New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-24
LIGHT on AN ELECTION.
FRANK ADMISSIONS By CONGRESSMAN
CATCNINGS.
scHrMrs t. DEFEAT THE COLLECTION OF TEST
MoyY by HIS oPPOXENT-KEEp1No
rpy TELEGRAPH TO The TRIBUNE.

u.o.,,nc,o, March GA highly interesting turn
hos boon GIVEN to the Hill CaichincS contest. now
,c,ai,c before the House Committee on Elections, ny
Inc uubllcaiion Of a remarkably indi'crcct' though
frank and entertaining letter, written ny INC 'o"
tc.toe Mr.. Catchlngs, Ia irlehd ana supporter "a
his in Mississippi. Unmindfnl Of the uncertainties
30 letter writing Mr. Catchnes not only discusses IN
,his supposclly confidential document. with the NJ
mos, nainuc,s and freedom. the methods to be puT-
sucd in defeating the collection of testimony tha'
might tend TO show the fIaudulency OF MS u'e 7"
his seat bat goes into the general question OF
Federal election law and the inevitable loss OF S"lch
power to the southern Democracy which such
measure wond involve. Furthermore. he cru'ise'
with aspcrty the present leadership of the party IN
Mi,sssipp and Louisiana. rejecting on SENATORS
Walthall and George and making an especially D'''er
attacl, ON senator Gibson The letter is printed
below in full. A. candid statement of the Ni'Sls-
sppi idea in politics II IS both valuable ana slS
nilcant The letter IS addressed TO j. = McNeliN'
Editor Of The Grccnvillc Times" Grecnville. Miss
House Of Representatives. Washington, D. g.
December 2S 1888
Dear Seymour: Yours OF the Goth found awaiting me-
m nv return Yesterday from Chattanooga whef" sP'
.one DAYS after the adjournment. Your common, OF
,,,u and his copnsol was right | sure 10 VIII have
GOOD effect OIL that little whclp Lee VINO "oiu u''P
Iln or sell him out In minute II ne 'n''e', Any s
IA lose BY standing UP TO him lie "'"D> u W ''
states Jpdge after Hil and II h Thought his course
I'D h,,no down on him the opposition Of The bar "I
tho district no would let the case peter out ""e '
bar being Democratic, can not name l'is s"',',,V',
they could make mighty interesting ior any i'"'
they might oppose and especially Tor Lee Inv '"'
nan q ana of tho worst negroes tho state TOY ne mas
always been the prime mover in oIganilhE .he "'R'o
and until hc employed ny tAc ra''''au ~ :"
earned n dollar Of money by work lic hes i've" anu -"
octod "a live oil politics yet strange To say many per
~ ,,e,o in the habit Of saving thai he was rood negro
and well disposed toward the whites &C. lie 'f''u
Rockers district and got beat and has always nee" "
actator =. .ho,y
have advised Dabney that 1t would he well To $40"
,bo, hut ono white man in the convention when
nominated him and that but one Tho same onel "'''''
tho meeting Of the executive committee IN NcksourE ""
rho I'm Of october that at that meeting none o 'n
white Republicans Of Warren County were r"-eh, "'
,.Lo, ,n,o consultations In other words, everything
should he shown which will tend to demonstrate NAV ''
whole thing niger from the h'1i'N''n- ~ '""' o.
our answer his notice has been given ne mas - many
dave IN ,ake his testimony in. and he VIII th' haN' "
c,v. rot,co 81 the time and place 81 taking testimony
After his tlmc We have 80 many days IN "'''" !.
take testimony and viii have TO give similar "o"'''
Go no. think that will hurt at all II one or wv" 81 U"
hould di,appcar IL might have very happy cN''' on
.,ut his witnesses and LAWYERS. ] you'd be almost
willing 10 bet ny Of the eGect- Of your com
men. viii that Lee does not n into the Voey co"""
to take testimony. Mckee may 20. hut Lee VIII h"'
You nro mistaken think in your idea that eood "oNN
co,,n q, general election law. In such event Year
that many whites would leave destroying our solaF
and ccmon.ing and making efectiv" thai Z" th' htI"'
/ would regard & great calamity II 'eNciahu h"u
hen elected tho Republicans would have offered a. sfl
Element ~ the question the repeal ~ the fifteenth ameod
mont Now thcy won't listen 10 anvthnr because hey
think they have satisfied the North and broken the Noln
South. and looks az II they have done ho'h. WIN
coorcoo election law nearly all Of tc southern d'sr't'
o,la SOM 70 represented by white largely 'ed
bv the negro vote. and the negro would be even moro
intense and aggressive than they are IN Nrrna Tor ry
would numerous We would have rae" '"''-o'.
At nr,, hut gradually they would De- allowed 10 vote ana
would ,auir. ,v r,hing and thu would c,p." them 20
organize in county and STATE elections also ana give '
additional trouble. hope we Will never have tho IA"
forced upon -.
have no, seen Gihson's interview but have no doubt
v,atcvc- that Z, Is rot Nearly he and
does Is rot utterly selfish and I'm all h"
saws or striving for the truth ana rgr huV
Tn subseryc his own interests inclined - think a
constitutional convention would he wise Coons Percy
wanted one and the moro think o. u tho more think
he Is right It. object would be mainly to secure orr
State and local government aso!ntt s-'s - come "hn
our peope worn contendnr and broken in @rFi
bv poverty may divide MP and concert with ara'o- o'
all sorts. including negroes and -caia"arS
George has good ideas The subject hr' W" have
no lender Walthal T. ehrewd. Lut has courage lie
would he much more valuable leader II he was ont "
tho Senate and expected to De In Il. lie "ond
thou have hOldnc-- he 3 handicapped b. dread
OF conldinc with Northern Senators and newspaper
George j. much aggressive her than Wathn ana
az home would be less than WaiihaI Colonel ff'Y
wa. the ONLY man had who corhued saracity -hrrWc-
ness and tact with wisdom and sta,suan-hip and who
had the courage all circumstances 70 advocate ~"
right II he IT, setting entirely behind him all
consideration personal 70 himself. Nothing pres
ent. Yours truly 7 G. 'AI' HlN'H.
/ II must be added that Mr. Catchinc' made an EFFORT
10 soften the effect Of The paragraph about The de
STABILITY Of the Disappearance Of Helps witnesses
This he said should not be taken in an extreme sense
IL was not polite for murder ana might De IN
dersfo,d a. meaning simply their removal from the
state something q that sort Ihe conpromi'ine
admissions about the absolute unf1rc> ~ elections AZ
! the south. ~ now managed and Tie iWputatOns upon
the Mississippi Senators and Mr.. Gibson, Mr. Catching
did not try 10 explain. II The damaging testimony
contained In his letter does lot lose him ~, eat ~
this Congress. it viii be pretty certain to end ~, u,r