The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1890-02-15
HILL VS.. CATCHINGS.

of Mississippi redlstrlcted that
State few years ago, the task Of
constructing the Districts so as tc
give the Democratic members oi
Congress from that state a sem
blance of right and title TO the
seats held by them, was labOrlOus,
strained, and prOdIgiOus.
1t required the formulation and
practice of rules hitherto unknown
to arithmetical science and un
dreamed of in the forum of just
and honorable political combat.
That a faint and glimmerine
consciousness of the already ignO'
BILE and deplorable operations OF
the famous Mississippi plan hover
ed about this Legislature Is appar
ent, as the sequel will SaOw.
Chief Justice Thomas w. Woods
of the Supreme Court of MISS,
then a member of the Legislature
was chairman Of the Committee to
whom the matter of redistrlcting
was entrusted.
In submitting the report Of the
committee he expressed the opin-
ion and belief, that five of the sew
en- districts of the state construct.
ed by the committee had been
made reliably Democratic; one,
the seventh district was doubtful,
and one, the third, which compris-
ed most of the counties of the IA
nous "Shoestring District" could
not be "fixed," and would stand
unquestionably Republican.
The report of the committee was
adopted, and the opinion was con-
elusive, and universally scQui3s-
oed in, that the third district at
least, would have a Representative
in Congress fairly aud honestly
elected by the people.
The period of this phghted faith
was Cf short duration, it faded
awsy like ssthe beautiful frost work
of an AutumuaI morn before the
blaze Of noon day sum-" Judge
Jefords, was the first, last, aud
only Republican member under
what was supposed to be the per-
maDent allotment to the party OF
freedom.
how 10 construct a single dis
trict in Mississippi, exercising 9
proper regard for constitutional
number and geographical proprie-
w, permitting a free, fair, and IN.
tramn elled expression at the bal
lot box, insurlng an honest court,
and at the same time under such
conditions precedent make such
district reliably Democratic is a
project which no ordinary architect
would compete for, and which nc
man properly balanced who re-
garded a future state, and believed
in the system OF rewards and pun
ishments would undertake. Nov
ertheless such a thing was under
taken, and sad to say, accomplish
ed by the Democracy of MissisSiI
pi-not In rr,art, but wholly, and tC
day the, "Soveign State" of Miss
has, a solid Democratic delegatio
in the 51st Congress of the U. s.
In view of the fact that, the 3r
district, had been set aside, AT
iudged and conceded as surely r.
nublican from an benerable stan
point it would seem, tha to ran
a Democratic candidate in sal
district, it would require a man I
uncommon mould, a man utter
unconscious of the difference b
tween right and wrong, Oblivion
of the distinction between jusUi'
and injustice, and unmindfHl Of Il
fact that "iustiss may sleep b
never dies"
Pitable realization 1t Is, that
this age of moral and religious
Illumination a man Of this style W
discovered in the person OF Ge
T.C. Catchings, late attorney Ge
eral for the state of Miss, and
now answers, or more truthful
put, fails to answer to Roll call
the House of the third Miss, d
trict. To a citizen of faverage int
ligence, one not familiar wi
mathematical transformations, bi
lot box manipulations ST.
ing and destroying, iutimidstl
and dispatcbing tactics incident
the mississippi Plan," 1t wOu
not seem creditable, probable
possible that a Congressional d
trict of about twenty four thousaI
Republican majority, could
transformed, returned and count
Democratic by seven thousand.
Preposterous and alarming
this may seem, it has been don
the gigantic fraud, swindle al
theft is complete, and Gen. Cate
ings misrepresents this district.
The Republican candidate in IL
district for the 51st Congress "
James Hill, a man of unimpeach
bic character, honor and reput
\ l. Il