Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-10-01
nur MAILMAN mupnLx.

| IL required lhV ""' "NJ
decades TO reach the delightful state
modification in which Dickens Lor
Chancellor found it; while our railwa
controversy has in a few weeks attaine
that enviable condition Of mixity. I'M
speaks we'll for an enlightened journa
ism which has vigorously pounded tn
poor old railway until the ties and rail-
should be battered out of shape, and tn
real points at issue, if any ever existed
have been buried a hundred fathoms IN
der ground. Whether the public cal
stand it. is not clear; the railroad will
doubtless survive.
| Our Second street contemporary
which endeavors to supply in sound an'
furv what il lacks in brains, has TO
weeks made frantic appeals to an ago
nized community, who we're not agonizeC
before. 1t has made Mr.. Woodruff, the
President of the road, veritable van
Eyre, seeking to suck the life'blood o.
West Tennessee and several counties III
Kentucky; the directors q pack OF g.
gantic dummies, and our friend Jones,
the Superintendent, so oblivious Of his
duties that we stand aghast, astonished
at his successful management OF the
road heretofore. The dear people, who
never would have discovered it otherwise,
are shocked to learn that Woodruff,
Jones & Co. are selling them, driving
them into trap, swindliug them out OF
their eye.winkers, and literally removing
the epidermis from their limbs. All this
il horrible, and now that we know how
badly we are hurt, we frantically ask an
Outraged Public why an Outraged Public
don't stamp the Monsters under their
feet
But in one thing we are too fast By
"Public we mean few hundred rep
resentatives, as the enlightened journal
which has been so recklessly slashing
about with its two-edged Archimedian
sword is not visible to the general public.
What we intended to say was, that its
arguments reached the public who exist
within the four walls OF the Bulletin
Office, and are regarded as gems Of logic
by several of those astute gentlemen.
When the present number of the PUBLIC
LEDGER reaches its readers all the public
will understand that the Bulletin doesn't
love the officers Of the railroad and
shrewdly COM that the quantity of
affection lost would not dedicate very
large number of Christian souvenirs.
Reasoning a priori, every effect should
have c cause. The present is no excep-
ton to the rule. There Is a cause, and
big one. The little old woman with q
retioule, in Bleak House, hustled
about every day sWaiting the long de.
ferred Judgment which should at last
set her up in life. The little old women
at the Bulletin Office hustle about anx-
ious for Judgment" They land
" they" meaps more than the Bulletin
also want to DO set up in
life. Dickens little old woman trottsd
about all her life without Judgment"
and the little old Bulletin women will
tEot about all their lives without "judg-
nent." Il makes Us weep to record this;
but truth is often seul-hsrroYing, is
mighty, and must prevail.
Whether Woodruff 4 Co. want to sell |
West Tennessee, or West Tennessee
wants to sell Woodruff b Co; whether
Woodruff q Co, run a railroad or rail-
-oad runs Woodruff l. Co whether a
with huge wings, is swooping
ioWn to swallow the railroad, engines,
,ow.catcheE and all or whether the
engines, COW catcher and all,
IRE swooping down to swallow the YAM
oyre; or whether each is endeayoring to
Iel, run, swoop and swallow the other,
,r the other to swallow, swoop, sel and
w each is what the public are at loss
% uBGeTstand. We comprehended the
whole thing few weeks ago-before the
Bulletin commenced its explanations.
Then all was clear as sunlight; but
he ms logic for which that journal is
pre- eminentiy conspicuous has so ccm-
pletely overshadowed the railroad that
not even a miserable water.tsnk is left.
IN contemplating the original PROPOSE
ion we ase lost in aValanches of logic;
Ind the explanations arise like huge
Alps with few dozen Apprentices thrown
IL for good measure, shutting out every
other object If the Bulletin will have
The kindness to draw OF 9 few weeks and
ALLOW the fog to clear away, We will catch |
one end Of the road, and hold it up to |
the view Of ap abused, outraged and
ravished pablic,
For these reasons we suspend judg- |
ment ia the case Of Woodruff 4 Co. |
Our object is sympathy. We are always |
open to sympathy, and Aatier ourselves
that our bosom is the shop for that
article. For Woodruff & Co. we have
not even a solitary morsel Of coincidence.
They are the big brother in the fight,
and can get along without it. They
have closed their sdverssries' peppers,
and are abis to take care Of themselves.
It is for the little old vozep rith the