were
dismissed without testifying. Mr.. Frye said
he had few witnesses to put on, but owing
to the great disire of the committee to get
back to Washington, the hearing was brought
TO an end at a late hour Wednesday after
noon A letter from Mr.. Garrett, chairman
of the republican committee of Madison
county, Miss, appeared in the Times-Demo-
crat this afternoon, denying certain state
ments made in the testimony of U. S. Dis
trict Attorney Ware, regarding the political
situation in that county. CARROTS letter de-
clared that the republicans and democrats
are getting along pleasantly together in that
county. while Ware asserted that the Bour-
bons compelled the independents to withdraw
their ticket last fall before the election. This
apparent difference is explained from the fact
that many of the old line republicans are act
ing with the democrats, while the independ-
ents oppose both of the old organizations.
The committee, on a strict party vote, re-
solved not to admit this newspaper letter
until its next meeting in Washington. In the
meantime Judge Ware has been notified to
make any statement concerning Carrots let
ter which he may desire. Two reports will
be made The three republican members
will find that the testimony fully proves that
in Copiah county there was determination
last fall to elect Bourbon officers at any cost.
The independent movement had grown so
strong that it was sure to carry the cleo
ton with a free ballot. To overcome
this the democrats organized reign of ter
ror. An armed mob, under the lead of the
democratic politicians, marched over the
county, whipping. shooting and numbering.
In consequence the negroes were driven from
their houses, the independent campaign
broken up, and the operations of the law sus-
pended As the crowning act of this griev-
Gus crime. J. 2. Matthews, the trusted leader
of the independent party, wealthy and re-
spected man. was notified by the mob that he
must not vote. Other active republicans
were advised TO stay away from the polls.
Matthews went to vote, and was killed at the
polls by the democratic marauder, who has
since acknowledged that he committed the
murder because he had been so directed by
his party. The murderer has never been
brought to justice. and the community had a
mass meeting to praise the act, and vent the
popular vengence on any one who should
attempt to bring him to justice; further,
that he was elected after the murder as city
marshal. and that no one has been brought
to trial for any other outrages committed on
persons and property during the rule of the
mob; while for the three weeks during which
it pursued its cowardly crimes. no officer of
the law interferred: the sheriff did nothing
the governor would do nothing, and the
democratic party in Copiah county and the
State had no word of condemnation to offer.
Matthews appealed for protection and was
killed. while other Independents were run
out of the county, and in their strong pre-
cincts on election polls were surrounded
with armed men, so that the independent
majority of 1881 in Copiah county, in 1888,
bv force and violence, turned into a paltry
minority of SIS votes. All this was done
with the passive consent, which, with such
offences, was equivalent TO the active spprov-
al, of the magistrates and peace officers of
the State, and though many good men in Co
piah have depreciated these outrages, get
the amount of public sentiment ia still so
strong in that direction, that no utterances
BY that people have ever been made to disa-
vow the savagery which disgrsced them last
October for the acts of the mob. The ma
iority report will also indicate what a farce
is popular government in Mississippi from
these tragic recitals, and from the testimony
of men in high democratic counsels, who
have sworn that rather than allow a
majority of the voters to obtain control of
public affair, the minority might, If it
deemed best, use force and intimidation
This avowed determination will be pointed
out as the great source of endless trouble in
the South, and the subversion of common
rights. to be remedied only by some action
on the part of the federal government. or
such unwholsome action by the law and order
part of the country, as will convince the
South that until it learns to respect the rights
of all citizens, it never can be trusted with
the national administration. The minority
will undoubtedly deny that the outrases in