The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-26

~ tHtDW OF tho ~ -rsf
that had reigned amongst y. o'a 'y',.a
reality, by insuring all the pifaetia
free government for the m, ,ssslng' &
people, N''''ses 0ia
Governor Alcorn's ide, ~.
ereignty might be acccepte9 Tate
by the older cham pions If -. pfs.etiesr
Holding that the States W. ses,'oiidaii
before the rebellion and 49,, ~ soye'd.
their overthrow and 5iga as. s
under acts of Congress which '. .si3ace
the people to military r,, 'a55lss
reloices at their overthrow All ae
people go forward in hu;IJi-I o'dst.
situations OF freedom ana proe ,ls ass
ruins of slavery! ''s' - ola
Under the new consist.
judges were TO be appoiptoI STus'oa O.
ernor, and with the adviceu .! uesr
OF the Senate. Formerly tbe;'S 3sl
had been elective. The chan r'.s'' iosas.
q wise one, indicated distrustt - - 100 ia''
voters. The new const;,r y. zee o.
provided for the estabIisbpr,'-.99a d
/ system of common schools 1
nothing was said in il abo,. -''ao-s
schools for the two races ~. se9a,a l
probably adopted from ~ fsa "a E
Mixed schools in the South sr5 s.ll1s
impractlcable. Their advocsts,,' a.'',
fanatical devOtees of social mas '-.1.
rather than friends of educat;o- '4 .41
the provisions made for tLa A-
schools was a poll-tax of two i, fa'1
At the election of Novembar 1 }s-,
Democrats made considerable -, 49,. e
not enough to overcome ~ e''us Be-
Republican majorities The Ssr..-
made up of twenty-five Republiesr,. 2 z
fourteen Democrats; the House ~, %
two Republicans fortv-siy Ds~, 'A''
and three Independents. -''i's
The census of 1870 showed ~,
ton in Mississippi of S27 800 Of Il r.
and ages, and an assessed valpgr;' '-
property amounting to Sl77@a6.
The State and county taxes aegrs,--
the enormous sum of s., 736 .489 nj
was at the rate of SI52 for each rs,
or something over 800 per head G%
adult male population. OtherWis
pressed, the rate was Si7-27 for 49,
thousand dollars worth of nro,.-
assessed. This enormous taxatio,f
five times greater than the amour, 4, 4
State and county taxes in 1860 when ~
J only aggregated S7S3,729.
There was no State election in u
7 sissippi during the year 1872. I5G
Presidential election, Grants msi5s-
over Greedy was 34,SS7. The Demo-.
gained member Of Congress in tbss..
district. The other four mem.
chosen were Republicans. In Deceri.
, 1871, Mr.. Alcorn resigned the os.
g of Governor. He took his scar IN +.
! Senate.
The minority report of the s.
! select committee appointed in Isl 4
= investigate Southern affairs, attribB..
the outrages in Mississippi to the corn
and oppressive county gOverBmer.,
: These imposed taxes from five to sixlV
:. greater than those which were borne
: the people before the war. The a..
report gives credit to Governor Ao-
for his efforts to check extrayagances,i
, 70 prevent the accumulation Of pubF
: debt. 1t quotes from his messags
January, 1874, in which he speaksofa.
= expenditures as making a "startl-,
= comparison" with those of former ves-
The election in November. 1872
T, suited favorably to the Repubisr
y notwithstanding the dissatisfaction
: large plumber who organized unja
, the name of "The Republican Part
= CT Mississippi" The Democratic ps-r
/. held convention. They decided b
r. put no candidates in the field for Sal
- officers. 1t was understood that tbsf
d would support the liberal ticket. Tbsr
=; H. failed to do so, cordially. The rgt
|; lar Republicans nominated GeHez
Ames for Governor, Alexander K. Da7s
- a colored man for Lieutenant Govenr
James Hill, cOlored, for Secretary q
State, and J. w. Cardozo. colored. is
Superintendent of Education. Then
inees of the regular Republicans "a
:! Acknowledgement, Auditor, and Trss.
: urer were denounced by he Liberals q
:, corrupt or incompetent. General Aus
:. was denounced as an irresponsible noe
:. resident. The same terms were appia
= TO enc or more of his colleagues On I'd.
= ticket. The Liberals re-nominated tI
= Governor Alcorn for the governor.hp
The result of the election was thatAm
= received 74,307 votes as against $3.50
= for Alcorn. The senate was made up d
, twenty Republicans and fourteen Deue
:, Gratis, and the House Of Representative
T of sixty-eight Republicans and fonl
four Democrats.
- Enormous as were the taxes, tdgr
- failed to equal the expenditures dutl.
y the four years beginning with 1874
= The excess of expenditures was SSlL
3" 947. A general convention of taxPa!
ers without regard to party met {
= for the purpose Of bringing about
s. forms in the administration OF Sc.
affairs. A committee was appoints
u which drew up petition. 1t set for.
5 in respectful language, the grieyanca
e 1t represented that the people vE
growing poorer, and that the value
a their land was reduced, which tlE
attributed to the extravagant expsnl
lures of the State government, and
= the consequent increase of taxati
; They represented that the tax on Lao
4 In 1869 was ten cents on the 500
assessed value; that that tax was 100
j fold greater in 1871, eight times gTea1
P in 1872, twelve and one-half tm
greater in 1873, and fourteen TIA
greater in 1874. 1t was alleged that q
assessment of property was greatly at.
r its market value.
Several bills were introduced IN :
, Legislature having in view the redo
ton OF expenses, but they were defeat
by the colored members, who consttuH
large part of the body, and who yop
solidly against them.
In 1878 the Democrats made a de-
mined effort to regain power. III
convention, which met at Jackson
the Sd of August, and of which j
Lamar was the leading and courage
spirit, adopted an extremely liberal ?,
form. The Republican platform Va.
repetition of the well known princip
of that party. The canvass was attesd
with much disorder and bOodsb'
Governor Ames applied to PRESIDE
Grant for troops to quell the "dome'
violence" His application was refuse
President Grant telegraphed to the }
torney-General that the public was tn
of the annual autumnal outbreaks in O
South.
Failing to obtain this military al
| Governor Ames undertook to organ
the militia to aid the sheritfs in the p
servation of peace while the eleotil
was pending. This proceeding brong
forth an earnest protest from the Dem
cratic State Committee, in which :
governor was charged with endeavonl
to incite war of races.
| The election resulted in an on,
whelmiug Democratic victory. j
Democratic candidate for treasurer :
ceived 1886 votes, against 66.l55 j
the Republican candidate. Of the :
members of Congress to which the sta
was entitled, five Democrats were eleC
ed, including Mr.. Lamar, in the FiT
District. The State Senate stood twent
six Democrats to eleven Republican
and in the House of Representative
there were ninety-seyen Democrats az
twenty Republicans, so that on jon