Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-02-12
DISHONEST ELECTIONS.
Conspicuous Examples of Democratic
Fraud and Triekery.

/ Editor Mississippi Leader:
Having noticed your comments on
/ DIR. Newman's contest before Repub-
/ lican Congress. | conclude you must
be young in political trickery.
Way back in the forties the Demo
Gratis choused s. S. Prentiss out of his
seat in the Senate of the United States.
! We will come a little nearer home. In
1880 Col. Ben. King ran for Governor
of our State and was elected by n ma
iority from 40 to 90 thousand votes and
was counted out by Democratic re-
turning board and General Lowry was
counted in by majority of $4,000. In
our own county a contested case went
up between j. w. Mcneil and George
S. Dodds, Men ell being elected. Dodds
was counted in. This was all done be-
fore Democrats.
You will perceive you are greatly off
when you build up confidence in po-
litical party that is in power seating
an opposing contestant from another
political party. | was elected Surveyor
of our county in 1882 on the lndepend-
emf and Greenback ticket. / was elect
ed by a majority of 750 votes. You will
recollect that a mule, it was said by
the Democrats, ate up box at Iall
Holt; where Mcneil and myself receiv-
ed majority of from 400 to 500 votes.
My majority would have been about
1900. Some fellow would say why did
you not contest -? From the simple
fact / had too much sense to think OF
getting Justice from the same set OF
fellows that counted me out.
Now, Mr.. Editor, let me say right
here, | have no confidence in any mans
honesty that ever aided or assisted in
tampering with the ballot box; be he
Populist, Democrat, Republican or Pro-
hibitionist. / think like Sam Jones. A
man that would steal a ballot would
steal anything else under the same
circumstances. l am not defending DR..
Newman in his contest. | know moth
ing only what came under my own OBJ
servation at Gallman, the place where
| voted. We had fair election there;
no fraud of any kind attempted. | am
opposed to two things in our State
constitution. One is the understand
ing clause, the other is the provision
requiring IA person to be resident OF
a precinct u months before he can
vote. In case of persons who move af-
Ter the elecUlOn III NOFeUuDeT, Guey nave
to wait two years before they can vote.
You aud ] know that our State consti-
tuition is not Republican constitu-
ton. Equal rights to all and special
privileges to none is what constitutes
a Republican form of government. Our
State constitution does not give equal
rights to all and special privileges to
none. Whether right or wrong is not
what set out to prove. | set out to
prove with the facts as they do exist
that man who opposes Democracy in
Mississippi or any other Southern
State will be counted out. Look at
Tennessee. The Democrats will count
Evans out if it should disgrace the
State politically forever and ever. Look
at Georgia In the 10th Congressional
district where Black has choused Tom
Watson out of his 4 or thousand ma
iority Both good Baptists. You see,
Brother Hobbs, a Democrat will fall
from grace or any other place to get
an office.
Yours fraternally,
JOHN w. MATHIS.
Crystal Springs, Miss.