Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-09-17
George W. Jones, the swatch Dog OF
the Treasury" rs q Candidate
for Governor.
Sketch Of bis Career rs a Politician
Severe Crlticism-An Enemy
TO Progress.

] NDLE hOAAu httluG IL IhlA INV EObAA w
chickens sometimes come home to roOst.
/ Nothing would do the sturdy yeomaDry
| but they must send Hon. George W.
| Jones TO the convention to make the
new constitution that was TO relieve us
Of Radical despOtism. His age and ex-
perience We're needed there, they said,
| forgetting that new era had dawned
upon US, and new men We're needed to
direct affairs-men not fOsSilzed in the
effete notions of the past. Why,
the secret of Mr.. JOnes's popularity
with the people, besides his tact st
shaking hands with every yeOman, and
his familiar way of inquiring after the
health of Betsy aud the children, con-
sists in his fogyism. de is opposed TO
railroads and corporations of every sort.
He was one Of the leading spirits in in
seTting that provision into the cOnstitu-
ton that requires a thTee-fOurths major
ity of the voting population Of a county
to levy tax for railroad purposes. Now,
the people of this county are vitality in
terested in bisecting their county from
north to south with the Duck River
narrOW-gauga, and from east TO west
with the Memphis and Knoxville mar
rOw-gauge, and their sovereign voice is
Obsrructed and the legitimate msiOrity
that prevails on all other occasions is
defeated by the shOrtsightedness and
old-fOgyism of an effete politician.
Again are We reminded Of the leading
characteristic Of the domestic fowl.
These remarks are called forth by the
bitter disappointment felt on all hands
at our inability TO get those two roads
through in the only way railroads ought
to be built, viz: by the people en- HldSSe
paying their "b0b, " since it is the whole
people who are benefited thereby. But
il seems some of the people Of
this section are not satisfied with
their little experience with Mr.. Jones in
the constitutional convention. It has
been proposed to run him for governor,
and l see one Of your city Contemporaries
treats the proposition with gravity. The
AUdldachs man may possess his virtu-
Gus soul in peace. Mr.. Jones did not
vote against the new constitution, for
the reason that it granted negro SUI
frage. 1 will set him right on that sub
ject. In his opening speech for the con-
ventiOn Mr., Jones squnted sharply to-
ward negro suffrage. But when his op-
ponent, Colonel Holman, pressed him
70 the wall on it, and they were about 90
get up a clamOT on him, be denied clear
out of il, and said he was as much op-
posed to negro suffrage as anybody, but
thought the convention would have 10 |
adopt it in view of the certainty of the
ratification of the fifteenth amendment
to the constitution Of the United States,
thus carrying water or both shoulders. |
No, Mr.. Jones voted against the consti- |
tuition on the Insignificant, contempti- |
ole, miserable plea of opposition to the |
pOll-tax prerequisite To the right of suf |
frage. Or, rather, he bOlted the cOnven- |
ton. and refused to vote for or sign the |
Now, let US see what was /
the man purpose Of assembling that |
by the sovereign voice of /
the people Of Tennessee, and what
was their condition, and the |
that surrounded them al |
the time: It will De remembered that 1
the people of the State were at that time /
groaniDg under the despOtism of Radical |
misrule. They were robbed Of the
American birthright, of the elective fran
obise. They were powerless to help
tbems elves. Like unto the deliverance
tbat was vouchsafed to the children Of
Israel. a way was opened up for our de-
Iiveranee seemingly by a superior power.
The dominant party was divided asun-
der without our agency, and by support
ing Senter we wrested the State from
he power Of the Radicals, elected leg
islature opposed to further misrule that
empowered the people to call cOnyen-
tion. for what purpose? 1t was to annul
Dy their sovereign representatives in
assembled that fiendiSh
appended to the constitution Of
s94. by the lOydl Of '65, that deprived the
raen,en of Tennessee of the right OF
1Iffraee. In other words, il was 10 re-
tore 10 the people their best liberties.
The opportunity seemed to be rendered
,s bv an overruling Providence. Leased
hen. we might have grOaned for genera
ions under the same despOtism without
-eljef. IfMr. JOnes's example mad been
olIowed by the other delegates, it would
ave been lost, and to-day we would
nave been under Radical usurpation and
misrule.
Mr.. Jones could not content himself
with vigorous protest against the poll
ak clause and stay to insure the great
work he had been commissioned 10 DO
Jy his constituents, viz, the work OF
,estoring to them a will In their own
Some people cannot re-
,oneile Mr.. Jones' indifference TO the
iberties o. the people by whom he had
,een so often hOnered, and whom he
to love so much. 10 my
mind it is easily apparent. he had been
)eaten by a new order OF men IN lhe Sc
ection Of president of the convention,
md the same order of men had refused 10
De led by him in parliamentary tactics
Turing the session. Consequently he was
oured, lost his equanimity, and mad
~ a I, Vaal tnHiffarnnPH ]
o the vital interests of his people by
uniting the convention. Yes, his real
Indifference to the restoration of the
,poDle's lost rights. Mr.. Jones, TO be
consistent with his own theory Of gov
,rnmeut, could not have been 9TH
,rwise but Indifferent. 1t is not gener-
.lIy known, perhaps, that Mr.. Jones
and applauded the infamous,
coercion speech OF An
lrew Johnson's just before the begin
ing of the late war. He was dragged
nto the struggle foI southern liberty.
The only reason he ever gave for going
yith the south was that he went because
lis people went. II he had lived IL
East Tennessee he would have taken
he same course that Andrew johnson
lid, for he was with him in theory. h
never put il upon an obedience
% the sovereign will of his State
lis only justification Of the south was
mon the right Of revolution. Having
allied In a revolution that / advised
-ou against, S,-H guilty reCels,
your disfranchisement Is a '-st punish
nent.n / never did regard him as u
instrument FOR the relief of the southern /
people from their past difficulties, nor do
/ regard him as the man to hold the
Deople Of Tennessee en- HlGSse against
hat Radicalism that would again lnsin-
late itself into power in the State. They
V his high order Of integrity Is needed
IS an example in these corrupt times
.Ir. Jones is not chargeable with pecu-
ati7n in Office. But let US see if the 81
ifiees of the demagogue employed TO
naLre the reputation OF the "WRlch-dOg
= Inc treasury are the only test of a
,igher order Of integrity. Last fall he
~Tote and published a letter in the in
q, at of his master, Andrew Johnson,
! ~ Infamous work OF disrupting and
aaaatiog the Democratic party, In
,hicb ne charged that the wnoie oppo-
ition 10 johnson was based upon his
-nionisn. A more grC1ndless and mis-
biayous charge could not have been
.oneeived. Its falsity is apparent 10 The
fullest mind, In the fact that every
,rominent Confederate and the ~h'le
mass of the Confederate soldiers We're 81
hat time warm supporters OF Horace
Treeley, who was Union man ana 81
,riglnal Abolitlonist. 1t was he and his
master who We're opposed 10 the Gree
ay movement, which was of an hun-
Ired fold more importance to the south
han the election OF Andrew JohcScn 10
he United States congress. A man who
viii thus tamper with the south in
'ime Of high excitement. when the
o,,bIie mind il easily misled, it does
Gem TO me is not entitled 10 that char
,cter for honesty that Ar. Jones's
'riends claim for him. The philosophy
n EEr. Jones's honesty in public life II
.bat nIggardly economy by which he
% r,ade the name Of the watchdog
Il ~ the he treasury. II bis system Of econo-
nv had prevailed the country would 1
nave been fifty years behind its present I
tate of Improvement, enterprise ana
progress. But be is opposed to progress
nd enterprise or anything else that
Ioesn't pander to the fogyism OF the
geomapry. A more arrant demRgogue
-