Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-06-21
FINDING FAULT.

find fault with whatever may be recon-
mended by the Democratic Executive
Committee of the county That men of
this Committee are as liable to err IN
striving to do their duty as others WAC
are not members Of it is very true; but 1t
may be said of them that they have COM
mitted as few blunders as any preceding
Committee that has ever before admins
tered the affairs of the party. We can
truly say that it is not a position to be
coveted or sought after, being one OF
labor. without the least promise of reward
in the future. Somebody, however, must
he made scape-goat for the sins of the
party, and why not the Committee as
well as anybody else who can be
named? 1.-THE Democracy of the county,
through their own want of interest in
elections are made 70 taste the bitterness
of defeat then it IS at once charged that
the committee is at fault If by extra
ordinary efforts and superior tact, at the |
next trial Of supremacy, the election is
carried in favor of the Democratic party,
the diminutive little croakers can be
head to carp and complainant the ma
iority was not large enough. There can
he no satisfying some men, even if it was
known that the All-wise Crestor HIM
Golf had taken the affairs of the party
under his own immediate management
It's somewhat like the fellow who re-
turns home drunk at the small hours Of
night, and Is heard to say: IF | find my
wife in bed and asleep Ill whip her, for
she has no business being in bed till !
come. If she's awake and up III fog
her soundly, for what business has she
sitting up, waiting TO see what
time of night fellow comes home
Now as to the complaint that the
committee is responsible for the small
majority at the last judieisl election of
this county, let us examine the yote and
see wherein the trouble lies. We lind,
from the official returns of the various
elections that have occurred IN this
county since the war, thatthe vote stands
about in this wise; In the Brownlow and
Etheridge canvass the first named re-
ceiyed 44l9 votes, while the latter only
got 2735 votes from the county. At the
next general election, 10 which Seymour
and Grant were the contestants. the Rad
zeal received DIG, and the Democrat
only 2s1l. We are thus particular in
giving these figures to show that the
average vote Of the Republican party in
this county is about 4767. Nov. the
largest vote ever cast in the county was
during the 6enter and Stokes campaign,
which is set down at 1866 votes.
II we divide this and substract
from the remainder, the average Re
publican or Radical vote Of the county,
il leaves us only the small majority OF
566. How can il then be shown that the
Democrats Of Shelby are two thousand
in the majority over the Radiesls, and
that the Committee is responsible for not
bringing out the vote at the last two
electiens2 Well, we are met with the
response by some of our wooden-head-
ed friends that in the Legislative race
last summer Sam Jones, Townsend
and Cubbins succeeded in carrying the
county by the tremendous majority
first named. That is all true, and is
easily accounted for by the fact that the
Republican party was divided between
Stokes and Senter, and had no regular
candidates in the field for the Legislature.
By reference again TO this vote we find
that Stokos, the favored Republican can
didaie. received 1862 of the party vote,
while the remainder of what ordinarily
is the average vote of that party was
given to Senter, which swelled his entire
vote in the county, including the Demo
cratic vote, TO 1904 The last contest,
which was for. Judges ip this county,
proves what we have been saying and
that the Radicals pOlled their full
strength, leaving the average Democratic
majority at All votes, less the proper
majority I55 votes Men may some
times lie, but figures never do; and
from this summing upit canb seen that
the Democratic Executive Committee
have been wrongfully charged for not
bringing ont a larger majority than was
given in the last election. which was
quite . mattor Of impossibility- The
committee ask no Office or emoluments'
but simply the satisfaction OF having DIS
charged well their daiy to the party
This much ,hey feel, sad AffT ~ NAL
contents, come in what shape they RaY