National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-09-27

election officers opened the polls Just across
the street from his house. BY the custom of
Mississippi no persons are admitted TO remain
In the room where the election is held but
three inspectors, the clerk, and a challenger
representing each party. Into their presence
ballots aud depart. A doubie.barroled shot
gun had been secretly conveyed beforehand
into the room and concealed In n wood-box.
There were some democrats with shot-guns,
friends of Wheeler, at the door Wheeler had
been constituted the democratic challenger.
Matthews was selected by the republicans
present when the polls opened TO act as their
representative, lie. said he had to go
home, that his daughter was sick, but
he would vote before he went. Wheeler and
he sat down together on bench and talked
pleasantly in an ordinary tone. What they
aiterward said that he said to Matthews,
Print, would not vote to-day If were you"
Matthews went TO the table and handed his
vote. open to the election officer. Tho officer
handed II back to him and asked him to fold
T.: lie took the ballot in both hands, when
Wheeler who stood at distance of eighteen
feet, shot him with both barrels In the breast.
Twenty.four buckshot lodged in him, one
charge lost below the throat, the other be-
tween the breasts. He fell instantly dead to
the floor an American citizen, on his native
soil within earshot of his home In the act of
casting his ballot man drawer or kinder
never consccrated battlefield with his blood.
Wheeler sat unmolested In the room for some
time, quietly reloading his gun until one of
mis- friends suggested he had better go to the
sheriff and deliver himself up. He went to
the sheriff accordingly; was taken before Lowe,
q democratic magistrate, then candidate for
reelection and reelected, who afterward
united in electing him city marshal. Lowe
went through some form of holding him to
bail In the sum of 5000 which was promptly
furnished by three leading citizens, although
murder is not bailable in Mississippi and the
whole transaction was unlawful. The sheriff
suffered Wheeler all the time to retain his gun
Twenty minutes after tho murder he was seen
sitting at a grocery store with Meade, the
chairman of the democratic committee, each
with double-barroled gun in his lap. He re-
manned about the streets of the town during
the day; stood with the sheriff for an hour on
the street corner with his gun in his hand,
'for fear" as the sheriff said, that he might
IIazlehurst the next day, and was in New Or
leans during the sessions of the committee
there. He has remained wholly unmolcsted
In Copiah county from that day to this.
Mr.. Raum concludes his valuable book
with discussion Of remedies for tho ter
rible state Of affairs depicted by him and
asks:
cratic party the weighty affairs of this country
IL that party neglects and refuses to perform
It's duty upon this great and paramount ques-
ton?
Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina
are as surely republican states with fair cleo
ton as Is the state of Vermont The people of
the northern states should demand that the
democratic party shall give to the citizens of
and correct returns In November.
If the leaders of the democracy are unwill-
ing to meet this issue by Immediately demand
ing that there shall be free and fair elections
Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana, where
\ the governors have control, then the conclu-
sion will be irresistible that the democratic
party is content TO allow the wrongs against
the ballot to go unredressed, and Is willing to
accept success by the means shown to be in
use by the democracy In the southern states.
1t Will then remain to be seen whether the
people of the northern states will become a
party to these outrages by bringing the democ-
racy into power
The existing conflict upon the issue Joined
between republican government and the oil
garchy in the southern states must therefore be
settled with the people now there resident. II
involves the rights of white men, but more
largely does 1t involve the rights of the negro.
II freedom for the negro is not right, then
nothing Is right
Ifglving him the equal protection of the
laws is not just, then the scales Of justice are
broken and thrown aside.
Ifgiving him the ballot was wrong, then the
| boosted principle thatgovernment derive their
| Just powers from the consent OF the governed
is myth and a dream.
Iffroedom, equal rights and the ballot are
| to be overborne by intimidation, murder, and
| fraud, then the laws which confer these rights
4
II the state governments are in tacit league
with the people who perpetrate these wrongs,
and neglect to protect the people In their lives
and liberties, then are the just powers OF the
state abdicated, and the people must look to
| other and higher authority for relief.
| 1fthe United States government possesses
no power to correct these evils, or IT, possessing
the power II refuses to exercise 1t, then is our
| system of free government for the protection
| of the rights of these people failure.
| There can be no backward step by the
| American people upon this issue. They have
| advanced into the position of putting into tn,
| laws freedom, equal rights. and the ballot fol
| all men, irrespective OF color. And they will
| yet move forward TO that more lofty and sub
lime position of requiring the observance and
| enforcement of those laws.
"To this complexion must we come Mt last u
| that from ocean to ocean, from the lakes tc
the gulf, every citizen shall be protected-by
the states If they will by the nation If 4
muslin the rights of free assemblage, free
| speech, free press, free ballot and an honest
| count, and that minorities shall peacefully
| submit to the result of elections.
Mr.. Raum has rendered an incalculable
service in giving the American public the
history which we have thus so imper.
fectly reviewed. One lays it down after
perussi and wonders whether these things
can be possible in the nineteenth century
and in Christian America.