Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-16
THE BARTLETT MOVEMENT.
What an Outsider Says About Its
Origin-Is IL n Put-up Job, and Will
II Win?

| HI w
To the Union and American:
MEMPHIS. June, IA, lS74.-Memphis
is great city, full of energy, of won
derful recuperatiye power, able to pros
per even now-after an ice gorge, the
cpizooty, the cholera, and the terrible
epidemic of yellow fever, coupled with
a financial crisis, all inside of year.
But while her merchants, bankers
and lawyers stand high and are noted
for their energy, enterprise, discretion
and learning, they are entirely over
Swallowed by cher professional politi-
clans, who have long ago, in conclave,
solemnly resolved:
1. That all the offices belong to the
saints.
2. That they are the saints.
Elect one of them to an Office and he
becomes fixture for life or vampire
upon the body polite forever after
ward. The approaching election for
county officers is the all absorbing
topic among this class, who, under the
rallying cry of Reform" have man.
aged heretofore to keep in Office, no
matter how kings, crowns and parties
might crumble. But as so many of
them had ridden every political hack,
the honest masses were becoming rest
less under such official phlebot omy and
it became necessary to have new de-
parture. 1 will, as briefly as possible,
give you the history of that new de-
parture, which has been christened the
Bartlett movement" as l learn it
from few friends who are posted in
regard to it and matters generally.
Foryears Pinch" as it is called, has
controlled all the politics of the city and
county, and no matter what complica-
tions have arisen, she has always been
on the winning side, even if combina-
ton with the id niger" was nee
essary to carry her through success
fully.
To such an extent had this been car
ried that all decent non-office holders
had become Disguised, and the patriots
who serve the country in good fat Of
fees became alarmed. The Changers
were assuming threatening proportions,
and it was found necessary to propi-
tiate them also. So the cunning old
foxes, who have long labored under the
hallucination that the people were ex-
ceedingly anxious to have them fill
the important offices, conceived
the idea of holding a meeting
at Bartlett, a little village on
the Louisville Railroad, some twelve |
miles from the Bluff City, and where
noisy Pinch could not control its action. |
Gentle breezes, blowing over the mead |
ows, would dispel all ideas of COMPETE |
ton In this meeting, which was to give |
tone and direction to the political COM
plexiOn of the next election. Well, the |
wire was laid, the programme mapped |
out, and but for the preponderance of |
chronic Offices seekers at the rural feast, |
everything would have been lovely. |
The large attendance of this class and
their oficiousnoss has given rise to
grave suspicious that it was a put up
job" and though most of them, after
waiting until the last moment possible,
have announced themselves as candi-
dates Subject to the Bartlett Conven-
ton, yet there is great unhappiness
them lest the great RE
form" labor should miscarry.
Upon the surface of this movement
there was fairness, frankness and, for
the first time in many long years, sim
cerity, for the leaders in it cared,
but little for the feshpots of August,
compared to the garlands of November
and consequently they promised fair
of the offices among all
classes. The Irish, the Germans, and
the Changers, were invited to put for
ward a representative man for posi-
ton.
For quite a while all seemed salts
fed. The Germans selected a repre-
sentative from among themselves, the
Changers named their men to the num-
Der of a score, and the Irish indicated
the candidates for whom they
had preference. Last of
all, the Jews selected Mr.. A. E.
FARMLAND to run for the important
position of County Tax Collector, and
promptly notified him that the bond,
to almost half a million of
dollars, would be forthcoming. So
who is competent for any
Office, announced himself subject to
Bartlett also. Neither he nor the
champion of Fatherland will be able to
cope with the old set even with the
promised assistance of several Demo-
cratic leaders. They will be defeated
before the convention and the Germans
and Jews Will again be lost 10 Democ-
racy. The apportionment of places
which was promised at the out
set of this movement was
TO have been fair and equi-
table. All classes Of voters were
to be represented; but their success
looked almost impossible. The CO.
alition had Won the municipal election,
and their slate was ready for the
county election. The place hunters
were in doubt and looked to the Goa
IitiOn Of Radical and Irish voters, but
doubt was soon dispelled. The passage
Of the civil rights bill by the Senate
united, though for the moment only,
the white voters in Shelby, and at once
some forty candidates announced them
selves, all subject to Bartlett but one
solitary gentleman, Col. T. S. Ayres,
an old citizen and Republican. Now,
the multiplicity Of candidates render it
almost certain that none but Americans
anu OTdIStTs VIII De put III SudIu un-
der the banner of Bartlett, and cOnse-
luently the leaders are unhappy, for it
IS almost certain that Barbour Lewis
and his friends Will divide the garlands
in November, as well as the ''fsshpots"
in August. But in my next l will edi-
" your readers, / hope, more about
politics, for this, of all others, is the
plan in Tennessee to become conversant
with them. OCCASIONAL.
WHOLESALE SLAUGHTER.