The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1891-01-03

House tl.ai a flaming sword, as it
were, is hung up At the doorway to
guard its sacred threshold against the
approach Ofall satanic influences how
ever alluring and beautiful they may
be, or rich and dazzling the tempta-
tons they bring.
1t is not for me to say that the
Lindsey job of importing negro voters
into Indiana was actually carried into
the Executive Mansion and there dis
cussed with ths President of the
United States, but 1t is for all men to
read aud know that James N. Huston,
Chairman of the Indiana Republican
State Committee in 1885, and present
Treasurer of the United States, assured
Lindsey ON the 9Th of May, 1889, that
he would speak to the President about
this vile business, and would after
wards communicate with his cor
respondent in regard thereto.
Sir, it is painful to reflect that the
man who knows Benjamin Harrison
better than any other man in public
life knows him, who carried him and
his fortunes through the stormy and
corrupt campaign of 1888 in Indiana,
and has studied him and his political
methods at close range, feels himself
warranted.in submitting for his con-
sideration and approval a corrupt
project for the overthrow of honest
resident majorities by the shameless
and brazen importation and coloniza-
tion of black voters from the South.
Huston in this letter to Lindsey
expressed some doubt as TO when he
would have an opportunity ito talk
with the President about the NATTER"
but none as to the Presidents willing
ness to hear him on such an infamous
subject.
There are pages of this correspond
ence published in Mr.. Voorhees,
speech, letters from Quay and shining
Congressional lights from Connecticut
and West Virginia. But the quota
tions given above are enough to show
with how much sincerity President
Harrison said in his message that "The
path of the elector to the ballot box
must be free from the ambush of fear
and the enticements of fraud"
There are some racy passages In
Lindsey's letter to Whitehead. In one
dated Sept. 10, 100, caution and tenn
perance are urgently enjoined with
zeal:
For Gods sake, be careful to whom
you show the letters you have In your
possession; be sure your man is all
right and that he is perfectly reliable
and safe in every way. Don't show
your letters to any but these and those
they recommend to you. Now, Johnny,
act cautiously, and remember that you
have matter of great Importance In
hand, and upon your action depends
In a great measure the success or failure
of the enterprise. BE particular how
you talk and to whom you talk. And
for my sake and your sake and for the
sake of our friends don't touch one
drop OF intoxicating liquor Of any kind
or character. | am not afraid Of your
getting drunk aud making an ass Of
yourself, for this | know you will not
do, but single drink often causes a
man to say things he forever regrets.
The only safe way is to touch not,
handle not, and taste not the damnable
misunderstanding s.uff
expect to leave here soon for Con-
necticut. We will have to stir pretty
briskly, for | want to have not less
than two thousand good men in both
West Virginia and Connecticut within
the next eight months and then we
will turn our attention to Indiana. We
must place four or five thousand there.
can't see how any one who desires
the success of the Republican party
can do otherwise than approve of the
scheme, for It will beyond doubt save
not only West Virginia but Connecti-
cut and Indiana also.
Don't forget my pension business as
you go along. Act discreetly and
cautiously, and talk to no one about
your business that you do not know to
be perfectly reliable.
Now, my dear fiiend, read this letter,
which | hope will put you IN better
spirits, and then, in the language OF
one of our great statesmen, let me say,
"Burn this letter." Don't tear 1t up,
but burn 1t, as some of our friends say,
If II were to get out-that Is, If they
could prove that our work had any
political significance attached to tit
would not only ruin our chances OF
success in these doubtful States, but
the effect would be such as to do us
incalculable damage in others. In a
word, IL would cause US to lose every
Congressman in both West Virginia
and Connecticut this fall.
But despite Lindsey's imploring
Johnny did get drunk and his letters
found their way in print. Their gen.
nineness was never questioned, but
Huston is still Treasurer Of the United
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