The Portland daily press., 1884-09-04

and he went to secession convention, and there
declared to those men assembled, that they were
that they would feel the power of the
republic in bitterness and sorrow, but they
Missed him down and women spat upon
him. Print Matthews held his own, lived there in
Copiah county through the whole war, and dared
them to do their worst to him. He held to his
Unonism all through the war and never served one
hour in their army. After the war was over he
lived there. He came from one of the best families
In Mississippi and bis wife was what is called blue
blood" He had two sons, both in college when L
was there. and two daughters, both in boarding
school. saw them, and there is not man or wo-
man IN Portland who would not glory 10 call
1nose lour children my Children not one Print
Matthews had acquired wealth. He owned six or
eight plantations, carried on three stores and was
man OF power in Copiah county. His door was al
bltcks His purse was always open to them. He
loaned to Erastus Wheeler, who killed him, $500
fed at his table, by invitation not ten days before
he killed him. Erastus Wheeler was captain or
thews helped to build every church in Copiah
county. He help build every school house In Co
PRiah county. rebel brigadier who served on
thews we'll, and can say that he was one Of the
most generous men ever knew. He was a man of
honest convictions. and Of courage enough to carry
an enemy. Print Matthews was in his house. and
these men, all armed. were there, halted with in
-FOUR rods OF 1t. They held meeting, passed res
olution, and choose 81 armed men to serve it on
Print Matthews The resolution was this: "Re-
solved, That Print Matthews votes tomorrow on
peril OF his ltfe." In Republic like this! "Votes
in peril of his life'' Said Print Matthews to the 2I
men who handed him the resolution, sThe constitu-
Eon OF my country gives me the right to vote. /
prize that right above all else but my family Say
TO your comrades in arms that Print Matthews will
polls" Appiause AR my friends is Il there sU "a R ae
publican here in Portland any more heroic than
that? Is there man in the world entitled to the
name of hero if Print Matthews was not? They re-
ceiyed the message and marched away. The morn
ing OF election came, and Print Matthews went
down early to vote, and he went into the voting
precinct. There they have room and admit no
one except the officers of election. and one voter at
a time. Print Matthews was elected challenger for
the Republicans, and Erastus Wheeler, the major
or captain OF the 100 men, was elected Democratic
challenger. When Print Matthews went in Erastus
Wheeler was sitting there in chair and the only
officers present were Democratic officers and give
you their testimony, the testimony of enemies.
Print Matthews went up to the ballot box and said
to the inspector my daughter is sick, and would
minutes will return.'' The inspector said ali
right Print took his ballot and passed it to the in
spector. The inspector took it, and as
see 1t moment, had Democratic ticket and
may have made mistake" He took it, read it.
Print Matthews turned around to walk off, and he
received thirty-three buck shot in his breast and
dropped dead in front of the ballot box. Erastus
Wheeler was seen sitting in his chair unbr reachiug
his gun, and puttisg in two new cartridges and
when he had done that he shouldered his gun and
marched out of the precinct, and all day long he
shoulder. There were hundreds of other armed
Democrats. The brass band played its music and
the cam on thundered out the announcement that
Print Matthews, the power the Democrats feared
In Copah county was dead, and to be feared no more
forever. The Democrats carried Copiah county by
z,Oo0 majority larger majority than they had
voters. (Laughter) They marched black men up
to the polling places between two armed men, and
put their ballots in. The next day they held pub
lie meeting and congratulated the Democracy of the
country upon their victory in Copiah county. There
we're 500 men, the best Democrats according to
the testimony OF the president in that meeting. The
chairman of the Democratic committee MIR. Bailey,
presided, who vas Erastus Wheeler's lieutenant in
command OF the company Of $50 men, made a
speech to the meeting an read reso utioas. want
to read few of the resolutions to the free men of
Maine:
Resolved: That so long as the friends and rels-
tives OF Print Matthews obey the laws "only think
of the impudence of that,' obey the laws, and be-
come good citizens We pledge them our protection.
ResoIUed: That in the opinion of this meeting. it
1s necessary for the safety of society," and the well
rare Oh all races and cla of this country, that
after.
Resolved: That from hsnceforth and forever, no
man shall organize the colored people into pOliti-
Resolved, That the banner hitherto borne by beat
2: shall now be born by beat 3, not meaning any
disrespect to beat 2. Beat q which corresponds ts
our ward, had been Democratic, while beat had
been Republican. This time the Democrats had
carried beat ., and they wanted to give them the
Resolved, That Copiah county shake hands with
YaZoo.
You have heard about Yazoo before. Then thew
chose, only think of it, 81 men from each beat
and there were six BEATS to present these reselu,
tions to the family of Print Matthews and they
presented the resolutions as the widow and the
children were coming from the grave of the cad
father and the dead husband. At that meeting
dat. df Paey 9a MADE speech. de- Is to-day eandi
dent Among other things some one asked him
how they gained such glorious victory? He pulled
out great pistol from his pocket and shaking il in
the air said, "By God, there is what our argument
was" And how about Erastus Wheeler? In a
weeks time theDemocrats elected Erastus Wheeler,
city marshal of Hazelhurst. In fortnights time
the good people of Copiah county elected Erastus
Wheeler, chairman of delegation to go to the
legislature and influence temperance legislation
Q-aughter9 Mrs. Matthews and her children moved
away from Copiah county. The three brothers re-
mained there, and saw the other day that they
were delegates to Republican convention. Zap
plause) All, if you want to see courage, 90 down
there and look at men like Print Matthews and his
brothers, and see what it costs to be American
citizen down there.
Now, my friends, there are over 5000 900 OF
colored people today in the South, and the South
votes in the electoral college for these black people,
and it does not permit them to VOTE If it does it
does not count them. Now what are you going to do
about 1t? This is but very small chapter in the
bloody history of the South for the last twenty
years since the war was over, only small chapter
There is one way in which this may be cured in
my opinion. If l was President would send
United States soldiers, and settle them down in
every State in the South now. Great applause)
who esteem themselves better than anybody else,
the siekly sentimentality of some indepen dent
newspapers, anu some Republican newspapers and
the bitter opposition of the Democratic party com
PEELED the withdrawal of the soldiers BY Mr. Hayes
from the sacred soil of the South and you surren-
dered the whole the moment they were gone The
Democrats came into power, and Immediately they
repealed all the laws under which you could put
soldiers there. But there is another way Article
second of the fourteenth amendment to the consti-
tuition says that if any State deprives any United
States citizen of his right to VOTE if that right ia
in any way abridged, then it shall be the duty of
Congress to cut down the representation Of that
State in proportion to the deprivation of votes.
Under the first clause it means clearly. that if
State by law deprives its citizens of the right to
vote But what does it mean when it adds to it. "or
in any other way that right abridged"
To it is entirely clear that it is not only within
the power of Congress- but IT is the solemn duty Of
the Congress of the United States to provide by law
that. in State where they deprive American cit
be cut down in proportion TO that deprivation, and
that would bring them to terms. (Applause) Now,
TO do that, you must have Republican President,
Republican Senate and Republican House of Rep
resentatives. Now, let me say to you men of Port
land, you have man nominated by the Republican
party for Congress here. If any man scratches his
name upon his ticket he risks one Republican Rep
resentative in that Congress of the United States.
One scratch may defeat him. one ballot may elect
him, and that one Republican Representative may
make the majority OF the House Republican too, and
if it does it will elect a Republican Speaker, and
II " does that tnat hepuoican Speaker will appoint
every committee with majority of Republicans,
and it will color and tone the whole legislation of
this great country for two solid years. [Appausel
All, my friends, there is almost Almighty poWer in
one ballot They fall silent as the snoWhakes on
yonder mountain, but they have more power for
veal or for than the and ice after the warm
sun and the spring rains send them in torrents to
the ocean. No man should go to the ballot box,
other than as good man should go to the altar of
God. He should take with him his conscience, ana
leave his prejudice and passions at home.
Mr.. Frye then defended the South Ameri-
can policy of Mr.. Blaine, and quoted from the
Pail Mall Gazette to show that he was correct
He then spoke for half an hour u pom the tariff,
and closed as follows:
"a vote for Mr.. Blaine in November is not worth
anything. A majority of twelve il Just as good in
November as one hundred thousand; tor a majority
OF twelve elects, and you get your electors. But
IL, 900 or 1000 on Monday next will count four
this audience who wants to help MIR. Blaine to the
Presidency he can only do it by voting the Republi-
can ticket Sept Sth (Applause You want to re-
member one thing, that the price of liberty is eter
nal vigilance. You cannot have it wi hJut yigi-
lance; you cannot preserve it Without vigilance:
of James G. Blaine should make himself a commit
tee of the whole to work from today until election
day, and throw up mighty majority for RObie in
September
AT the conclusion of Mr.. Frye's speech, the
audience gave him three rousing cheers, and
then dispersed.
GENERAL NEWS.
Samuel Lowden a builder in New York, is said
by his creditors to have run away with a large