The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-05-16
THE NEGRO VOTERS O.: MISSISSIPPI.
An Autlcaiic Report by the Hon. Iii
Perkins.

Eli Perkins. having just returned from
a trip through LOUISIANA and Nlississip-
pi, a Formal reporter found him at the
Union depot. When asked how he
found the franchise with the negroes
in Louisiana and Mississippi, he said :
q do not like to talk about these
thinssl l am no politician, and if |
should tell the truth they would say
talked with bias.
"But how have the negroes been
voting?"
well, am neither Republican n1r
Democrat, and | will tell Won without
bias. | talked with the most prominent
white men and Democrats in Natchcz,
Nickshurg, Memphis, and all over the
"Shocstring" district, and did not find
one white man who claimed that the
negroes vote WAS counted. | asked an
editor of the Nicksburg Wy4M il the
negroes had a fair count
no" he said, laughing, "lnd til y
never will have. Why, You wouldn't
let EN- vote if you were here, or if they
did vote you'd see that their vote Was
not counted. In Boliver county, Miss,
there are 1888 darkies and only 694
whites. Now where would the whites
be if the niggers voted?"
"But how do you prevent their vot-
ing?"
"Well, the Governor appointed three
Commissioners of the polls. These
men locate the polls and count the
votes. At first they used to hide the
polls two or three times election day,
where the nggers couldn't find them.
Then we'd get up rows and scare the
niggers off BY and by some OF the
boys said, why do this? We count
the votes Since then our white Com
missioners have counted the vote and
the niger gets thrown overheard"
eve have to throw the Niger vote
away" said Capt. Webster, in Cooho-
ma county, "because they outnumber
us. Now, in Boliver county, where there
are 1888 darkies and a,6G4 whites,
every darLys vote was thrown oat, or
bulldozed out, in 1873. In Claiborne
county, where there are I2,85S darkies
and 1910 whites, only 81 darby votes
got in In Coohoma county, where
the darkies number II,I55 and the
whites number 2,4I2, the d2rkies got
votes. Again, in Issaquena county, the
darkies number o,I74, while the whites
are only $40. 3d." said the Captain,
eve have to destroy that darkey vote
"Will the negroes ever vote in the
'Shoestring' district?" asked.
"Why, of course not"
"But you'll find many men in the
North declaring that the negroes do
vote" | said.
"Well, they are fooling themselves
and we let them do it. You won't find
any respectable white gentleman IN
Coohoma, Issaquena, or BoIlver coun-
ties who will say the negroes have
free note and an honest count. We
have TO overcome their vote some way
or other, by fair or foul means, and we
always will do it. You'd do it yourself,
if you were here, Why" continued
the Captain, ''there are ten counties in
the Shoestring district, where there are
145 600 voting negroes and only So,
900 voting whites. In 1873 these ne
groes only had 1870 votes counted out
of the whole AS 900. Does the North
think us such fools here that we will let
the negroes outvote us and rule over
us ?"
"Thcn, do you think Cleveland was
honestly elected in Mississippi"
"Why, of course not. And more
than that, there never will be an honest
election here till the Constitution is
changed and the negroes vote is taken
away from him."