The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-02-21
THE NIssLssIPPT OUTRAGES

i THE 4xO6I664EF4 w AdO6O.
Globe Democrat, The inves igation
Of the C0pish county, Miss,, election out.
fages, nov going on at New Orleans. il
disclosing f6cts of a very positive and
Hery significant kind. II is plain to zee
that there has been no exaggefation in
the stories heretofore told of the condi-
ton Of things N that part Of the coun-
try, b1t-that much has been kept back Of
a damaging and shocking character.
There can be no doubt. from the testi
mony, that there was an organized and
systematic process of intimidation, OPP
preston and violence carried on by the
Democrats of the county with view TO
/ sitting free speech and discussion, pre-
venting mea from voting the Republi
can or Independent ticket, and driving
citizens away from their homes whose
political principles and opinions were
not of an acceptable kind. Murders
were frequent, open and unprOvoked I;
and an armed party seems TO have
patrolled the county during the cam
paign, warning men not to participate
in the election, and administering fog.
gings and other punishmen's to keep the
negroes properly frightened.
| One Of the witnesses, who was states
attorney for the Copiah district ut that
time. testifi Is tirepea' l acts of this de-
scripIiOn coming under h's personal OBJ
s rvatioR-Aot mere accidental Disturb
ances. but c4lCul Ited and melhodical
eOutrages, by bands equipped for such
purposes ami acting under the d rection
| of the ID mo ratio authorities. la some
eases of peculiar fi4rrancy, he says
1 warrants were Issued tor the arrest OF
the guilty parties. but such warrants
were never executed OF returned At
one time the shtr Fl telegraph the
governor for troops. fearing that GER
tain murder wolli lead to general up
rising of the negroes and their friends /;
but afterwards he modified his requG st
by informing tie governor that If arms
were sent he would keep The peace
without military assistance, and the
arms ere furnished and promptly put
in the hands OF the very men who were
committing the Gutrages. In not a
single ms. ance, so far made known, was
any person called to legal account for
any of these Offenses, though they were
open and notorious, and the officers were
thoroughly posted as to identity of the
offenders.
The general PARTICULARS of the murder
| of j. p. Matthews, a leading and Infuen-
tial citizen. as he was in the act of cast
ing his vote on election day, were given
at the time, and given correctly, as the
testimony shows. 1t does not appear
that Matthews had done anything more
t. provoke such deed than simply TO
| exercise his right as an American citi-
zen to act with the parry of his choice
IN politics. ard To do in a lawful an i
peaceful way what he could tor the pro-
motion of that party's success. He did
not go securing about the country at the
head of a gang OF bulld9zers. His
methods of argument were not the
pistol and the bludgeon. He was reese
Lutte and brave man, man Of pr p :rty,
OF intelligence. and of high per
s0nal sanding. 1t has been alleged
that he was quarrelsome and dang rous
man; bat il does not appear that he ever
had any serious alteration with any
body, aAd certainly he was not the eg-
gressor at the time of his murder, for be
was shot down in cold blood without SO
much as a CHI lnce of prayer, while he
stood a'oIe at the polls voting the tick.
It which he preferred, in 3 pt riectlv re-
spectful and considerate way, us was his
right and privilege.
1t is true that Matthews had been no
titled that he must stay az home on cleo
ton day. A N, b ninety strong, ARMED
with shotEuns mi muskets-the sheriff
of the county and the chairman of thu
Democratic 'mm tee of the number
had filed plst his house the previous
Sunday crying out, Somebody had bet
| ter get away" and later formal resolu
3 tion had been delivered t. him. warning
him that he was expected to absent him
self from the polls, said resolution hav
: ing been adopted at
4 meeting addressed by Ia
l Democratic member of congress, Barks
T dale. 1t can hardly be claimed, howev
or, that it was his duty to obey such
command, and that failing to do so b
d made his assassination justifable. tn
! truth probably is that he did not thin
;. 1t possible that partisan enmity, even i
e Mississippi, could go to the extent {
h taking a mans life because he should il
n sit upon vo ing AT popular election j
: town where he had lived for, year
q paying taxes, holding Office and sustain
J. ing a reputable soc'al position. Ther
d is nothing 10 indicate that he Apr,
i hended personal dangtr, or that he ha
e any thought of inviting quarrel. Oh
1t erwlse, we may be sure, he would hay
e been prepared to tfend himself, an
y would not have been killed in broad da,
light In such peremptoIy and coward
1 e..