Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-01-02
SOUTHERN METHODS.
The Bill to Restore N Republican Form
Government to the State of Mississippi.

The Bill to Restore Republican Form of
Government to the State of Mississippi.
Mr.. Chalmers recently introduced a
bill in the House to restore a Republic
an form of Government to the State of
Mississippi, whereat from the Demo
cratic side of the House chorus of de-
risive laughter split the air.
And yet if the people of the whole
country, both Democrats and Republic
ans, could be made to clearly real
ize the real condition of political
affairs in the State of Mississippi, the
approval of the vast majority that be-
lieves in maintaining n Republican
form of government would be with Mr..
Chalmers, and not with the guffawing
Democratic Representatives, for in that
State it'would be bitter mockery of
truth to say that there is now existent
Republican form of Government. The
truth is that determined minority of
men rule it by force, selects its officials
county, State and National-and in
ducts them into office without regard to
the will of the people they are selected
to represent. A free and fair election,
where all the voters could and did ex-
press their opinions at the ballot-box,
has not been held in the State since
1872.
Before Dixon was killed the Republic
ans usually polled close to 5000 votes
in Yazoo County and had large ma
iority of about 1000. AT the election
two years ago the Republicans polled
Just four votes in the county, and for
President this year managed to raise
their total to six; and yet the men who
formerly voted the Republican ticket
there have not turned Democrats
With the exception of some who have
moved away to escape intolerable DEM
ocratic tyranny and some who, like
Print Matthews, sleep in bloody graves,
they are still there. They simply 40
not vote because they are not allowed
to do so. If, by some turn in the hen-
timent of their present rulers, freedom
of elections was restored, these lqen
would vote the Republican ticket, as
they used to, and the State would be
as surely Republican as Iowa or Fan
sas.
An incident of the late election mar
rated by correspondent of ptomi-
nent Western journal goes to chow
how true the foregoing assertion Is In
letter from Jackson, in speaking OF
the election in the county in which
jackson is situated, he says:
A white Republican, who is popular with
his Democratic peighbors personally, ap
pealed to them to let the Republicans tsve
fair deal this time in their home precinct
They consented, and put honest mon in a
II judges. Word was sent out TO tho Sepub
Leans that they would not be molefed fol
voting, and that their votes would b1 count
oy r he the Dosra Tssas as S eS eaeS y5s 5e
cinct by four to one; but this yeas, wheI
there was an honest election, Blaine swept thu
precinct by four to one. t
The good nature that led these Demo
Gratis to try the experiment OF q fret
election in their precinct was truly
phenomenal, but it gives signifcan
evidence of what might be confidently
looked for if an epidemic of the same
sort of spirit should spread aver the
whole State. But that is npt likely
to occur. On the contrary, ihe thing
that gives force and poirt to Mr.
Chalmers proposition is test exem
plified in the following extract from thu
same correspondents lettes;
All that's needed now is for L score of Dem
ocrats to put on red shirts, mOupt horses, anC
drive through negro settlements mt night, ant
yell and fire Off pistols. BY yelrs of terribl,
experience the negroes know what that means
1t was done in John II. Lynch's district at thi
election. Republicans were Warned that Il
they organized there would u several grave
dug; and SO the Republcen Executive Com
mittee of that county cancnlgi ali of Lynch
engagements, and begged L1nch, sin the in
terest of public peace" not 10 show his fact
and respectable citizen. He. was Temporar,
Chairman of tho National Republican Con
vention at Chicago.
Being white man, Mr., yellowly, the Re
publican candidate for Congress In this dis
trict, thought that the ohivalry of Copial
would allow him to make q speech. He die
not get shot in tho back us Print Matthew
did, but he was made a target for brickbats
A bowling mob drove him out Of the county
Northern Democrats say that the negroes
down here have learned to vote the Demo
cratic ticket. That is not so. Southern Dem
ocrats laugh at the suggestion. am speaking
of National elections. Basing my assertion
fancy in saying that Cleveland did not get 20
colored votes In the whole of Mississippi, ant
or another.-WdshingtOn Republican.