The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-18

from what was known as the "Shoestrings dis.
trict He was temporary chairman of the Re-
publican national convention In 1884, and pre-
sided at the organization of that body with
mastery address. and delivered speech that
was commented upon far and wide as one of
great force and clearness. He is of medium
height, slender, much darker in color than
Senator Bruce or Frederick Douglass, Of easy
address and suave manners.
low is it that there ia no colored repre-
sentative in Congress from MississippiT' inquired
the reporter.
1T is prevented said Mr.. Lynch. Through
counting them out They have county return
ing board in each county in Mississippi, consist
ing of three men appointed by the State board,
which consists of the Governor, Lieutenant
Governor and Secretary of State. This county
board appoints the election officers for each pre-
cinct. The Republican majority is overcome by
means of this machinery, through the rejection
and suppression of returns from Republican pre-
cincts by the county returning board, so that if
on the votes polled the State should be against
the Democrats, when the returns get to the
Office of the Secretary of State. the State is then
made largely Democratic. This result, you see
is not due SO much to violence as to fraud in the
count The fact that these frauds are COM
mitted with such absolute freedom is due to the
existence of public opinion which not only
countenances but enforces them.
Therefore. courts, juries and district attor-
neys ignore these frauds. and they are never in
vestgated. In the Third congressional district
of Mississippi, where the Republicans have an
acknowledged majority of from 10, 600 to 20, 600,
they have nominated as the Republican candi-
date Judge II. F. Simrall. not only white man,
but an ex-rebel, ex Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of the State, and man of high social
standing. Yet the dispatch announcing his
nomination by the Republicans contains the sig
nifcant information that General Catchings, the
Democratic candidate, was certain of election.
OF course. Catchings could not be elected, but
he can be counted in, and this is what the dis
patch alluded to. would not be surprised if it
turned out to be true.
so violence is not the root of the evil but
fraud-deliberate, malicious perjury in making
the returns. Otherwise Mississippi could not be
riots in the North, and have violence. but you do
not have men, appointed under the law to make
true return, go and deliberately make false
moral sentiment is at such state, the people
have become so familiar with these outrages
that they have ceased to make an impression.
What we want to do, is to arouse public senti-
meut at the North on this subject, and the inf1u-
ence would be felt in Mississippi
II have not had any occasion to change my
sentiments regarding Cleyeland's election, since
/ wrote soon after that event to friend. then
said: Mr.. Cleveland will be beneficial to the
South in only one respect. A large number of
reasonably well informed white men have been
led to believe that all their reyerses and injuries
were due to the Republican party, and that with
his election will come the Democratic millennium.
Mr.. Clevelands election will have the happy eff
feet of destroying these illusions? ! think it has
done So"