Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-02-07
appeared. Psreeiying I. Ne Situation 2 he came

boldly to the rescue.
a fosy-uoseJ, red faced, dryloohing individ.
: ual dressed III q suit which might have been
{ gay some years ago. 9as among the by stand
e ess. IT. describe him more accurately, and, as
your readers ara lgmiliar with Shakes spsarean
characters, may adj that 10 convert rim into
a Sir John EastaHi but few alterations would
fba Necessary
To this individual the sheriff addressed him.
-seH sud insisted hat be should serve as Is
judge" so tangible inducement bong offered
he declined this hatseFiDg evidence Of official
favor, whereUaoH the sheriff declared that if he
, would serge he should hage all thewhissy he
wanted"
This did not seem 10 he quite conclusive, and
when l left, tha sheriff, by a faux movement
had gotten into TIA ndividuals raa7, and bav-
ing placed himself in a bracing attitude with
both hands agsnsi The individuals back was
compelling hin a Ct aTzsis to take the Judges"
chair
Proeeadiag from theace 10 little seven By
nine lager beer shoD on Poplar street, opposite
the market house, I fo3ad several young men
acting as "cleIks and Judges" who evidently
prefer tee iunoeeut aHuseIueat Of officiating at
bogus election, to ths more ardaous duty Of
fighting the battles of the Union.
During my stay sne voter made his appear
ancs and immediately . candidate, who "aeci
denty hsppened 20 be present incidentally"
secured vote.
Naturslzsd citigans were rushing to the cigar
box heTe, at intervals Of not moro than half an
hour and dep1siting their votes IL one solii
phalanx for s'the man who spends his money
freq" C Considering myself, lhus far, adequately
eompensated for my trouble 1 wend5d M way
to No z engine house.
just as 1 arrived ScsvsngeT Smith, who should
have been attending to our filthy streets and
sewers, the business for which be is paid brought
up q native Of the ould sod to vote, when
I the following conversation occurred;
! Smith Go oficers Of election)-" That man is
all right"
Challenger TO Irishman) "Have yon taken
/ the cath ~
Irishman-a Tub be share have. Here j!
Challengsr-" are you a citizen Of the United
Irisbman--" Faith I've been in thu country
I this FIVE years
Chslieager-'' Have you been naturalizsd.
Have you any other papers ~
Irshman-" Faith that's all the paper I ever
Challenger--(to SMITH" Why do yea a.
tempt to force in illegal votes2 Don't you know
this man is not citizen 2"
Smith l thought he was all ripht."
ChaleDger-"1 don't know whether you did |
or not"
This imputation upon Smiths voyaeity ellie /
led no reply, and no other business appearing,
the Judges" adjourned 10 refresh the inner |
man
I came away wondoTing how many such votf
as this would b. polie1 throughout the city
without any questions being asked It could
make but litsls difference, however, in my opil-
ion, as the election mast prove q Dulity.
1 next visited the POntotoc street polls Here
hackman had just driven up with load Of
voters. In reply to q question this fellow stated
that he received fifteen dollars for his services
and that he had carried 0ne hundred persons TO
vote fOT bis employer. Fifteen eeufs head
cbesp as dirt For miaute o row seemed in
mineat Jones reeognize1in one of the judges"
en- individual who, less than year ego paradsd
the streets Of this city clothed IN the habiiimenls
of Confederate artillery officer.
Jones put the question to the judge if he
had not bsan in arms against the government 3
short tire ago The "judge acknowledged
the q" corn,' but became furiOus and wanted to
fight The captain of the guards interposed. It
vas his duty to man'aia order, aud as it was
necessary 10 pat somebody out he could nos put
tde Judge out, so Jones must 60 and h9
went at he point of the bayonst. The officer
did his duty IN preserving the peace, but it was
certainly an anomaly TO see soma of the best
Union man in Memphis forced 10 leave the polls
because they quest )ned the righs oE man with
SIT as iadge of oar st election
uld but excl I'M. o temPOre 0 mores
The Mayors of ae vas the next and las. point
Of interest. A arge crowd, iaeiuiing g rs
honor and two OF the candidates, ware in a.
tendance, but none Of the msgnates attracted
half ths attention that was bestowed upon a
demij0ba of e brandy, which staod upon p
table IN tho middle OF the room. Ths pressure
around the table was tremendous. One would
suppose that the directions for taking," were
those gwen By Paddy Miles boy to She old wo
man for taking he prescription Of her pbysicisn,
Take a spoonful erery minute till it's all gone,
then suck the cotb." Tbs demijohB was soan
emptied, and his honor sent Immediately to have /
i. re6lled which was ell proper and right"
The candidates were comparing notes IS to I
The days events.
One declared that though be vas beaten, be
ouly spent two dollars, as a mere trihe; the /
other supposed be bad spent t,oO hundred, nice 7
little sum, thought, and how much suffering ;
It might have relieved.
The officers Of election Al this ward had been
directed verbally by the sheriff, that when the l.
officers Of the United States were not present.
they need not be particular who voted take all
that offered. Whether similar Instructions we-s
given to all the sherifs snd judges, l did not !
learn. Ii
10 this csse they were entirely disregarde,l.
Before leaving the mayors office, the sheriffhl-
chief seated himself at & table to receive tie :
returns, several OF which had been forwarded to I
him in cigar B0res of uniform sizs and appear :
aece He seemed to be highly delighted with
tho result, and among other tangs ho proclaimed
to IN crowd that he hai FIVE hundred dollars Of q
Gsger's money, and would bet the whole !
amount that be was elected. A dispute arose
and 3 fght seemed pending. The sheriff (who, J
by the way, knows who to slap,) slapned one !
of his brotAer Irishmen in the laca. This was +
followed By iitse grumbling on the part of The {
man that was struck. but was not resented q
the belligarsnts subsidized and the chances for a
row grew small by degrees and beautifully |
less
Oae noticeable feature Of the election which 1
have net yet mentioned, was that nearly the +
whole police fores Of the city and many other \
municipal officers were constantly engaged !
during the day Influencing votes and hunting lA
up men to SWELL certain canddate's In8loTisy /
Co where you would you would find some of :
these gentry buton-h0iing voters While on my ,
way homo, the transactions Of the day naturally :
passed in review before my mind, and 1 could :
bnt grieve over tbs condition of my country IfIL
the men whom had seen participating in the :
election were our only Uai0n men We would in )
deed be ia deplorabie condition; but such / \
knew was not ths case Bsng intimately ac- /:
quaintad with al the circumstances, 1 was ct I
no loss TO account for what I had Witnessed
and I ehsered myself With the thought that /
there were hundreds of patriotic friends of the
cause who had taken no part in the proceedings,
and whose Yotes were not for sale 70 TIE highest I
bidder. Yet I could not resist the conviction
that ths cause had suffered cruel stab ct the !
hsndsof those who claim to be its friends.
" v
FROM KEETUoKY--A KentuckiAn, sojourn- I
ing in this city, has received a letter from his
wife IN Lexington, which confirms the rum5rs :