The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-06-03

1t is Just about eighteen months
since j. P. Matthews, Of Cepesh
county, Mississippi, was shot and
killed at the polls az he was deposit
ing his vote. He had been warned
that one J. l. Mead and other Dem.
ocratic leaders had conspifed to al
him if he voted the Republican tick
ct. Mead himself served a written
notice upon him ordering him to
keep within doors on election day
Matthews was a wealthy and highly
respected citizen of the county, look
ed up to by his neighbors for his
counsel, aid and sympathy, an earn
est supporter of the church and the
school-house, quiet, peaceable and
orderly. But he was man and an
American citizen, and he proved
himself a hero of the highest type
for he deliberately faced death for
the sake OF his convictions. With
his murderer, who, Judas-like, had
Just been engaging him in pleasant
conversation, close behind him, MIR.
Matthews calmly walked up to the
ballot-box, folded his ballot, and as
be bent forward to assert the COM
mon right of his American man.
hood. he fell dead, riddled through
and through, shot from behind.
Matthews was slain solely be-
cause he was an eminent and intlu-
entail Republican, that his death
might strike terror into the oppo-
nents of the Democratic PartJ, and
enable that party, being in minori-
ty of legal votes, to take possession
of Copiah county. He was not muir
dered for any in:emperance OF
speech. He was not murdered for
any personal quality of character.
He was not murdered because he
advised the negro to vote. He was
murdered that the Democratic Party
though a minority. might possess
the government of the county of Co
piah and the State of Mississippi.
There was never more dastardly,
wicked murder committed on Amer
ican soil. And there Is no brighter
example of true heroism on record
than that of this quiet, high-souled
man. When warned of his danger,
he replied TO the messenger of Mead
who was the leader of this hell-born
conspiracy: Il have as much right
to vote as any of you. You have it
in your power to murder me, i admit.
BIT L am going TO rote tomorrow, I'M
Tess you Kill me-" And they killed
him.
President Cleveland has just APP
pointed this Joseph L. Meade post
master of Hazlehurst, the scene OF
Matthew's murder.
Mead was the chairman of the
Democratic Committee and took an
active part before and after the assas-
sination. The President rewards him
with the post-oilice, and in doing so
settles and establishes the true
meaning to his mind of the popular
phrase offensive partisanship.'
Mr.. Cleveland sees nothing offensive
in such partisanship as that of this
Copiah assassin. And seeing, none
there. it stands to reason that he can
see none anywhere else,-the parti-
san being a Democrat The crime
of Copiah does not rise to the levei
of offensive partisanship" in Demo
cratic eyes, although its enormity
makes every true American blush
for his country and shocks the SENSE
of decent humanity whenever the
bloody story is told.
1t is all right that Mr.. Cleveland
should carry out the principles oI
his party and give it the spOils fol
which it fought and for which il ex
lists. But when it gets down tc tn,
rewarding of the Copiah assassini
with Federal offices, the poor pre-
text of offensive partisans pip
should be dropped, as an affront tC
American common sense, and tbs
work should go ahead under its OWL
true and proper name. The Presi
dent will rake through the Who'll,
list of Republican offices and finC
no partisan whose offense matche:
that of the Copiah massacre. By
mis- own act, he revives the dreadful
indictment which was laid at th'
door of his party by the official ac
of the United States Senate. If tn
country is once more reminded o
that story of cruel outrage and mur
der done by Democratic partisans
the Democratci party has itself an,
its President TO thank for it. L,
make this man Mead the postmaste
of the town where Matthews wa
murdered in cold blood is only
short step from a direct endorse
ment of that hideous crime ITSELF
| pbjlodeIpLia R1fllefiD