National Republican., 1884-03-01


the rolling boxes, refusing to allow cOlored
men to vote. The news was received with
aCclamation, and by noon not an independent
voter nor challenger was TO be seen anywhere.
In one precinct pretensc was made OF al
lowing the negroes TO vote unmo-
Tested. At that box an inde-
pendent supervisor, with few other white
men. assured every voter that they would de-
fcnd him against the mob with their pistols,
If necessary. At noon tho democratic in
sIcctor told them that the Independents had
Then a majority of 50 Tho tidings Of Mat
thcws's death sont tho independents home,
aud the return for that precinct gave them i'll
all - votes. Everywhere the negroes were
met with pickets about the polling places,
Informed that they wurU In danger Of Mat
thcwss fate, and again they fled to the
woods. A few who did vote were visited on
tic following night by The mob and whipped.
The result was this: In 1852 Copiah
gave Lowry. democrat, for governor, 2,Oi1,
and Ring independent, 2,05D. One box
with $50 republican majority was thrown out.
The democratic organ admitted in October
that the independents had made large gains.
Yet, in 1883, the democrats had 1900 votes,
and the independents $50. 1t has been ac-
knowlCdgcd by the democratic witnesses that
every candidate on thu independent ticket
was a white man, and, without exception,
most excellent men, outside Of their politics.
The democratic party was the sole bcneii-
ciary Of those murders and outrages. Its
recognized leaders headed the mob and did
the murders. Their announced purpose was
to perpetuate democratic rule in Mississippi,
and trample under foot there by force the
Independent movement among the whites
against bourbon misgovernment. No demo.
cratic leader uttered n protest during that
campaign, their members of compress APP
plauded, their sherifls refused to act, and the
governor of the state called upon to protect
innocent men sent state arms and ammuni-
tion which were delivered 20 the leader of
the mob. No sooner was Matthews doad than
great mass meeting was held in the court
house, cannons were fired and bands played.
Three or four hundred democrats were pre-
sent. The leaders of the mob told them
that Copiah had been redeemed by
the pistol. Not centent that Wheeler,
the self-confessed murderer, should
go unpunished, they voted him their protcc-
tion, notified the Matthews family that if
they ever dared to take part in politics again
il would be at their peril, and warned any
white man from over organizing the colOrDd
people again. One man protested against do
ing this publicly, but was shouted down, and
then the resolutions sent to tho mourning
family. The cotton gin of Matthews's father
was burned his brothers negro tenants run
from their farms, and themselves informed
that their only safety lies in not talking pol
itics. One young man. who ventured to as
sert that the murder was simply that was
made to leave the county at the point Of the
pistol. The members of the mob are well
known, their murders, arsons, and crimes
have been brought before the grand jury, and
no notice taken. Wheeler, bloody with an
acknowledged, premedtated murder, was
elected city marshal by the alder
man, including the chancery clerk,
bank cashier, and county superintendent
of schools. The latter was on the stand.
Ibid you not know that Wheeler was a muir
derer2' asked Mr.. Hosr. mo" answered
this public educator, az did not; | knew
that he had acknowledged killing Matthews.
but not to any murder. | considered him
the best man for marshal, although some-
times little indiscreet" He did not know
that Wheeler had committed murder Dr.
Pitts young physician, Wheeer's cousin,
did. He swore that he asked Wheeler why
he killed Matthews; Wheeler said that it
was no personal enmity; he had drawn the
lot to do so, and did it. He had tried TO per-
suade Matthews not to vote, and when that
failed his duty was clear.
The democrats have put on the stand some
of the leading democrats of COpiah intelli-
gent, we'll dressed men, They were not in
the mob, but quiet, conservative citizens.
Their appearance was to prove that the ma
jority of their party in Copah are quiet, law
abiding people. They all swore to that fact.
The school superintendent swore they were
SOClNllN, pUllllthliNY ubEtlly, anu TtllEl-
ously" up TO the standard of any people in
mississippi. All testified that they were law
abiding. Most of them did not approve the
killing OF Matthews, though none had ever
expressed any disapproval. In fact,
the majority Of them had never heard
tho subject discussed at ALL Most
of them considered Matthews an "agita-
tor" and the country better off without
him. None of them had even suggested that
the outrages before election should be pun
ished A few very blandly suggested that
they intended to rule Copiah county, cost
what il might, and gave as an opinion that
Pennsylvania and New York are carried po-
litically by as bad methods. Most of them
had sons and nephew5 in the mob, without
objection, though its actions were notorious.
One good democrat told his son not to drink,
swear, nor hurt any one on these murderous
expeditions, and evidently thought his duty
done there. All expressed their satisfaction
that the independents had been defeated, and
alluded to the perpetrators of the crimes by
which that victory had been secured as
"quiet well disposed Young men, q little eX-
citabe perhaps, but fair representatives of
the Copiah democracy"
These witnesses were among the substau-
tial men of that county, storekeGpers, lawyers,
and farmers. They told the best story they
could for the democrati, and they were COM
PEELED to acknowledge that this mob was
otfenses were tacitly approved, and that four
months after these occurrences no one has
dreamed of bringing any one to trial. Of de-
nOuncing their acts. or attempted to purge
the whole democracy of Copiah and Missis-
sippi from the responsibility of these high
crimes against the constitution ofthe country.
But these events are not local. In other
counties in Mississippi oiienses almost as bad
are committed, until tho independents with
drew their tickets. In Copiah they were
courageous enough to be deferred only when
their leaders began to be shot down. In Ala.
bama, South Carolina, and Louisiana these
scenes were enacted years ago, In Virginia
and Mississippi the first reviyals of an inic-
pendent party, pledged to FREQ ballot aud
free education, are met with powder. That
is the only way, and tho bOurbons know it, TO
put down tho indignation and revolt which
is so manifest among the decent people Of the
south against the bad government aud inla-
nous elections 10 which they are subjected
More than that, il affect' the north, In
timidaton and fraud enable the democrats
to control tho house of representatives and
half the senate. With free elections the
republicans would have fifty MAORI in the
house and twenty in the senate. With this
entering wedge of Ignorance and lawlcssness
which keeps tho south solid, the democrats
expect to elect president this fall. They
propose to erect at Washington to control
the great dCstines Of the north, its manu-
lures, commerce, and intelligence, u govern
ment founded ON fraud and force. Louis
lana, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, and
South Carolina would be republican with free
elections
Home After the Funeral.
The military Cgrort from the Nav York