Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-12-08
Winthrop.
EVIDENCE OF DEMocRAT AS TO OUrRAGEs
CPoS NEGROES IN THe South.

Testimony accumulates constantly to SHOW
the great Iawlessness in portions Of the
Southern States. A thoroughly reliable
business man and . democrat, recently re.
turned from Mississippi. who was in Canton
in that State. on the day of the late Presi-
Dental election. told the following to your
correspondent q few days since: 81 arrived
in Canton. Miss. the night before election,
and stopped at one Of the principal hotels in
that city. was suddenly awakened at 8.
A. NJ, by the firing Of cannon and the
ringing of bells The firing continued at
regular intervals Of every two minutes all
the morning, forenoon and afternoon
and until the close of the voting
! places. 1t was an enormous cannon and
| made a great noise. / asked a county official,
stopping at my hotel, what this firing was
| for; he replied that as | was Northern man
| had better keep quiet and not make myself
conspicuous by asking questions or manifest
ing too much interest. but that in the
evening after the voting was over he
would tell me. At intervals during
the day troops of horsemen galloped through
the city. fully armed, a negro was a rare
afternoon took carriage and drove into
the country The cabins of the black men
were entirely deserted, and saw many peer
ing out from behind trees. and skulking in
the woods, as | rode leisurely along. Re-
turning to the city near shutdown, took the
train for Jackson that evening. The county
official mentioned above accompanied me,
and he proved to be very communicative. /
renewed my inquiry relative to the firing of
cannon that day in the city, whereupon
he frankly told me ii was done for the sole
purpose of frightening the negroes away
from the polls, that by such methods as that
they were enabled TO intimidate the blacks,
and keep them from voting, and thus save the
State to democracy. | asked him if many
negroes had voted that day in his city; he
replied but few, they did not dare to, it was
not safe for them to show themselves on
election day. The conversation was animated
and Interesting. and drfted back to Klu Klux
Khan times, whereupon he gave me
very minute history of that ia
nous organization and of its workings.
Among other things he said that the people
of the North had no idea of the vast number
of political murders in the South; il they
had they would not allow it to continue q
single day longer than it would take to send
an army down there; that where it was
known Of one negro being killed for political
purposes, in the North, at least thousand
had been killed; that it was only by such
methods as these that Mississippi had been
redeemed from the carpet baggers, and kept
solid for the democracy. The negroes were
not allowed to hold political meetings
and were given to thoroughly understand that
if they attempted to vote they would be killed.
| asked this man if such methods prevailed to
any extent in other portions of the State and
other Southern States. He replied with the
utmost nonchalance Eyes; in all sections
where there is heavy negro vote"
Now let it be borne in mind that the above
is no fancy sketch or idle tale, but veritable
transaction reported by Il Northern democrat
utterly incapable of misrepresentation, and
witnessed with his own eyes, and heard with
his own ears. What will our State of Maine
democrats say to it? will they keep on
upbraiding Mr. Blaine for his Augusta
speech? The blood of thousands and thou
sands of murdered negroes, butchered simply
because they were republicans cries to heaven
for vengeance How long will Northern
democrats close their eyes and ears to the
terrible reality?