Show THE PARTY that has undertaken the work of civilizing the negroes in some sections of the south has amore a-more difficult task before it than the honest missionary among the Indians has of bringing his wards within the borders of Christian enlightenment In Arkansas the other day there was a case before a colored justice of the peace which tells how deeply in the mire of ignorance ig-norance and superstition the race continues notwithstanding it ha been in the enjoyment of freedom and the privileges and advantage of citizenship for seventeen years Jackson Holmes a negro sued a young wench Martha Hodges for having bewitched him He washer her lover and she loved him in return re-turn when he discovered that the laid spells He swoie that he loved Martha but was horrified to observe that a jet of blue fire occasionally occa-sionally came from her nose when i he gave up the idea of marryinghe because she was a witch Martha swore vengeance and the nex night he awoke with a choking sensation sen-sation An unseen power impelled him to the door where he found on the step a rabbit foot When he picked it up he heard a mocking laugh The girl admitted that all this was true The justice de clared hmself a believer in the witch business but after hearing all the evidence decided that Jackson and Martha should be married and against the protest of the former performed the ceremony there and then to the utter alarm of the groom who thinks he is eternally fastened to a witch The republican party ought to feel proud of the progress it is making towards civilizing civil-izing its pets |