Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-08
Few Mississippi Republican
Go to the Polls.
REGARDED AS USELESS
OF $1,000 ONLY ABOUT 5000 CAST
THEIR BALLOTS.
Policy of the Administration Endorsed
by Conservative People Who
Stick to Democratic Party.
BY. VIM E. CURTIS.

BY VIM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
the Chicago Record Herald.
JACKSON, March 80. 1905.
There is no politics in Mississippi; that is,
politics here is limited to the democratic
party, which Is divided into factions and
they fight over nominations at the primaries,
where all candidates are selected. The
election is pro forIna. simply to give legal
ratification to the expression of party senti-
ment at the primaries. The republican
party is growing smaller and smaller. There
are now only about 35.O 900 registered rebup-
licans, of whom 1900 are colored; but
only few of them take the trouble to go
to the polls. White republicans do not
pretend to vote. nor do the colored men
who are registered; because 1t costs them
two dollars, and in some counties three
dollars to pay the poll tax, and all voters
are required to produce receipts showing
that they have paid all of their other taxes
UP to date Thirty thousand republicans
do not consider 1t worth while to present
themselves at the polls under those cir
cumstances, because voting the republican
ticket is a mere formality. In 1896 the
republican vote was 5,130; in 1900 1t was
), 1853; in 1904 it was 3,147. The total reg
istration in the state Is 10000, OF whom
$1,000 are democrats; but only a little
more than half of the democrats are will
ing to pay their poll taxes for the privilege
of voting at general election 1t costs
nothing to participate in the primaries,
where every question is fought out. Hence
the democratic vote is very small and last
November was only $3.50. The socialists
appeared in the election returns for the
first time last November, and Debs the
candidate of that party for President re-
ceived 392 votes.
Vigorous Prohibition Movement.
The prohibition movement is quite vigor-
Gus, but is confined to local elections The
prohibitionsts are now paying their atten-
lions to the members of the legislature,
with a view of securing general statu-
tory provision and a constitutional amend
ment prohibiting liquor traffic entirely.
Under the leadership of Bishop Galloway
of the Methodist Church and Dr. W. L.
Lowrey of the Baptist Church, who are
perhaps the two strongest men in the state
and represent the two strongest religlous
denominations, all but thirteen of the
seventy-six counties in Mississippi now pro-
hibit the sale of liquor and forbid people
to give it away. The remaining thirteen
counties have license regulations. 1t costs
$1,000 to start a saloon anywhere in Mis-
sissippi and In some counties the Incense
fee is 81, $50. There are no saloons In
Jackson, the capital: and people tell me
that it Is impossible for any one 10 get
drink Of liquor here unless person belongs
to some social club. Private families are
In the habit of getting liquor in demlJohns
by express from New Orleans as they need
it, and on the days preceding holidays the
lug trains" as they are called, are well
patronized The few saloon keepers In the
state have a compact organization and en-
pIoy shrewd attorneys who were able 10
defeat the efforts to secure a general pro
hibition law at the last legislature. Inc
temperance element will renew the fight at
the next session and in case they succeed
will follow up their victory by demanding
a constitutional amendment
tnII hat
sippi where whisky is sold are NicksDurg,
Natchez, Greenville, Canton, Biloxi, Gun
port and the winter resorts along the gun
coast. The town of Canton Is the only
station on the main line of the Illinois
Central railroad between New Orleans and
Memphis at which liquor Is sold.
Regulation of the Franchise.
The democratic leaders are confident that
their constitutional provisions regulating
the franchises will be permanently effective
In suppressing the negro vote. or at least
restricting it to limited number OF the
most intelligent colored citizens Of the
state. In order to vote, as l have already
inttmated citizen must show receipts lot
his poll tax and all other taxes. and shaii
be able to read any section or the constttu-
ton of the state; or shall be able to under
stand the same when read to him, ana
give a reasonable Interpretation thereof.
! The latter provision Is elastic and can De
applied harshly or literally: according to
| the disposition of the judges of election
They have the power to determine Wnether
| a citizen whose vote Is challenged under
stands the constitution of the state and In
| terprets it correctly. When the present con-
stitution was first adopted negroes ire
uuently attempted. to vote, but they soon
| learned by experience that 1t was a waste
| Of time and energy, and l am told that
nowadays they are seldom seen at the polls
| There is no republican party. The old
| leaders are dead, and very few care to take
l I,,-4 tI,A hat
| attaches to political leadership. The lead
ers of the colored race are also dead. all
except John r. Lynch who is now a pay
| master in the United States army. am
told that there has been a great change
| in the character of republican conventions
| Formerly they were very noisy and disor-
| Derby but Of late years they have been
marked by perfect decorum. The change
has been gradual in the last ten or fifteen
| years, since the negro vote was suppressed.
Republicans of Prominence.
| There is, however. no social ostracism
| either on account of politics or northern
| connections. In fact, northern people are
| quite numerous. and are rapidly coming
into the state. They are all cordially well
| coined and received with generous hospi-
| tally, unless they show a disposition to
| encourage what is called negro equality"
| or attempt to organize the negroes for any
| purpose. Mr.. L. B. Moseley, for example
4
| publican national committee, is one of the
| most popular and influential men In jack
| son; Mr. r. o. Edwards. the postmaster
here. occupies high social position. and
| the same may be said of other prominent
| republicans in different parts of the state.
| Mr. M. A. Montgomery of Oxford is recog-
| nized as one of the leaders of the Missis-
| sippi bar. Mr.. ]. M. Yellowly. a planter
| at Madison station, an active republican, is
| highly esteemed by everybody. These men
| and others of their sort attend republican
| conventions as delegates. make republican
| speeches and vote the republican ticket
| openly. AS elsewhere. 1t is a matter of
| personal character l. am told that half
| the white population. and two-thirds. or
| even three-fourths. of the educated men
| are in favor of the principles enuncated in
| the republican platform.
Jackson gentleman. himself a demo-
| crat, said:
| Il you will take the main street in any
| of our towns and canvass every business
| house, you will find almost every intelli-
| gent man in favor of Roosevelt's policy
and the principles declared in the last re-
| publican platform. Everybody is an expan-
| sionist; everybody who owns property Is in
| favor of n gold standard; everybody APP
proves Roosevelt's position on the arbitra-
| ton treaties and back him in his treat