Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-12-02
THE COMING ELECTIONS.
Canyasses- Conventions Rings 80 eandi-
Observation-Disclosures etc.

I AAAGE EA1 AA0AAl Va - wv - AAOAAA 10
Deopie. Its shapes and dark outlines
are all impaired by the comparatively
fer whom the people permit to sport
with their high interests and the pub
lie veal.
Allow me to submit a few thoughts
suggested by the times, which the
people, l know, endOrse-the thought
tul people. These thoughts are not in
the interest of anybody, but of the
people" old fogy" thoughts, because
truthful, and because not in the inter-
eSts of some man, 'Nring," or clique.
l viii nominate nobody. I do not as
sumo to know the choice of the peo-
pie, and might miss il at least halt as
far as the sO-called 4" conventions" do,
beginning with that which last as
sumed to amend the State Constitu-
ton, and ending with the last one
held in Memphis; the best of all, be-
cause composed of better men:
!. The cOnventiOns-Of themselves
not Objectionable, but Objectionable as
gotten up, constituted and conducted
have proved a farce, a mockery,
and Oftentimes a disgrace. In a polit-
ical canvass, where there are many
candidates on a side, and there is dan
ger of electing, by a plurality vote,
an unworthy man, if expressing the
choice of the people, is very proper.
But how seldom is such a convention
hadi Anything else but the choice Of
the people is usually had or desired.
Success is, therefore, haZarded and
often and nearly always lost, and
modification and confusion ensue.
The whole fault is, the popular mind
is not expressed in the nominations
made. A few individuals, rings or
cliuues, upon the approach of an cleo
ton, assume to control and produce
the result. They meet in little rooms
or corners, and among themselves, in
an undertone, perhaps determine Cn
the presence of a bottle of brandy, it
may be) 1cHOm they UdHt or WW pat
JOTlCdrd for election. This is the first
step. And as the people do the vot-
ing, the next is to manage that. The
form Of a convention must be had as
part of the plan. The %conclave goes
to work, divide and scatter themselves
over town, engage their respective adj
herents, put them to work also, and
all for the same object and end that
was Matched in the ring. Primary
meetings are formally held; these
busy fellows are on hand, of course;
the " cut-and-dried work" to the very
dOtting of an j f., is done; the very man
intended is chairman, the very men
intended as delegates to the cOnven-
ton are appointed, and where are the
people? NOtthere, nor wanted there
not called on, as the few are person
ally TO attend. Some formal notice in
the paper is all they see of the meet
ing-certainly all they k7lOU of it, or
are desired to know. Now just here
is where the people ought to step in,
defeat the willy Vaccinations, and
break the wires that are working CO.
Uertly through forms pu6iic.) The
convention, sO-called, meets; the NOM
inatiOn is made, and the work is fairly
done, of course; all fair, perfectly
fair; nobody sees that IL Is not so; but
yet it looks strange, odd, for the peO-
PIES work! Everybody says, is this
the peoples choice? And certainly it
isl though everybody says it is odd,
for the people could not, would not do
such strange work. What! the peo-
pie nominate to represent them and
to occupy positions of honor and trust
uAllDllE EllCAl anu bNCL l1lCllAs NAOlCllL
men. vulgar men, prOfane and drunk
en- men, men of the brOthel and all
vile places! men, too, whose past
lives perhaps have been a curse to the
very people on whom they are to be
fOisted by this ~l11dccOW1tdbly fair pro-
ceedingl But 1t is all fair!i-Or seems
so!
,. The people, however, do not, will
not vote thus. The press may berate
them as renegades from party; but
still they will not, should not, vote
for unworthy candidates, unworthy of
the people. As they have minds, as
sumo to be in a free country, they
to think for themselves and to
vote as they think right for a decent
man, if they find him on the other
side, or not at all, even if the effect be
the election Of a negro or a Radical.
Sometimes unworthy men are nOmi-
mated for their availability among a
class like themselves; but this is err
rOr, ii is violence to principle, and de
serves and receives punitive defeat.
Good men-the people generally, the
quiet, thoughtful people, at work at
their homes or places Of business-are
many. Better consult them, better
study their choice and act accordingly,
even if they do not busy themselves
as you do about these things, for good
men will not support bad ones; and
when good men are presented, they
are nearly always elected.
3. The remedy. As bad men in J
conventions will not present good
)nes; as men from the private or pub
lie gaming-room, from the grog-shop, {
rom the brOthel, or covered with vice !
md crime themselves, will select can J
only among their own assOci-
ties as a rule; as the vulgar seek the J
and Whisky Chute" IS for J
tself, the consequence is that the !
the gOOd citizens, UhO hare the I
)Odcer, must take this matter IN hand :
must change their habit Of standing
pack for these busybOdies, to their |
own ruin and the public injury. 1t .
must be a part Of their business under
Dur popular form Of government, as !
much as their individual calling is; l
or taxation, property, life, everything !
s involved. See that such as you are
m the executive committees; attend I
he public meetings in person; put l
Town the packing art" and rule as I
can and may and should, and as I
he law intends, for the interest of Q
ourselves and the community. I
PUBLIC GOOD. c
Whatever may be the force and JUS \
Of the above suggestions, this is \
true-that the blame rests a
nth the very citizens who most COM a
lain Of the evils ofwire-working and y !,
.ersonal, party manipulations. Let a
best citizens take the matter in t.
and. If they viii not protect them
how do they hope to be pro- r
ected from the intrigues and opera f
.ons Of the O-fice-seekers, who al a
'ays look so carefully after their own c
lterests? They a take control if u u
ley but viii to do so. Yet they look n
ter their lucre and neglect politics, u
if politics had NJ power to take
way the lucre. We tell them they y
Just make politics their business, and +
,ntrol the nominations and election Re
: officials, or they will not prosper. Ii
he evils complained Of viii con- r.
nue. and grow worse forever if their y
1athy in public affairs is continued. II
here is a sure remedy. Let them
1ply it. >
The Confederate Monument.