Daily Republican., 1890-05-30
How Il Is Dove.

Henry Kcrnaghan Is an Irish Re-
publican from the Seventh Congress
sional District OF Mississippi. and is a
contestant for the seat that Hon.
Charles L. Hooker holds in Congress.
In 1879 the vote of tie district was
81 l.03l. These were tho days when
the rebels were repentant and glad to
get back into the Union at any price,
under the stars AID stripes. They
had mot then begun to bring out the
rebel flag and display 1t upon every
public occasion. Or these votes the
Republicans pGllej 14,9SS and the
Democrats 6,043. That is, over two.
thirds of the vote cast at that election
was Republican. 1t is not pretended
that any material change has since
taken place, so that the ratio in the
returns ought to appear substantially
the same. But what does lhe last
Congressional election shows The
total vote returned ior that election ior
representative TO Congress was IA, 9G7,
hardly over fifty per cent of the regis
trsiion, OF which 3,93S, or scarcely
twenty-five per cent OF the total re.
turns, were counted for kernag han, the
contestant, and 11.720 were counted
for Hooker the contestee. The follow
Ing, q sample oil the argument, as used
at The Mississippi polls will show how
it was done. Henry Turnage, who
WAS iatimida,cd from casting his ballot
in the Plsgsh precinct gave the follow
ing testimony:
When got there Mr.. Miller came
. u met us aud asked us If we came to
vote. told him yes; and he asked me
did l have a ticket, and told him
yss. He asked ms to let him see 1t, and
! gave 1t to him. He told the that wasn't
the ticket to vote, aud | asked him why,
aud he went on to tell me, and lie said he
would give mo ticket TO vote. told
him didn't want his. and lie said he
didn't want mine. He asked me would
vote the ticket he gave me. told him
no, sir He said Ii you don't vote tais
one you wont vote any told him all
right There was heap OF men there
that wasn't vot ug, and | reckon cOxiiS<
do without voting too. He saists.
u2ht; II you vote this ticket w, On vois
"rSSii srSSii you don't Cd - van csns, US,
vote naffy , SSsS-. Is sa.sal r,shr and
walked of from him. ! went on round
lows talking, aud lett him. My father
came to me and asked inc to go home.
told him No, sir; am going to stay
here o while longer; think | will vote
directly Mr.. Davis walked up and said;
'No, you ", MT vote here to-day unless
you take this ticket aud soue white mau
eide OF you, and walk up with you, and
put 1t In for you.' ] tald: NO, sir;
went do tbat;' and he said, you had
Just as we'll 60 home, then; before you oi
any other Cd d-n Niger shall 70 Vi
there ard vote, unless he vote This ticke
he will walk liz blood knee-deep.' l tol,
him all rll ht, ard walked OF and got Vi
my horse and went home"
To attempt to characterize method
like the foregoing were altogether SUP
crfluous. To otter to defend sue
practices as are being done openly,
outrageous. The form OF elections il
Mississippi and elsewhere in the Sou,
is u grinning mockery OF the principl
ol manhood suffrage, 1t is an open dC
fiance OF law, it is "a ilou,ing insult I
the Government OF TIE United States
IL is libel on the American nam
aud disgrace throughout Christel
dom. To call such things probiei
10 10 d gnily rufliapsm. There 10 I
problem to be solved. When the la
Is clear aud expiici, nothing remain
for good citizens but 10 obey it. L
virtue of the supreme law Of the lar
these ex-slaves are now free men al
citizens of the United States, aud lie
right to vote unmoleeted is as good
that ot the ex-rebels who are williI
that tie black MAJ shall vote, pr
vidc1 he votes as tbcy direct him