The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-19
ROBBED OF THEIR RIGHTS.
How the Will of the Majority in Missis-
sippi Is Set Aside by Fraud.
A Forcible Appeal to the Colored People of
the North by the Leader of the Race in
the South, Hon. John z. Lynch.

The meeting of coiored citizens held last
evening in the Criminal Court ROOM which Hon.
John r. Lynch, of Mississippi, had been invited
to address, organized by electing John Wilson
president; VIM. Franklin. vice president, and
VIM. III. Furniss, secretary.
Mr.. Lynch, after briefly referring to the cir
cumstances of his being here not OF a political
mission, said: II am aware that the campaign
in this State is not yet open, and ii may be that
political speech at this time is premature, but
these gentlemen seem anxious to hear some
thing from my part of the country. and l am
here to give it. Let me say that this great
State of Indiana is one to which we OF the South
have looked with great deal of solicitude and
concern. remember In the campaign OF 1880,
when Indiana was an October State. we of the
South remained quiet, saying nothing at all I'M
til Ohio and Indiana had voted. When those
two States had been carried by the Republicans,
we then felt assured that the election of Garfield
was foregone conclusion, and with lighter
hearts we went to work to do something. But.
as Mr.. Cleveland is now President, we of the
South are silent, dormant, and will remain so
until the expiration of his term.
II can speak with absolute information in re-
gard to my own State Mississippi, and that
may be taken as a criterion of the South Mis-
sissippi, on fair and honest election, is largely
Republican. There are from co. 900 to &c, 900
more colored than white men in that State. Less
than one-tenth of the colored men vote the
Democratic ticket; about one-third of the white
men vote the Republican ticket. and yet Missis-
sippi is always reliably Democratic. That may
seem strange; to honest men that might even
seem impossible had the privilege of taking
part in the campaign in Ohio when Governor
Foraker was candidate. !, therefore, read with
great deal of pleasure his inaugural address
In that address / find these words: There is
nothing moro important than the ballot 1t goes
before everything else. The government rests
upon it, and it's character Is determined by it.
We have no other sovereign power or expression,
and there Is no greater political crime thar Its
suppression or corruption. There is but one
equal crime and that is Indifference to such out
RACES. Evil is always contagious. If per-
mitted to succeed in one place its
tendency is to extend to all places"
That assertion is true and it may pc taken, used
In connection with the state of affairs in the
South. as strong indictment of the Northern
States. There is not an intelligent man in the
country who does not know that civil govern
ments in the South not based upon the will
OF the majority but in spite Of the will of the
majority, and that the present administration
was brought into existence in the same way.
These things never could have been but for Grim
inal Indifference on the part Of Northern people
to Southern election frauds. The Democratic
party in the South is rule or ruin party. The
rebellion would never have been inaugurated if
that party had been allowed to remain in the
government. In order to again get into power
they resorted to crime, and the Northern people
allowed them to succeed in the late presidential
election.
''You hear it said that violence and fraud. re-
sulting in the Acknowledgement of voters in the
South, are committed in the interest of good
government-to secure pure and honest admin
tration of local affairs; YET at the
same time it is notorious fact
that the existing fraudulent Southern State gov
ernments are the most VIGOROUSLY extravagant
we have ever had. If Democratic evidence is to
be believed the present government of Missis-
sippi is the most extravagant, venal and corrupt
that ever existed in that State. Popular cleo
tons in Mississippi are nothing more than mere
matters of form. If the Governor of that State
were authorized to appoint every officer instead
OF their being returned as elected, the result
would not be materially different from what it is
now. Neither is it the case that the result of an
election represents majority of the ruling class
for majority of the people in Mississippi are as
honest as those of Indiana. How is it that these,
in co operation with the blacks, cannot exert an
influence in the administration of State affairsl
For the reason that the South, as before the
war. is yet governed by an oligarchy. After the
war all had become reconciled to the fact that the
old order of things could never be restored, but
the result of the elections in the Northern States
in 1874 brought about complete and radical
change For causes disconnected with the
Southern question, nearly every Northern
State voted against the Republican party
and the result was fatal to the growth Of liberal
ism and Republcanism at the South. The oil
garchy of ante-belum days knew it meant to
them the restoration of power. The bloody rev.
olution of 1873 was inaugurated In Mississippi,
and civil liberty was crushed out by force.
Other States then adopted the Mississippi plan.
The government of Mississippi, as now consti
tuted, is not public but private corporation,
with perpetual succession.
ITO you of Indianapolis and of Indiana, espe-
cially to those of you who are identified with
the same race to which belong, I wish to say
great and responsible duty devoves upon you.
Colored men in Mississippi, in Louisiana, in Ala
bama and in other Southern States cannot enjoy
the privilege of the elective franchise as you do
here. simply because they are Republicans.
They are virtually disfranchised. Freedom of
speech is virtualy denied, and majorites are
transferred and crushed out by organized vio-
lence and systematized fraud All this
is done by the Democratic party in the
interest of the Democratic party, against law.
against justice, against public morals, and
against every principle of right Yet there are
colored mon bore and there in the Northern
States who are disposed to vote the Democratic
ticket IA voice: Not many. | admit that in
Indianapolis and in other parts of the North col
ored people may be decently and respectfully
treated by Democrats. There may be Indiana
members of the Democratic party well disposed
as individual members of that party to the col
ored men. But the colored men of sense, of
judgment, intelligence and manhood will not
give his support TO any party that will Cypress
his race in any part of the country Applause
to any party that refuses them protection and
support everywhere. Great and continued APP
plause
PERSONALLY have respect for Mr.. Cleveland,
but the very fact that the Democratic party was
successful In 1884, even if the greatest saint in
the world had been at the head of the ticket, was
death blow at Republicansm, liberalism JUS
tice and fairness at the South. 1t was not
personal success, but q political victory. Col
ored people in the South were matreated and
deprived of their rights. not because the white
men cared for Mr. Cleveland, but because he