The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-12-14

election, and press home to the
negroes every argument we
could to induce them to vote with
us. | remember very we'll to
have been in that canvas. We
searched out the brother in black
and told them one by one in as
much as we could, and each
squad of whites numbering as
many as We well could, and one
man talking for awhile and then
another. Many agreed to vote
with Us, but said it in such a way
that we knew very well that
they did mot mean it. Many
others were mum. On the next
day when the polls were opened
the whites were much and early
on the ground, and when the ne
groes came in they did not pre-
sent that solid black phalanx of
column they had formerly done.
The truth is they had been in
formed that it was not good man.
ners. The most of them, though,
were very anxious to vote the
Republican ticket. No violence
was offered, but many whites
would surround a negro voter
and use all kind of arguments
and perSuasionS to vote the DEM
ocratic ticket, and as each voter
could be induced to cast his vote
in that way, the entire white
contingent would raise a yell that
would have done honor to the
old Rebel soldiers battle cry; and
thus one by one the negroes
were induced to fall into line,
except a few who retired to the
rear without voting at all. This
took place throughout the state,
and the Republican party was
put out of business in Mississippi.
The only thing / saw that looked
like violence occurred the day be-
fore the election in 1876 when
we were making our canvas of
the county. Green Merritt was
in the crowd. He was tall,
raw boned man, with a Roman
face, and was known to be a
man who had managed negroes
to perfection during slavery
times, and who had occasionally
knocked nigger over since they
were freed. The incident have
reference to occurred late in the
evening. We discovered a negro
man who was seemingly endeav-
oring to evade us, and who was
some distance from us in the
woods, we halted him and mov-
ed up to where he was and used
all our arguments on him to no
purpose. Green Merritt had said
nothing, but sat on his horse an
intensely interested listener, and
when we were about to move off
without having had any effect
on him, Green stretched himself
to his fullest extent in his saddle
and said, "you vote the Repub-
lican ticket tomorrow and I'll
send you to hell with a pitch
fork!" Thought it the strang-
est expression | had ever heard,
and said to him, Green, what
do you mean by that?' He re-
piled, When you fail in every
other way with a nigger, if you'll
threaten to send him to hell with
a pitchfork, he can't stand it.
He'll do what you want done.
And now these Pen Pictures
close. They have given me con-
siderable work, but have been a
source of pleasure, too. Many
people, young and old, here and
elsewhere, have commended
them very highly. Many peo-
pie have asked me to have them
published in book form. This
would cost considerable labor and
considerable money. Whether |
shall do this sometime in the fu-
ture depends upon health, and
what demand may be made for
such a book. And now | part
from you all as old and dear
friends part.
'To each, to all, fair good night,
And airly dreams and slumbers light.