Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-11-28

Inauguration OF AN intelligent aud steady
administration Of law that shall extend
TO every interest aud department Of our
city. The epidemic WAS, no doubt, a
great windlall 10 some Of our patriotic
citizens. see they are going TO carry
the yellow fever overinto January, 1874.
IL is the .entirc stock in trade Of some OF
our would.be municipal saviors. DO not
be deceived, my fellow citizens. A gen.
uine philanthropist does not do business
upon his philanthrophy. The man who
asks you TO vote for him on the ground
that he did his duty in time Of public
calamity is "A shan aud fraud, and
does not deserve your confidence. Jesus
of Nazareth taught that we should not
let the left hand know what the right
hand does. but some of these men, aud
their interested partisans, appear to be
spending their whole time in informing
the left hand Of the deeds Of the right
hand. How is il with the scores and
hundreds OF humble men aud women
who, without fee or reward, went about
the Masters work, and diligently prose
cuted il TO the end2 Their names are
not thrust into your face at every turn
They do not shock your sense Of propri-
ETY. aud decency by asking your patron.
age because they did their duty. They
are the real heroes and heroines OF the
late terrible conflict with disease and
death. They did their work faithfully
and well, and those Of them who survive
do not offend you by proclsiming their
deeds from the housetops.
Now, / want you TO go into the com
ing municipal struggle intelligently. /
do not want you to be bound by any
man or party. What have we to do with
parties2 / thank God that | belong to
no political party. / vote for men. II
the man be not above his party, and bet
ter than his party, he is not fit to hold an
important public trust. We want men
who know their duty, and who have
courage to do it. We want men
who will not prostitute their Of.
fees aud do violence 20 both judgment
and conscience for the sake of concili-
ating the Irish, negroes. English, Amer.
cans or any other people. We want
men, not for race, or sect, but for the
whole people. We want men who will
establish and maintain municipal re-.
form, not merely because of onr recent
scourging, but because it is simply dis
graceful that we are not better gov
erned city. Let the people understand
that they hold the power in their own
hands, aud If they fail to exercise it ju-
diciously and firmly, they must not fall
out with Divine Providence If they are
finally compelled to reap the deadly har-
vest of their own sowing. Let me i'm
press this truth upon yeur minds and
hearts; Our only salvation as a city,
under God, depeads upon a wise and
thorough administration of sanitary law
1t therefore becomes your duty-it is my
duty--it is the duty Of every man who
has vote, to go to the polls and labor
to secure the men who will do the work
that must be done if we would escape
ruin. Do not vote for a man because he
is the candidate of a particular party.
If he is mere party candidate don't
vote for him at all. Be not afraid Of the
impious assertion that if you do not
vote for this or that man, you deserve
to be forgotten By your God. Be in
dependent. Learn to scratch your
tickets. There is great virtue in intelli-
gent scratching.
Finally, on this head, ] am ashamed
to say that | have never yet voted at
any municipal election in this city. la
this matter ! have done wrong, and now
propose to reform. Why not2 / have
as much interest here as any other man.
My home is here. Ny work is here.
The men and women whom love best |
of all on earth are here. expect to |
live here aud die here and TO be buried |
here. am not transient visitor
am not bird Of passage, here to-day
aud youdcr to morrow. When | first
came TO Memphis | expected to leave
ny ashes in her beautiful cemetery, and
at once Identified myself With
her people. Every pulpit in this city,
with two single exceptions, has been
some Of them several times,
since / came 10 Memphis. claim,
therefore, that have right To speak;
and, as God has given me the ability,
have spoken. belieye that there is
better day before US. believe that
healhjs has an unful6lled des-
.iny.' With the righy mep at the
head OF affairs, there Is "a grand
future for this city. Aud to the thorough
of the reforms which
We need, it ig the duty Of every citizen,
jf every race and color, 10 Contribute.
Once more; AS we return to our homes
o day, and sit around cur cheerful fires
I'D take oBF PLACES NJ veil supplied
ables let nc not forget, while pet1Fping
hanks TO the Father of all meruies, the
many thousands who taste only the Bit
er fruit Of want and penury. Their
poverty may be the result either of fault
,r misfortune but ln any event our du-
les remain the same. Let US chesrfully
RS sbiktg'RHEch fths' lord -hSth given.
lbr may VVr RsVsbespss be able, .ias9Us
Measure, to drive want rem the door
md to restore hope asd confidence ip
be chosen sbodes Of desnslF and mis-
ry And let Us not forget that other
arge class of our fellow.oitizens; mean
hose whose thanksgiving must neeeS-
arily be mingled with sad memories.
hey remember that last Thauksglv
ng loved one was here whose place
to-day vacant. The husband, the
Tife, the child, the dear friend,
as finished the earthly course
ince then, and, let us hope, has entered
lto eternal rest. say, let us not for
ct them. They may not need the aid .
{ our purses, but they need more than
bis; they need cur prayers and sympa- d
HES. Can you gather to-day, an ne.
roken family around the festal board I
Ioy ihpnkfgl yoR should be to your :
eavenly father Have you something
{ health aud life still before your Be
thankful. Have you friends and com
anions in the kingdom and patience Of
esus Christi Be thankful. Have you
be hope Of eternal lfe1 oh, let your