Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-01-01

chievous from every point of view, and
we advise every sincere and patriotic
reformer in Mississippi, whether he be
a Peoples party man or Prohibition
list, to exert all his influence to dis
courage and discountenance their fur
Their prosecution.
We assume that the people of Lin
coin county Democrats and ALL are
no better and no worse, on an average
than the people of any other county OF
the Seventh district, and that about
the same facts, circumstances and con
ditions in general affecting the late
congressional election governed in 9th
er counties as here; yet we confident
ly assert, and challenge proof to the
contrary, that there never was faireI
or more honestly conducted election
in the State than that in Lincoln coun
ty on Nov. 6, 1894. Less than half OF
the voters who had registered under
the constitution and election law sc
vehemently assailed by DR.. Newman,
failed to go to the polls to cast their
ballots. And we believe it to be true
that a much larger percentage of PEG,
pies party men than Democrats thus
absented themselves; but be this as it
may, all remained away purely as a
matter of choice and for lack of prop
err interest in the election, and in no
case as the result of intimidation of
any sort, or the belief that their bal
lots would not be honestly counted.
1t is no doubt true that the State
Board of Election Commissioners act
ed arbitrarily and unfairly in many
counties of the State in refusing to ap-
point commissioners recommended by
the Peoples party and that county
boards in many instances did likewise
in the appointment of precinct inspec-
tors. 1t is also no doubt true that in
some instances there were Irregular
ties and partisan and unlawful dis
ordinations in favor of and against
individuals seeking to register or vote,
all of which cannot be too strongly
but, giving the devil his
due, we believe there is not district
in the State where the general result
of the election was changed by any
thing of this kind or within thousand
votes of it.
What our Peoples party friends and
the Prohibitionists as we'll, must learn,
is the necessity and value of persistent
work and thorough organization.
Nothing can take the place in politi-
Cal campaign of thorough party organ
ization and vigilant effort. For reform
party men to stand around and talk
loud and denounce old party abuses
for whole year, but when election
day comes be too much engrossed in
else to go to the polls and
vote, and to see that their reform
vote, then adopt the old Re-
publican cry of fraud and intimidation
because the results are disappointing,
is enough to excite the disgust of in
telligent men of all parties. Right
here has been the chief cause of fail
ure of the Peoples party in Mississip-
pi. The reform men have it in their
power to carry the State under the
present constitution and election laws,
if they will only organize, register
their available strength and vote it.
Space will not permit us here to dis
cuss in detail the unwisdom of these
Peoples party contestants in appeal
ing to a Republican Congress to over
throw our new State Constitution and
the race issue in Mississippi,
which is now settled on the basis of
and good citizenship, with
out regard to race or color. That
men but lately boasting themselves to
be white-line Democrats and who have
spent the best part of their lives OPP
posing and denouncing Republicans
and Federal interference in State cleo
tons, should be so soon caught re-
threshing this old Republican straw,
now cast aside by even all progressive
is well-nigh incredible
and seems to us the very acme of po-
litical folly and madness. 1t
cannot be justified either on the
ground of sound craftsmanship or
wise party policy. If they fail
the Peoples party must bear all the
odium; while the Democrats rejoice
and gain fresh strength as the result
Of their mistake. If they succeed, Pan
will soon be turned loose in
the race line in politics
again drawn, the fast dying embers
Of sectional hate and strife famed
into fresh fame and the cause of
set back another decade or a
generation.
We repeat, that to handicap and load
down the cause of reform In this way,
when the demand for it everywhere is
20 urgent, is the quintesence of politi-
al folly and borders on the wicked
md objectionable.
At the request of Gov. Stone, the su-
'reme court judges have given an
opinion in which they state that a