The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-25
ANARCHY IN ,rrssIssIppI.
Armed Mobs Disperse Republican Meeting
and Fraud Reigns Supreme.

Armed Mobs Dfsperse Republican Meetings
and Fraud Reigns Supreme.
Washington Special to New York Press.
Ex-Congressman, and present Fourth
Auditor of the Treasury, John X Lynch
has recently returned from the scene of the
threatened Mississippi massacre. To the
Press correspondent. tonight. he related a
tale which would be incredible were it not
borne ont by the startling facts. n one
can imagine the political situation that ex-
lists in onr state said he. Absolute an
archy prevails. There is no State govern.
ment. The slaughters at kemper and
Cop'ah, Clinton and Connection. Wahallock,s
Vicksburg, Yazoo City and Lefiore ave
pect If we essayed to canvass the State.
For the first time in several years We
nominated a State ticket. We were en-
c0uraged TO do this BY the fact that several
white leaders were willing to go upon it
and make the canvass. General Chalmers
is an ex-confederate officer. a former Dem
ocrat. He had been thoroughly incensed
because of the 0utrages committed by his
and agreed to lead us into battle to crush
the desp0tic regime to which we were SUBJ
Ject. He knew, and we all knew, that II
colored men were nominated they would
choosing those whom the Democracy had
heretofore delighted to honor we believed
we would at least be permitted to hold
mass-meetings. In this hope We have been
wOefuliy disappointed.
General Chalmers. immediately after
his nomination, took the stump. He was
advertised to speak at Columbus. 1t was
filled with armed men. They guarded all
roads entering and the streets within the
purpose of Keeping white as we'll as black
Republicans from the meeting. Before
General Chalmers reached Columbus he
was notified by Abram S. Humphries, q
prominent lawyer of that city. that, he
mould G-A nm n~rra n,nh vraIfinU fnr hin
at the depot: that be would be killed in
broad, open daylight. OF assassinated in the
night. if he attempted to speak; that there
was an excited crowd of men on the streets.
and children against the devil. as the Gen.
eral was feiicitously designated"
What about the trouble at West Point!"
We'll the General tried to get the court
house to speak in. The Democratic clubs,
which thronged the streets. acting as pick
cts, refused to permit him to speak. there.
Bills were plastered over stores and other
buildings warning the people not to go to
hear him. The excitement finally became
so intense and the threats of the regulators
90 strong that some of the leading Repub-
hcans and Democrats formally waited upon
the General and begged him not to attempt
to make an address. They represented that
the feeling against the Republicans in that
section was so bitter hat should he try to
! speak he would surely incite a riot which
| wOnld produce nothing short Of a massacre.
1.-THE sheriff and other officers had. he
was informed, RnIrposely left town early In
the morning. The place was, therefore. at
the mercy of the DEMOCRATIC mob. Evil
dence shows that the chief i~nstigat0r of the
threatened riot was the town marshal. He
is the brother of the deputy postmaster,
who, by the way. has absolute control OF
the Office. At Okalona and other places
General Chalmers was similarly treated:n
Then the real cause of General Chal-
mers's withdrawal was the fact that he was
unable, through threatened violence, to
make a canvass?"
"That is absolutely true" was Mr.
| Lynch's reply. Had 1t been possible to
prosecute a campaign without .imperiling
his life and those of u large number of Re-
publicans. not only General Chalmers, but
the entire ticket would la stood. Let
me tell you that Mississippi. were It possi-
BILE to hold a fair election there. would give
rousing Republican majorities. In 1869 we
elected Alcorn Governor and a Republican
Legislature by $4,000 majority. In 1872
President Grant received a similar major
ity and every Republican candidate for
Congress except one was elected. Lamar,
who now sits on the Supreme Court bench.
In 1873 we elected a Republican Governor
and Legislature by 2 5000 majority.
In 1875 the BOurbons began their BULLDOG
ing tactics. Since then the State has been
have held the majority of the votes, more
han once. You will Der that in 1888
j.. H. Matthews was shot down at Hazel
hurst, Copiah county, while voting the Re-
publican ticket. He was the father of
James Matthews. the chairman of the pres
emit Republican central State committee.
Wheeler. the man who shot Matthews. was
acquitted by a Bourbon jury. Mead. who
presided at a meeting which cOuntenanced
the murder. was rewarded by Grover Cieve-
land with the postmastership of the town.
what remedy can you suggest for these
outrages."
Congressional supervision of elections.
/ sincerely trust such a bill Will be pushed
through this winter. There are In Missis-
sippi from 20.000 to $4,000 fewer cCiored
voters thar white. On nationalissues one
third of the white voters are Republicans.
Less than One-tenth of the colored men are
Democrats. The other nine-tenths could
not by any process of coercion be induced
to vote other than the Republican ticket.
Now because they fear murder they stay
away from the polls. An election in Mis-
sissippi is a travesty indeed"