Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-01-17
posrPONlNG THE CONVENTION.
A Sensible ActiOn-COnserva-
tives ExhOrted To go
10 Work.

Sometime since call was published
for a County Conservative Convention to
nominate candidates for county offices.
The. time set was within the present
month. We regarded the announcement
as premature, and were about to enter
protest when, yesterday, another call
appeared, which appointed the proposed
Convention for the l4th Of February.
There is as marked propriety in this
as there was marked improperly in the
first call. OF course, in making the
original announcement, the committee
desired only to give the canvass an early
start but in effect it was calculated to
too greatly hurry things. II somewhat
resembled that "snap judgment by
which tricky and anxious aspirants are
wont to practically close the lists against
others, having long before made the
necessary arrangements to insure sue
cess. Chronic otfice-seekers, upon see.
ing whose names one may count with
the same degree of certainty as the rising
and setting of the sun, are seldom un-
prepared for the little tricks of the
trade" and hurrying up the cakes" is
exactly to their hand. But men who
scorn tricks want sufficient time to bring
matters to thorough tests; and when
beaten by scurvy transactions are often
apt to disregard the principle of fealty
to conventions. They naturally fail to
recognize in that character assemblages
packed in advance in the interests of GER
tain individuals or cliques. The result
is obvious.
Had the Convention been held within
ten days, as first proposed, it would have
proved little better than farce. To
this day only portion of the gentlemen
whose names will come up are an
nounced. Others will appear, and all
who choose to enter the contest deserve
and are entitled to sufficient time to can.
vass their strength, not only in the city,
but the country. Frequently the dele
gates selected by the primary meetings
are instructed" for certain candidates,
and men whose names, in consequence
of everything being done in a hurry,
have not been presented before them,
naturally incline to consider themselves
unfairly treated. Fair play is Jewel,
and the exigencies are not so great as
to render it necessary for the whole
question of primary meetings and Con.
vention to be settled in few days. Let
the candidates have an opportunity to
60 into every civil district and lay their
respective claims before the voters, that
they may be considered in primary
meetings and ia the final struggle. This
done, those who fail to draw the long
straws have no cause of complaint, and
need not expect even their personal
friends to adhere to them to the detri-
ment of the party.
Whatever stands in the way of Con-
sentative harmony must be sacrificed,
and personal considerations are but
reeds, to be broken at the demand of the
public veal.
To win in the March election we must
struggle as no party ever struggled before.
The late municipal defeat has maddened
the Radicals, who are determined to leave
nothing-fair or foul-undone to secure
victory in the coming canvass. Such
fraud as was never before dreamed of
will be attempted, and perpetrated unless
fanked" by proper efforts.
Candidates have more than month in
which to lay their claims before the peo-
pie, and the latter sufficient time for
complete organization in every city ward
and country civil district. 1t behooves
every one interested in the success Of
the Conservative party to roll up his
sleeves and work until the day of cleo
ton. That is the way to win-the way
the Radicals will seek to win. Go to
work.
GrNrs' eood calf hoots. 81 so: gents