The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-12-14
PEN-PICTUREs OF THE OLDEN time
BY COL w L. CLAYTON.

A
Many of us remember and will
ne'r forget the days from 1865 to
1876, ten eventful years in the
history of our South land. Of
course it is impossible to paint in
true colors the events of those
years. Being under military rule
part of the time, and under mill
tary power all this time, which
means the same thing ac military
rule practically. We could do
nothing openly that would alle-
viate our condition. What we
did in the way of relief measures
had to be done on the sly. Young
men were growing up who had
never been in the war, but whose
hands were itching to take hold
of something by which they
might signalize their entrance
into life's arena by some action
for the benefit and relief of their
country and which might put a
feather in their own caps that
would in some degree look like
they were worthy sons of worthy
sires; and so they were ever
ready to do anything which
might be thought to even tend
toward relief, and doubtless
would have been guilty of many
indiscretions but for the advice
of older and wiser heads. But in
the meantime the negroes kept
moving from bad to worse; led
on by unworthy and often trif1ing
white men. Under these circum-
stances many devices were re-
sorted to to checkmate their po-
litical moves. An old friend of
mine, just before an election,
happened to come into the pos
session of a republican ticket.
He showed it to some of the
Democratic leaders in an adjoin-
ing county and they were de-
lighted to get it, saying it was
the very thing they had been
endeavoring to secure for some
time. You see, before the DEM
ocrats came into power and pass
ed a law that no picture or de-
vice of any kind should be printed
on any ballot by which it could
be distinguished, and that all
ballots should be alike, the ignor-
ant negroes knew their republi-
can ticket by the picture that
headed it, and not by the names
which were written thereon.
You see how easy it was for the
leading politicians" on our side
to duplicate the ticket, and then
those who know the Anglo Sax
ons can readily imagine how
easily these bogus tickets could
be placed in the hands of the
ignorant voters and how the
count would show up on our side.
Again, men did not scruple to
take out the votes which were
actually cast and substitute the
Democratic ticket therefor, and
ease their conscience by the
thought that 'ail things are fair
in war;" and that the good of
the country demanded this.
Sometimes one means was used
and sometimes others to accom-
plish such action. 1t was well
known that the most Of the lead
ers of the negroes, both white
and black, were quite venal and
ready for a bid in money to be-
tray their party. BY this means
the ignorant voter was often de-
ceived by his pretended friends,
and made really to vote the
Democratic ticket, when he
thought he was voting for the
other side. Sometimes the tick.
cts were exchanged by the art of
legerdemain, so to speak, and the
innocent leader gave out the
tickets which had been left in
place Of the genuine article. You
see the picture was there all the
same, and it was that by which
they Judged. But, after a few Of
such tricks had been played on
them, they were more careful
and some other scheme had to be
resorted to. The rule Of the black
voter was always to line up in
solid column at voting time.
This was very distasteful to the
white man. Many means were
resorted to to break up this Gus
tom. Sometimes the whites
came to the poles with their can
mons on the ground, booming
them once and awhile while the
white men stood round, and
some Of them occasionally fired
off pistols or guns. There was
nothing said to the negroes
about not voting as they might
please, and no intimidation what