Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-12-05
why the City Limits were
Extended and the Regis
tratiOn Law was Re-
pealed.
Opening n Broad Avenue for
Fraud-The Acme Of Rad
zeal RascaIiiy.
Wholesale Fraud Legalized
by the Experimentation
Elections are TO be
Carried.
Something for Conservatives
and Honest Radicals TO
Read and COntem-
plate.

limits, have relieved Radical aspirants
for office of q heavy weight. Before,
while appearing confident, it could
easily be seen that the leaders displayed
more anxiety than assured success gem
orally produces. While they hoped and
believed that the accession of the large
black to the small white Radical vote
would render nominations equivalent to
an election, a little cloud, not larger
than a mans hand at first, but steadily
growing, was visible. In August the
Conservatives polled nearly 1000 votes in
the city, against nearly 5000 Radical
votes. But while hundreds of Conserva-
tives, disguised with the farce, abstained
from the polls, not only the entire Radi-
cal strength white and black of the
city was polled, but negroes from ali
portions of the county, and from Missis-
sippi and Arkansas, swarmed the pre-
cincts, armed with certificates procured
through the Loyal Leagues, and voted
almost without question. There is little
doubt that 1900 negroes voted the Radi-
cal ticket who resided beyond the cor
porate limits, and that more than half
the number had never been in the State
a week before election day. Yet, not
outstanding the shameless fraud per-
petrated by negro importation from
adjoining States, the Conservative ticket
was beaten only 1900 votes. Deducting,
say, 1900 for negroes living in Shelby
county outside of Memphis and illegal
voters from Arkansas and Mississippi,
the Radical majority foots up only 400
1t cannot be truthfully said that the
Radicals left any strength undeveloped.
Every negro from fifteen years of age
upward, who was deemed capa-
BILE of crowding through, was armed
with ballot and certificate and sent to
the polls.
Since August the Radical strength in
the city has somewhat decreased. Few
negroes have migrated, while many
were forced into the country to obtain
means of living. Cholera and yellow
fever carried away many; and not few
white Radicals, becoming Disguised,
have abandoned the party. This served
to materially decrease the 400 majority
with which to 90 into municipal con-
test, and matters began to look gqually.
The control of the city government
promised pickings too tempting to be
overlooked; the Offices. with high sala-
ries and splendid sliding scales for un-
detected robbery must be grasped at any
price; and the leaders plotted for the
grand result One ugly obstacle which
reared its head loftily as peak of the
Alps, was the municipal registration
law, passed to prevent fraud. 1t pro-
vided for d completion of registration
thirty days prior to election day, the
home and residence of each voter to be
inscribed in book kept forthe purpose.
This rendered fraud simply impossible;
and while Conservatives were astonished
that such law should originate in a
Radical Legislature, its passage gave
general satisfaction. This law in force,
the importation of illegal negro voters
was cut off; so it, was determined to
have it repealed for another which
rendered the possession Of the County
Registrar certificates evidence of com
potency as voter which even positive
proof of nom residence could not dissi-
pate. The new law provides that no
one possessing certificate can be chal-
lenged This repeal of the municipal
registration law was clearly intended
to open an avenue for wholesale fraud.
AS it stood, no legal voter could be de-
prived of certificate; as matters now
stand, hundreds of negroes, residing,
the Lord only knows where, armed with
certificates procured by the, Loyal
Leagues, can inundate the city, and con-
troll the charter elections. This is why
the law was changed; what other reason
can be assigned for now legalizing the
very infamy the former enactment was
designed to PREVENT
But the Radical leaders resolved to go
further. If the elections were carried
purely by means of illegal votes, the
Conservative papers would be "disloyal"
enough to expose the trick; and although
Radicalism could easily face a fraud
involving only hundred more or less,
deluging the ballot-boxes with four
or FIVE or ten times that number
might be just a little too steep. Of
course the Legislature would make it
all right; but newspapers, North and
South, will be disloyal, you know. So it
was determined to extend the city limits. |
Chelsea and suburbs contain a very
large negro-voting population; Fort
Pickering aud suburbs contain a large |
negro.voting population; and many |
colored men and brethren live east of |
the city limits 0ffsetting this was only |
the white vote Of these localities
scarcely drop in the bucket, so far as
the general result was concerned. Well |
informed Radicals regarded the addition |
of the suburbs as increasing their vote
from 1000 to 1900, against which the
Conservatives could not muster 200 |
For years many citizens Of all parties
have desired the accession Of the popu.
lous suburbs in accordance with the
general fitness Of things Each effort
failed; but now that the Radicals de-
maud it, to overwhelm Conservative
opposition and place the city at the
mercy Of reckless plunderers, the Legis