The Brookhaven leader., 1884-12-11
NATcHEz, MISS, Dec. /, 1884.

10 answer to your letter of the
the Goth ult., l will say that 1 have
carefully read the speech recently
delivered by Mr.. Blaine at Auguota,
Me-, and must say that l find moth
ing to condemn, but much to com
mend. The only thing about the
speech which surprised me, was the
fact that any man, living in that
part of the country, could possibly
possess such accurate information
with regard o'the actual condition
of affairs at the South. 1t is simply
a plain, candid and forcible presen-
tation of indisputable facts. Every
intelligent man, especially at the
South, who carefully reads that
speech, must say to himself, if not
to the public, the statements there
in made are unfortunately true, it
matters not how vehemently they may
be denied, justified, excused or ex-
planned. There are, no donbt, many
good citizens who believe that it
does more harm than good to pub
fish such facts, even when they
know that they cannot be truthfully
denied. We have many good and
worthy citizens in this part Of the
country, for instance, who deeply
dcplore and sincerely regret the
fraudulent and disgraceful manner
in which elections are conducted in
many parts of the South, but who
believe, at the same time, that it
would be unwise to denounce them
or TO call public attention to them.
Whether it be wise or unwise to call
public attention to such facts, they
are nevertheless facts, and, in my
opinion, there is no better time for
the country to consider them than
now. The Republican party was
justly and equitably entitled to, and
if there had been a free, fair and
honest election, would have received
at least 26 of the 1873 electoral votes
from the South. That the casting
of those 26 votes for the candidates
of the Democratic party was the re-
suit of violent and fraudulent sup
preston of the popular voice in the
States from which they were chosen
are facts to we'll known to the in
telligent people of the country to
admit of the least doubt or dispute.
If Mr.. Cleveland had been elected by
the votes of a divided South as well
as divided North, then his cleo
ton might have been received all
over the country and by all classes
of citizens, as an indication of Ma
tional pacification. At any rate.
the honesty and fairness of his cleo
ton would not have been questioned
by any one, and bis administration
would have received from Republi-
cans as we'll as Democrats that loyal
support to which it would have been
in that event, entitled. AS it is,
the result is sectional, and not a
National victory. Mr.. Cleveland
will be the President of the South,
elected by the South, with the aid of
q few thousand scattering and &C
cidental pluralities in four Northern
States, so geographically located as
to be able to control &C electoral
votes. Such a result brought about
in such way, and by such means,
cannot be anything else than Ma
tional misfortune, especially in view
of the well known fact that the
solidlty of the South was brought
about and is maintained through
methods and practices which cannot
be otherwise than a subversion of
our form of government.
Mr.. Cleveland will be declared
President of the United States, &C
cording to forms of law, and he may
as l sincerely hope he will, so con-
duct the affairs of the country as to
cause no one to regret he was sue
cessful. But the fairness and
honesty of his election will not be |
conceded by Republicans for the
reason they know the reverse to be
true. can imagine but one thing
beneficial to the South which may |
result from the new Administration. |
There are thousands of white men
in this part of the country, who are
reasonably wellinformed; but who
honestly believe that all their
troubles, misfortunes and reverses
IN life are the direct result of Re
publican ascendancy in this Govern
ment. They believe that if the
Democratic party once get control
Of the Government there would be
IN immediate change for the better
N their condition. They believe
hat everything they buy would
cost them from forty to fifty per
cent. less, and everything they sell
would realize them from forty to
fifty per cent mere. Cleveland's
election will not only dispel these
ielusions, but if the dominant
element in that party is allowed to
shape its policy, they will soon find
heir condition to be worse than
yer. Very truly yours,
JoHE r. LYNcH