The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-11-05

and two for the motion to dis
charge. The Board of Supervisors
had the power TO appoint the
grand jurors of the county. each
member appointing the men from
his own district. OF course the
negroes favored men of their own
color in making these appoint
ments, but when the time came for
such appointments, the white men
were chagrined to find that the ne
groes had already made all the ap
pointments OF course the white
men entered violent protests at this
time. Two more notable protests
followed before the white men re-
signed. A contract was let to Vim.
Hodges (colored) to build a bridge
/ across a small creek for the sum Il
/ Of 81 800. Protest this time was
effectual because it showed the ab
surdity and the extravaganza OF
such a contract. The contract was
let for the sum of 500. The last /
protest was against the giving of
Price Hogan $50 for signing the
bonds issued To the Memphis and !
Selma road. 1t was in vain and |
soon thereafter the white men ten
dered their resignation. which was
accepted aud recorded in the min
utes Of the board as follows:
This day Messrs. Caldwell <
Thomas, mem bers of the court
from the first and second districts.
present their resignation to the
board, which is in these words and
follows thus, towit:
TO the Honorable Board Of
Supervisors of Monroe county,
State of Mississippi:
The undersigned members OF
this board from the first and second
! Supervisors districts of said county
beg leave to render this, their
I resignation, as mem bers Of this
board, and state that they will not
g possibly serve as members of the
q board
They further beg leave to offer
the following reasons operating on
1 their minds and consciences to in
r. duce this action
Il. Because the action OF this
}, board is so fraught with ignorance
g and corruption as to render all the
i mem ers personally peculiarly LA
d bic for its actions and bring upon
t its members the just opprobrium of
Q all honest and upright citizens.
g =. Because the undersigned
= are not willing to bear such opprO-
IL brium, not being in any wise re-
e sponsible for the same and the ac-
t ton of the board being controlled
e for inconsiderate partisans.
s -. Because Of the Indifference
d of the citizens of the county in
y supporting the protests of the I'M
J, dersigned as mem bers of said board
IS by taking legal steps to prevent the
n great frauds Of the majority Of said
r. board on the finances of the
-e county" lSigned
T. r. Caldwell,
e w. @. Thomas.
II Upon the resignation Of these
:, two members, three illiterate ne
/ groes were left in complete control
IS of affairs. The resignation occurred
,, the early part of the year 1878 and
no successors were appointed to I'LL
y the vacancies until the election that
e fall 1t may be easily conjectured
y what relief the negroes felt not TO
n be watched, and with what free
IS dom they exercised their power
e with no hindrance.
/ The office of sheriff changed also
!. at this time. Sheriff Anderson
dying, his place was filled by j. S.
e Watkins, colored, who had once
i been coroner of the county. and
who had once before held a place
& on the board of supervisors. The
e new board of 1874 had two men of
5 prominence-R n. Stockton and
J. Lafayette Willis. We have already
e seen the kind Of man Stockton was.
= His very nature hetokens many a
y fierce and scathing denunciation of
z what the negroes who were in the
It majority were doing. He did not
II think abusive language any detri-
: ment to a mans character. His
G protests spread on the minutes of
e the board were mild and civil, but
y his anathemas uttered at the meet
II ing of the board are said to have
q been sulphuric in the extreme. +"
II Willis was a very wealthy planter.
J. He was inclined to persuasive meth
+ dds of controlling the negroes. He
was rather a contrast to Stockton
a in this respect. the latter often tax
Z ing occasion to use his big hickory
It walking cane: and their position is
strikingly similar to that of those
e whose places they had taken-one
:. Of restraint and Of protest. 1t
:, might not be improper to give an
n idea of the ignorance of these col
r ored gentleman of the board' as is
shown so forcibly in one of their
0 hypocritical protests which we find
y recorded in the minutes as follows:
: I'VE Louis Stith and Chess
e Young do hereby enter this protest
l. against all orders for the posting of
Y lands for the following reasons:
3 % Because many innocent
|. and ignorant men viii be made to
{ suffer UNNECESSARILY and unlaw-
g fully by the land oysters.
: "(2) Because there is no law in
s our opinion authorizing the Board
IS to post land unless it las for the
e protection of oysters.
e Stockton and Willis found them
+. selves fighting the extravaganza of
: the beard as did their predecessors.