Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-12-02
GO n REGISTER.
HOW TO SECURE A GOOD OFFICER.

HOA Eg \ 0BDD OEGA~Eh
Acard appeared yesterday in the public
prints calling for e Democratic oonven-
ton. The call Is signsd by T. ". o'DOn-
nell, A. B. Douglass, Tbomss MOffstt,
". d. Psssmore, Henry T. Hubert, E, a.
Cole, Dr.. P. n. Dickinson and by several
discharged policemen-an of them citizens
of personal worth and influence. These
are the leaders and expOnsnts Of the De-
mocrscy Of Memphis, and these gentle
men have undertaken the tssk Of organ
ling q Democratic convention in this
city. The same efforts for the same pur-
pose were made not long sgoin Nashville,
and General Battle, personally the most
popular gentleman in the city, became
the candidate Of the party. The people
wanted a mayor and were not, as citizens
and taxpayers Of Nashville, very deeply
concerned in matters OF psrtlzsnship. sad
thus 6 distinguished soldier was beaten
by q man simply on the score OF fitness
for office. Such Is the predominant
feeling, ST this hour, Of the people Of
Memphis. They want q mayor. There
is no fighting TO be done. There IS no war,
save in South Carolina. There are pnblic
debts TO be paid, public credit is to be
sustained, railroads. are to be built, and,
cuTioUsly enough, the people Of Nashville
hsd sense enough 20 consult the interests
of the great multitude Of people and Of
the city. Aman bscsms mayor who thor
oughly understood its affairs, who was a
.arEanr -a1zH-- ~ STE En1.ufun -.-Ts~aa-
who could borrow money from the banks
to psy lsborers, fremen and policemen,
and whose energy and good sense had
given the growth OF Nashville q fresh im-
peEus. Memphis, IS g corporation, has
nothing to do with partizsnship. The city
elects nc member Of any political body,
State or Federal. Therefore it was that
Democrats and Others" were asked to
participate In the sction Of 3 convention
assembled to nominate q candidate for the
msyorslty, and therefore the Democratic
Executive Committee OF Shelby county
is invested with no authority to
nven 8 psrtizsn body for this
city. We sre told that the city
Is indebted to psrtizsn convention for
its present chief magistrate And why
not tell US that it was 3 packed oonven-
tions thst at lesst one-third OF its men,
berss twO-thirds Being required to make
q nomination, came there simply for the
purpose Of forcing upon the people,
whether they willed is or not, a chief Of
polics7 This model convention lowered"
and roSred through two days. At length
the "hitchn was discovered. The purpose
Of the packing" was seen, and two gen
tlemen sgreed that If John johnson were
nominated for the msyorslty, the chief
tsinship Of police should be assigned to
the gentleman who ruled the convention 1
Is with 3 rod of iron. The convention did 4
not nominate Mr.. johnson. 1t wss done
by n agreement bstween these gentlemen.
The convention was impotent; It was
packed. So viii be the next that is held,
il ever held, The people are cognizant Of
these facts and unwilling 70 entrust the
conduct Of municipal affairs to the pro-
ducts of such bodies. Two good men
traded in behalf Of the people, and secured
for US an excellent mayor, who now COM
prehsndH thoroughly the condition Of our
finances, ana has measured every obstruc-
ton In the path Of Memphis as the city
moves toward the culminstion Of its
commercial fortunes. We might sgsin
have good luck, but there is no
reason why We should incur such hsz
ards. Some sharp. shrewd gentleman
may sgsin control the sction Of one-third
Of he convention, and agsin we may BE-
forced to trade, Is It not better to have
untTsmmeled convention Of the people,
cannot be packed in ward meetings
will be suejeos to non Of those in
1usnces " Witch, two years ago, brought this
community to the verge OF absolute ruin9