Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-21
rEE CONGRESSIONAL CANVASS.


THE CONGRESSIONAL CANVASS.
The Congressional candidates spoke
Yesterday at Collierville to crowd OF
two hundred and Fifty persons, a ma
iority being white. Both speakers re
ceived the most respectful attention
Barbour Lewis led of in 8 non-partisan
speech Of an Lour. BE dwelt mainly
upon cheap transportation and the open
ing of the Mississippi river. he vas SO
exceedingly conservative that the gen
,leman who introduced him merely IS
candidate for Congress felt it necessary
to step forward AT the end Of his speech
and state that Judge Lewis was the Re
publican nominee for Congress The
Judge drew everything very mild and
avoided discussing the civil rights bill
until near the last, and then touched 1t
as though he would rather not. he booted
at the idea Of mixed schools or any
forced social equality, said it was con-
trary to nature and could not be done
any more than hens could be learned to
take water like ducks. He called on
the negroes present to know If they de-
sired mixed schools. Three or four hesi-
tatingly answered No Then,
spoke MP one Of the white auditors,
81 hope you will not hang King.
King is a eolored Democratic school
teacher in Collierville. he did not even
desire that the eolored people should set
at the same table at hotels, only that
they should be equally as well provided
for as whites. and that they should be
furnished as good car on the railroads
as anybody elsa. He was especially
pathetic about the ejectment of Rsiney,
the colored Congressman, from an eat
ing house this side of Washington City
with the remark that no id niger
can eat here" That circumstance
touched q tender place in the heart OF
our Congressman, but he failed to say
whether the station keeper put him out
with Rainey. This speech made no i'm
preston upon either white or black, as
far as could be judged. He seemed, in
fact, to be speaking merely against
time, and used none of that wood.sawing
gesticulatiou, for which he is so famous
when addressing eolored multitudes on
the bluff. He showed no animation, ex
cept when speaking Of his great inau-
enee with the government and high
standing in his party. To prove this he
quoted something from some Of the
Memphis newspapers, which he seemed
to take as good authority when in his
favor, but afterwards he alluded to the
papers as though be had not the utmost
affection and respect for them.
Colonel Casey Young, when intro
dueed, at once took up his opponents
speech aud handled it with vigor and
readiness and force that surprised and
delighted the greater part of the su-
dience. He exposed the railroad scheme
as one in the interest Of such men as
Vanderbilt Tom Scott aud McComb,
one which would bankrupt all Southern
railroads in sixty days. He made q
pirited point in this, aud then showed
that Lewis plan for opening the mouth
of the Mississippi river was imprscti.
cable and had been rejected by engi
neers aud Congress, and denounced By
the press Of the country as q big JOB Il
enrich few men. He dwelt at Length
upon the civil rights bill, showing tha
it means mixed schools, was so intended
and is so construed BY the great leader
Of the civil rights party. Lewis haC
spoken OF those who wanted nike
schools as a few fanatics at the Nortl
and drunken negroes at the South a.
then read from Ed. Shaw's speech a
Nashville, and said be had called in vail
upon Lewis to know if be allHded to th
colored Republican leaders Of shelb,
county, calling some Of them by name
Colonel Young was forcible and eloqueu
throughout, and showed himself NOR
than q match for bis oily.tongued oppo
nent. The advantage was clearly in hi
favor from FIRST TO last. The peopl
seemed greatly interested and occasion
ally made some demonstration by laugh
ter or applause. The rejoinders wer
more spirited. especially with Barbour
He tried to rally and say funny thing
in which be was partly successful. B
undertook TO discuss some State que
ions just after scanning Maynard
speecb D, IS published in Nashville psp'
Of suno.>y. bit got things mixed an
showed bEt q confused idea Of fact