Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-01-12
JOHN LOAeUE.
Woods. and Receives a few smells

In Return.
J~AsUARr9th. 1875.
To the Editor Of the Ledger;
SHIN your issue Of the Sth inst. you
occupy more Of your space in abusing and
disappearing me than | would sup.
pose should be allotted to me without
cause by the LEDGER, a newspaper which
| frankly acknowledge did much to
elevate me TO my present position. From
observation it would appear that Redi-
Gals by day are constantly in your path
and your dreams by night present moth
ing else to you than some member of a
Radical Irish clique around the City
hall. You seem to be much ANNOYED
because | am by birth an Irishman, and
in politics a Republican. In DAYS gone
by, among gentlemen, the question Of
ones birth place or his politics never be.
came a subject of discussion, provided
in the exercise of rights one did not in
fringe upon the rights Of others. Can it
be possible that it is a crime for the
Mayor Of this city to have been born in
Ireland? | hope not. Let us by our
conduct not disgrace ourselves, and my
word for II, Americans will neve set us
aside on account Of our birth place.
You sey:
The Mayor of Memphis stepped
down and out of his Official position.
threw all dignity away and wadei into
the mire and filth of a ward contest.
selecting the negroized Tenth ward as
the scene Of his labors. All day long
the Mayor Of the great city Of Memphis
stood at the polls and grasped the hand
OF many dirty and greasy negroes who
came up to vote. Such a h%umiliating
scene has never before been witnessed
in any city in this land Of. liberty.
There is such "a thing as the dignity Of
Office and to sustain that dignity is
due to the people, whatever ideas Of
personal dignity the official incumbent
may have"
Now, you were aware three hours
before your paper went to press that the
above statement was not true. In the
presence Of Henry J. Lynn, ESQ, on
Madison street, you learned from me the
particulars Of my visit to the Tenth
ward, and hence you we're not justified
in making such a publication as the
above. | willingly admit and confess,
IT your charges against me are true, |
have disgraced my official position; but
II they are untrue, then you have dis
graced and degraded Journalism to the
work of vili6cation and Islander. Whilst
admit that my actions are to be al all
times open to criticism, nevertheless the
public Journalist should not knowingly
make misstatements concerning my &C.
tons, especially when it is evident that
not only would ! be thereby disgraced
but that the good name Of onr city would
be injured.
Mr.. League goes on through ten pages
of writing to explain why he went to the
Tenth ward, and what he did while
there, all Of which may be stated in
brief; He heard that a riot was immi.
nent in the Tenth ward; he went there
to prevent it, and met the judges coming
away from the place Of election. He
went to the place, and was informed by
the lady OF the house hat she feared a
disturbance, but if the Mayor would re-
main she would be satisfied. He induced
the judges and deputy sheriff to return,
and the Mayor remained at the polls I'M
til dinner time; he dined with the lady
and after dinner returned to the polls,
when seeing all quiet, he left for home;
he did not solicit a vote, held no tickets,
expressed no preference as to rival can
didates and took no other part in the
election.
We have fairly given Mr.. Leagues ex-
PLANTATION, and now for a mild reply. 1t
is susceptible of proof that the presence
of the Mayor at the polls nearly
all day exercised an influence
in favor Of the administration
candidates. he may not be able TO
control the muscles of his face, but when
a voter put in an INSTRUMENTATION
ticket the Mayors features presented a
frown Of condemnation, and when an
administration ticket went in, those fea-
lures softened into a smile. He locked
daggers, but spoke none" What mask
ing stuff is here A police sergeant
and six patrolmen were detailed BY
Chief Athy to keep the peace at the
Tenth ward polls, and that was all that
was necessary. The awful dignity Of
the Mayors presence did not add one
iota to the preservation of the peace,
but was, in fact, calculated to disturb
that peace, as his presence there was
attributed by anti.administration candi-
dates to partisan motives. Mr.. League
has a right to be a Radical or anything
else as disreputable he sees fit to be.
AS to his birthplace, for that he is not, of
course, responsible, and no one objects
to it. In common with a large number
of citizens, we think be should have re-
manned away from the polls. He has
his ideas of official dignity; so have we,
and these idess materially differ. As t.
bis opinion Of Ledger journalism, we
do not think that nature or education
has rendered him capable of judging it
correctly. And finally, if the editor of
the LEDGER ever d~isgraced or degraded
journalism 1t certainly must have been
when he advocated the election of one
John League to the position of Mayor
Of Memphis,
Notice.
NLYoR,s 0FFIoE,
MEMPHIs. january II, 1875.
H. ooul, olootnd unauohara of tho