New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-17
RITLLDOZING A CANDIDATE
THE FAMILIAR MISSISSIPPI TACTICS.
,rprnrIcAN VOTERS DIsFRANcHIsED IN Tnh
sBOrsTRING DISTRICT.

,rprnrIcAN VOTERS DIsFRANCHIsED IN Tnn
sHOEsTRIN6 DISTRICT.
fpv TELEGRAPH To THE TRrnuNE'
w.suxcroN Sept I6-Tbe first open threat that
tbe election of Congressman is to be declared III
5eaapce Of the wishes Of a majority OF the voters
comes from the old Shoestring" District Missis-
s;nn; Secretary McPherson of the Republican Con-
OCCASIONAL Committee to day received copy OF zinc
commercial Herald of vicksburg, which contains an
editorial calling on Judge Simrall. the Republican
candidate for Congress in the lid District. to with
draw from the contest which it warns him will be
boneess one Judge Simral is informed that he mas
allowed himself to be placed in false position" ana
thot the assumption that he is the candidate oil inc
Republican party false ard mischievous," because
there is no organized Republican party in the dis
.retr 1t appears that In most OF the counties there
il an arrangement OF the local a1ars which works
admirably and which the oolored voters have no
desire to moest and that to the extent TINT 'udSe
Simralrs candidacy threatens those arrangements
il miscellaneous and Irritating and therefore the Judge
ia clearly in false position" Again It is argued that
Judge Simral and General Catchings. the Democratic
candidate OCCUPY precisely the same ground on the
one question for whoh the district selects Congress-
man that ia the iinr and control Of the Mis-
s;rr; River and that as General Catchine Is the
choice of those VINO ought select the Congressman
Jndce Smral does himself injustice and outrages
the best sentiment of the valley in leading the oppos-
ton"
Having thus frankly stated his propositions tho
editor plainly informs Judge Smrall that he never
have seat in Congress, and that II he persists In his
candidacy he will rne it The following extract from
the &C tora is commended to the thoughtful consider
alton Of all men who believe in free ballot and an
honest count;
Under the present circumstances the party cannot
permit its nominee TO be defeated. and Judge Smrall
i making serious blunder IN declaring his purpose TO
try and demoralze the Democratic forces in every
county in the district He has tho unquestoned right
do that but the people who have the good OF the
district at heart and the welfare aud progress OF ootb
races have theunqueshoned right not to eountenahee
suon a canvass and not to encourage mschievoas
Decentralization. We feel that will be their
decision and 1t would be probably well for Judge
Simral to ask himself If it would not be the wise
course his part not to attempt to orco himself on
the intelligent people to the manifest contempt oil their
wishes. They have enthusiastically and almost
unanimously decided upon General Catchipgs they
don't hear any discussion of the one great in
terest that General Catchngs has so ably baited Tor
and there be earthly reason for any attempt to
arouse the aborng classes in the busiest season OF the
year
Now who is Judge Smrar. who is thus warned by
the leading Democratic newspaper in bis district that
he withdraw from candidacy TO which he was called
by the unanimous voice OF a representative convention
OF his party He is a native Of Mississippi he is a
man property, of high reputation and lrreproachable
character who enjoys the respect and confidence OF all
respectable and law abiding citizens he is lawyer
Of great ability, who for years adorned the bench OF
the highest judicial tribunal IN his native State But
he is n Republican and he lives in a district which
with iar and free election would give Republican
majority of at least 600 votes According to the
classification adopted by the Mississippi editor the dis
trci contained In 1880 about %, 600 "people and
lOi 900 members of the I" laboring tclasses" The
number of Democrats who voters is about 5000.
aud the number of voters who Republicans is
about u 600 but a large majority of the latter are
not people y; they belong to the laboring classes
whom would he utterly unreasonable TO attempt to
arouse in the busiest OF the year 1t should
not be forgotten that the Democratic Legislature of
Mississippi arranged the lid District so as TO throw
into II large proportion as possible OF the colored
vote in order ma ke the other districts Democratic,
or nearly enough Democratic so that they might be
stolen without much difficulty. The State Is divided
into districts. The Hid District contains one
sixth OF tho entire colored population OF thu State,
and only one-nineteenth of the white population