Letter from John Roy Lynch to Samuel Fessenden of Connecticut. Original held in Archives & Special Collections, Mitchell Memorial Library, Mississippi State University.
Scranton Miss Sept 9th 1884
Hon S. Fessenden.
Dear Sir:
As I am now engaged in making a thorough and active canvass of my District I did not receive your dispatch until yesterday which was forwarded to me here. I wrote Mr Morrow a strong letter before I left Washington, which I am sure will be of service to him. From the language in your dispatch I was apprehensive that he had not received it. So I telegraphed him from here yesterday to know if he received it. I enclose his answer for your information.
I have not yet received the promised check from you but presume I will in a few days. I have made some obligations, based upon our conference at the Hoffman House which, of course, must be carried out in good faith. If we are not entirely neglected we will be reasonably certain to elect four members of Congress, provided always, we do not lose Ohio next month. With success in Ohio and some attention from the National committee we will not only carry the 2d 3d 6th and 7th Districts but we will have a reasonably fair prospect of success in the State. There is some trouble in the 3d District growing out of the defeat of Jeffords and the nomination of Pearce but Pearce says it is not as serious as represented. He promised me that he would confer with Ex Senator J. L. Alcorn on the situation and that if he (Pearce) should become convinced that his candidacy would lose us the District or the State he would withdraw in favor of Alcorn. Perhaps a letter from you to Pearce on this line would do some good. His name is A. G. Pearce, post office, Greenville.
The outlook in this District (the sixth) is all that could be desired. The whites turn out in large numbers to hear me and they manifest a great deal of interest in what I have to say about the tariff. If we carried Maine yesterday by a good majority and will carry Ohio next month then you may consider my election a settled fact although the white majority in the District is about two thousand.
Very truly yours
John R. Lynch