The Brookhaven leader., 1888-03-01
4 DissrnA.f.LI S..ne

IL ts.AhhtitG4ttt ]
/ There occurred at the courthouse on last
| Friday night a scene which would have
done glorious credit to the riotous days "t
radical rule when negro supremacy, gnid'
eel by the iTeaohery of whites, swHycd
over the Capital of this State aud over
almost every county within its borders,
We give publicity to the occurrence
because it ought to b- made known all
over the State aud because " is such acis
which keep Lincoln county in Republican
ranks and makes BrOokhaven a ring cuts
ell city. The simple facts are these On
February 2lst the following printed call
was published:
NOTICE.
The Citizens aud Taxpayers of Bruuk
haven who are opposed To the present cX-
traEagent city government and who favor
the election of municipal administration
pledged To economy and rrtrenchmrUt in
expenditures, are hereby callod to meet ut
the COURTEOUS" tn night ri $50 o'clock to
take such steps ia the premises us To them
may seem best.
BroOkhaven, Feb, 81, lSSS.
From this it will be seen that it was a
meeting Of those only "who are opposed
to- the present extravaganza city govern
mcnt,' etc, So those who were not in
favor of this cali, came unlimited and had
no ight TO participate. Let it Ice said to
The credit of sOUe who were present at
that meeting but did not sympathize with
it, object that they did not participate i'll
its drlIbrrdt :Ons, recognizing the fact that
IT not being their meeting they were mere
visitors, hot members.
The meeting after organizing and APP
pointing some committees adjourned that
night and rcassrmhlcd on Friday night.
II was no surprise to see the courthouse
packed on that night hy negroes aud whites
hostile to the object of the meeting organ
lied on the preceding Tuesday. The
movements of the leaders of the opposition
were too active nn that day (Friday) to be
without Significance aud the negroes had
received urgent messages To Ire on hand.
But it rds II surprise to see some gentle
tnrcihle possession of the meeting and
force themselves into the companionship of
the members of the meeting when they
saw that they were not wanted. 1t is
of an organized body, admission into which
could not be obtained only by the consent
of its members. A committee had been
appointed at the previous meeting T." So
lcit citizens to join tins meeting, but til"
committee had the authority to ask only
such as were in favor Of the Object of the
organization. Generally, self respect pre-
vents gentlemen from serl ing admission
to any organization to which they are not
invited. Those engaged in the Ii0ton>
conduct of last FRIDAY night were,
we regret to say, an exception TO this rue
They persisted III their efforts to II crivr
recognition from the chairnan hut he as
pers>tcutly refused to recognize them
unless they declared themselves III sym
pathy with the object of the "rGanizatinh'
Then the Hon. II. Cassidy, with extended
stomach expressive of his extended indiG-
nation. addressed his followers and moved
that Mr. j. w. MrGrath h" elected chain
man nf his meeting OF course his motion
was carried with Yell and MIR. \.cGrath
took the stand beside MIR. Lrwrnthai am
occnpi d the same wish him until lhetr
whirrNashln. resolutions Wcr" passed and
heir crowd ,li>IulHS,l
During this forcihlr interruption the
business Of the organized meeting wa
necessarily suspended but afterwards
Completed as the proc, edug> show.
That the effort to take possession of the
meeting WIS Deliberately llanurd hetor"
hand was evidenced hy the long system
atically prepared resolutions adopted by
them, and by the position OF those v b."
had ii specific work t" perform. Within
The railing were Captain li"sklns and the
Hon. II. Cassidy VIII" led the assault and
furnished the Indignation. Beside tlim
sat the two MeSSIS. McGrath and their
hrothrr-in-law +. +. Becker, all related
10 the present MAJOR. One was to ACT as
chairman, The other Az secretary and The
third was to read those magnificent rcso-
!nti"nS and Geo. Sohwall VIII" is not re
lated but who also formed II member OF
that happy group, was to move their
adoption. They failed in their effort to
capture the regular mt citing, but 10y their
fnrcihle conduct they caused Il suspension
of business of which act they shall he
reminded for many years /" come.
Toe negroes who crowded the court
room that night should have known better
from bitter experience aud from the oc-
curIence of recent events than to mass
themselves in opposition t" the orgaI II -
ton of the bite citizens Of this country,
even though they follow the footsteps OF
their former leaders. The negroes are the
tirst to suffer when the contest comes,
Xhile the white leaders leave them like
rats from Il sinking ship. For the few y"un-
white men who participated in HE rlot"uo
conduc;, we ale inclined to think their ado
lesceuce is an excuse for their enthusiasm
and their thoughtlessncss an excuse for
their conduct. We feel sure that i'll cool
err moments though they may differ about
the ufIrstinn now at issue, vet they Won ld