Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-12-18
How clersls.d wa. Elected.

In describing the methods by which
the South was MADE solid for Cleveland,
q correspondent of the Cincinnati Com
uisrcial Gazette says that mississippi is
a political hell for man of Individual
and indepeadtHt thought" That this is
true of the entire South is an undoubted
fact. The CO.. respondent pays particular
attention to the State of JEFF Davis. and
declares that after ten years Of bloody
work the Bourbons have stamped out ali
opposition and broken the back Of polit
icsl manhood. Acsording to that cor
respondent ClevelaRd did not get two
ssndrsd colored vets in Mississippi.
Although the colorsd Republicans are
capable Of carrying the State on fsir
vote and count. the Bourbons counted in
their own electoral ticket by more than
thirty thousand majority, The murders
of Dixon and Matthews and Chisholm,
and the bleody ontrages committed upon
ceIored Republicans have been elective
in intinidsting the black and white Re-
publicAHs Of Mississippi. Ii is DO longer
necessary 70 excite the indignation of
the North by outrages worthy only of
devils All that's Hseded now, says the
correspondent. Is for u scors of Democrats
to put on red shirts, mount horses. ard
ride through negro settlements a, night
and yell and are off pistols. What that
means the eolorsd people have learned
through sad experience. Yazoo county,
where Dixon was done to death, used to
give the Republicans over a thousand
majority. Al the recent election only
six Republicans voted In the entire coun-
ty. In Copiah county, where Prent
Matthews was foully murdered. very
few Republicans dared venture near the
polls. Two Republican candidates for
Congress, John R. Lyeh and Mr.. GollOw-
ly, the one colored and the other a
white man. were virtually driven from
the canvass through Bourbon malice and
rage. For the sake Of avoiding a con.
fiict, many of Lynch's stump engage
ments were cancelled, while Gellowly was
stoned and driven of by bowling Dem
ocratic mob. Intimidation was accom-
panied by the grossest frauds. In one
precinct of q certain county where the
Democrats usually stuff the ballot box
SO rs to secure three or four hundred
majority, not q single Republicans vote
was returned at the recent election. In
another precinct. In the same county. a
white Republican who Is personally pop
Hlar with hts Democratic neighbers beg
ged that his party friends might be given
a far show. His wish was granted and
word was sent oxt to the Republicans
that they might vote without molesta-
tion. Mark the result. For eight years
the Democrats had carried the precinct
four to one. This year. when there was
An honest election. matters we've revers-
ed and Blaine swept the precinct four to
oae. Could the Republicans have had
their rights Blaine would have carried
Mississippi by . larger majority than he
Ia Ohio. What is true of this
one State Is equally trne of several 9th
ers. The Democrats of Mississippi have
rot their schemes down to very fine
point. Hon. Luke Lee, United States
District Attorney, says that one of their
most common tricks is to change the
ballot box SO az to reverse the Republic
can n ajority. slthosgh there will be the
same number OF votes In the fraudulent,
AS In the genuine ballot box. Another
trick is for The inspectors and clerks of
election to refuse To serve In Republican
precincts. thereby wholly shutting off sn
election. This Is but a faint outline of
the rascalities Hracticed in Mississippi to
keep the State in the bands Of the Bour-
hons. Tbs methods do NOT differ from
those praeticed in other States where
there is heavy negro vote. How long
will the people of the North submit to
have their OWE vstes nnllified by the
of the Southp-Cleveland
Leader. ~