Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-04
RAscALIrY OF REGISTRARS.

the shall play in the diabOlical plot,
and refuse to be made party toit.
RASCALITY OF REGISTRARS.
Perhaps more indecent exhibition OF
political rascality was never witnessed
than that which has been given by the
Commissioners of Registration IN this
State pending the election which has just
taken place. They resOrted to every
species of trickery to aid their party or
the clique to which they belonged in
their own party. 1t is fortunate for the
cause of justice and truth, that was di-
vided in several of the Congressional dis
tricts in this State, because it is the
means of leadingto an exposure of the
rascality practiced by the Registrars. 1t
is stated by Radicals that the Registrar
for Shelby county has been guilty of the
most outrageous faYoritism as between
the two Radical candidates for Congress
in that district. Here is letter which
is published in the Memphis Bulletin,
the Num- organ
MEMPHIS, TENN, Oct. 81, IS6S.-J.
J. Sears, Esq, Commissioner Of Regis
tration, etc.-DEAR SIR: l see by the
papers that you have designated me to
act as one of the judges of election in
the sixth ward of this city on Tuesday
next.
In looking over your published
schedule of Judges, clerks and deputy
commissioners, | see that those appointed
are almost exclusively members of the
Republican party. With one or two ex-
ceptions the judges at the voting places
in the city are exclusively Republicans,
while in many precincts no member Of
the opposite party figures either as
| Judge, clerk or deputy commissioner. In
fact, in making up this schedule, you
seem to have exhausted the entire cataS
logue of Republican oficeholders in this
city. taking alike judges of courts, police
commissioners, clerks Of courts and their
deputies. As a citizen, desiring that the
election shall be conducted in a spirit Of
fairness and justice to all parties, and
that no pretext shall be given for a
breach of the public peace, l protest
against the course you have seen ut to
pursue in this particular As
Republican, desiring the honor and
good name Of my party, l pro-
test against this action. Better be de-
feated thousand times than win by such
means as these. The success Of popular
government depends in a great measure
upon fairness in conducting popular cleo
tons. and what fairness can be eX-
pectcd when the conduct Of an election Is
placed entirely in the hands Of apolitical
marty ? do not say that this IS without
precedent. In times Of political prOill-
racv nothing is without precedent. But
| say that as q matter Of right 1t Is en-
tireiy wrong: as a matter Of eXpediency
it is unwise and shOrt-sighted in the last
degree. \ political party, in the day Of
its power, may resort TO such maChlna-
tons for the purpose Of controlling cleo
tions but they cannot fail at last to re-
turn TO plague the inventors. The meas
ures TO which we resort to-day may on
another occasion be used by our political
enemies to Cypress US and abridge our
privileges.
NAV also state here that have been
informed on creditable authority that
this schedule was drafted by a "com-
mittce." What committee, my informant,
who processes to get his information from
yourself does not say. l take it that it
was a committee of the Smith wing of the
Republican party. | should be disposed
to acquit You of delegating the response
bic duties Of your Office to political
committee, were | not aware that you
did so at the last election.
While I entertain the highest regard
for the honesty and fairness Of Mr.. Du-
mars and M Gomez, the two gentlemen
selected to act with me as judges at the
white precinct in the sixth ward, yet l
am determined to do nothing either
actively or passiyely, which can be con
stTued into an acquicscence in, or 4 Justl-
fication Of, the course you see tit to Pur-
sue in ordering this election. Notification
Of my appointment to this position came
only through the public press; l take the
same means Of informing you that l shall
not serve. The Superintendent Of Police
can have my services TO preserve the
peace; neither yourself nor any COM
mittee can make me instrumental in
breaking it. Respectfully,
S. d. THOMPSON.
This shows the character Of the man
who has been selected by Gov. Brown
low to do his dirty work. If he cannot |
act fairly and honestly as between mem
bcrs Of his own party, how IS it possible
for him to do so towards his political OPP
ponents? So unjust has this Registrar |
been to the Democrats that a member Of
his own party has been compelled to re-
buko him publicly. The men who act as
dishonesty as this fellow Sears must
think there viii be no political here
after. If they fatteT themselves with
this idea, il is well that the simple souls
should be set right in regard TO the mat
ter Mr. Thompson appreciates the sit
uation when he tells Mr. Sears that the
to which the Radicals have re-
sorted in this State to retain power in
their hands may be used against them at
some future day Just as they have used
them against the Democratic party. If
We are to continue TO have a republican
government, there must, in the very na-
.urc Of things, be change in the party
holding supremacy. Already has the
work Of disntegration commenced in the
Radical party. and it is dcstinel-to 20 on
until the men who have so shamcfully
.buscd the authority conliicd to them
rave been swept from power into the OBJ {
curity from which they were thrown up
" the waves Of civil war. Let the men
Who are now expressing the real people .
T Tennessee, the tax payers and the men '
worth and intelligence, bear this fact I
d mind, that they are now sowing the :
ind but will surely reap the whiri- T
ind. t
Colonel Drake, who sunk the first oil {
ell on oil Creek, and gave the world the t
enetit of his discovery, is at Iitusyille, Il
wing in extreme restitution. fl
The successor Of the Iato Archbishop Il