The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-18
Gen. JAMES R. CHALMERS,
INTERVIEWED BY AN APPEAL
REPORTER,
States Frankly That He Is Going TO
C0Rte ( Judge MOrgah's
Right TO u Seat
IL THE HOUSE OF THE FIPTIETH
CONGRESS
Upon the Grounds OF Intimidation
and Ballot Box Siuffing-A
Characteristic Paper.

The APPEAL, having learned tina
Gen. James r. Chalmers, OF Missis
sippi, was in the city, sent reports
yesterday TO interview him as to hi
proposed contest for the seat occupied
by Judge ]. B. Morgan in the House
of Represeni ativ.s as member for the
Second District. The reporter stated
the occasion OF bis visit to the Gen.
eral, who received him cordially, and
in reeponse to the question why he
was going to contest Judge Morpan's
seat, replied that t was because / have
reason to believe that l am Justly en-
titled to it. ! do not contest on ac-
count OF any errors in the Judges
name as printed on the ballots; that
would be silly and cheap and / do not
resort TO such me hods. The General
then told the reporter that he had bis
protest in legal form b. fore him, and
that the reporter was welcome to the
whole or any part Of it. The re-
porter avalled himself OF this
offer aud made extracts from
the very lengthy document.
The General, in his protest, speaks
FIRST Of the Commissioners and then
of the Inspectors of Election, and
says be was refused representation on
both, and this was such violation Of
law as to vitiste MoIgan's certificate
of election. He says il the party
in power can appoint all the
election officers in disregard OF the
wishes of the opposition that this Gre
ates an oligsrchy which can perpetu-
ate itself. He speaks next of the reg
istration Of voters, and says the books
have been mutiated by illegally eras-
ing the names OF colored voters that
at Olive Branch, in Desoto county,
every man but two who caIne up to
vote for him were told they we're
marked "dead" or removed" on the
re- istration book. He then proceeds
rs follows:
BALLOT BOX sTUFFINa.
Four,h-I charge that when you
were canvsssiDg for the Democratic
nomination for Congress against the
Hon. Van H. Manning you said on
the stump, in lafayette county, that
you were n favor OF counting out the
negro vote, or words to that effect,
and that you have not changed your
views or advice to your friends on
that question. That your speeches
and the speeches made by Senator
George and others for you in this can
vass, and the epseches made for you
in 1884 by Senator Lamar and Gen.
Lowry, all advised the whites to carry
the election at all hsznds, and that
this was understood to mean and does
mean ballot box stuffiog. l charge
that Capt Willis Hunter, ex-chairman
of the Democratic Executive Commit
tee Of Pamela county, and Capt John
W. 8. Tate, ex-chairman OF the DEM
ocratic Executive Committee OF Union
county, who served this time as in
spector at BROWNSVILLE, and other
prominent Democrats in this district
openly said, "If the Democrats can
not beat Chalmers they would or
should count him cut" or words to
that effect. That r. L. Brandon. a
prominent supporter of yours, who
was clerk at the late cleo ion at the
East Holly Springs box, in Marshall
GUuutyS bolus IL OuhluoTb DeAto
Morgan 1000 votes we will count him
out" or words that effect. charge
that these speeches and these public
declarations of prominent Democrats
meant, hrst, to inlimidste, dishesrten
and deter my Supporters from coming
to the polls; and second, to encourage
the inspt ctor Of election to count me
out II elected.
1 chags that the box at Como, in
Pamela county, was stuffed; that Col.
Van II. Manning YVES far more popu-
larly in 1882 than you were in 1856,
and that the Democratic strength at
that box has not increased since 1882.
That when had an inspector who
could read and write to repre-
sent me at Como, 30 that
fraud could not be perepetrated,
Col. Manning received only l12 votes,
which wss then, and is now, the full
strength OF the Democrats at Como,
and l received 3S3 votes, while forty
Republican votes were cast for II. O.
Carter, a coloTed Republican, showing
a majority of 3ll votes against the
Democrats at that box. That in 1884
/ YVES Iefus d an inspector that l
asked for VIII could read and write,
and one was appointed 10 represent
the Republican party who could not
read or write aud the box was stuffed,
SO as to count 293votes for you, 200 votes
for me and six for Dave johnson, a
colored Republican, and the fraud
was made more transparent by count
ing Cleveland 265 and Blaine 266, when
the Republican majority had been un-
changed and was at former election,
two years before, 3ll.
Nothing was done to punish the per-
petrators Of this fraud, land becoming
emboldened thereby they this
time counted the Democratic strength
liz for me and the opposition vote
PAS for you, thus giving you a majori-
ty OF 1873 votes at The largest, the most
determined and consistent Republi-
can precinct in Pamela county. This
was easily accomplished, because there
was no United States Supervisor at
that box and the inspector who rep
resented me and the opposition to the
Democratic party could not read or
write. l asked for the appointment of
John Taylor as Inspector and the
Commissioners so made the appoint
ment. The person recommended by
me could read and write and was u
Inspector. He was notified
by my fr ends of his appointment and
was present at the opening OF the |
polls and ready 10 serve, but be was
rejected by your friends because his
name was John d. Taylor and another
John Taylor was made inspector, who
could not read or write and who signed |
the returns with his mark.
charge that at Batesville the ballot |
was stuffed. That the election was
not held in the Court House, az it had
been in days when the elections were
honestly conducted in Pamela county,
but Ia q private Office, peculiarly fitted
tor the preparation of frauds and
where the great frauds Of 1885 were
committed. BGtesville is the strong
est greenback box in the county and
when the elections were fairly con-
Quoted my majority over Col. Man
ming in 1882 was 34S, and my majority
over you in 1884 was 291. At this box
asked for the appointnanE of n white