Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-01-05
LEDGER.
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AS IN THE SIXTEENTH CIVIL DISTRICT


At the November election there were
cast in the cigar box of the Sixteenth
civil district of Shelby county l63 votes
for Andrew Johnson for United States
Senator. The competition of that vote
as we have been at pains to ascertain
was as follows: Negroes, l60; whites. 3.
The three whites were Robert McKenns,
elected State Senator on the Radical
Independent ticket two years previously
over the regular Democratic nominee,
and two Democrats. In most Of the
districts throughout the county. as like
wise in the wards Of this city, the little
cigar box side-show received very little
attention except from the partisans of
Andrew johnson. But hat there was
repeating in all the wards OF the city no
one whose eyes were not %purposely shut
could fail to see. Taking the vote Of
the Sixteenth civil district as a sample
of the vote throughout the county, it is
evident that we did not overrate, but on
the contrary, greatly moderated the
opposition to Mr.. Johnson in saying that
four.6fths Of the Democrats in Shelby
county refused or failed to votetoinstruct
the members ofthe Legislature to vote for
him for U. s. Senator. The entire vote cast
for johnson at all the polls falls so far
short of a majority as the entire vote Of
the county. that few, we imagine. will
have the hardihood to insist that it can
be regarded as amounting to instruction.
It Q be looked upon only as an indics-
ton Of the preference of those. mostly
negroes and white Radicals, who voted
for the Radical Independent ticket aud
for Andrew johnson for Senator. The
triumph Of the Radical Independent
ticket which was pledged to vote unitedly
for johnson for Senator would have
shown that johnson was the choice of a
majority Of the voters Of the county.
Its overwhelming defeat by 9 ticket
which, no matter what the private under
standing between the candidates and
Nike Waldron, was publicly understood
to be wholly untrameled by pledges to
any one, shows that the m~sjority-and a
large msjority-of the people preferred
to have this question open for the con-
alteration and deliberate action of our
Senators aud Representatives. If Of
the 4le3 votes gathered from the
cigar boxes throughout the county
Of Shelby each and every one
had been cast by a Democratic voter and
supporter Of the regular party ticket.
though that could not have been &C.
counted an instruction, it would have
amounted TO the expression Of q prefer
ence for Johnson Of so large a number
of the members OF the party as ought to
entitle that expression to respectful con-
sideration at least. When the well.
known Radical, Robert McKenna. atthe
polls Of the Sixteenth civil district. on
the day Of the election. deposited his
ballot Cor Maynard. Barbour Lewis and
the Ethsridge Independent Andrew
johnson ticket, he walked up to the
cigar box which was placed close at hand
70 receive instructions" for johnson for
United States Senator. and dropped in
his ballot for that individual Then turn
ing to 8 line Of about fifty negroes who
held in their hands the full and entire
Radical ticket for Governor, Congress
mos and Legislators, he thus addressed
them; Friends. if you want to vote
for Andrew johnson for United States
Senator, here is the place to do SOL |
have ysted for him in this box. and !
think you all, as Republicans. ought to
vote just as / have done" w~hereupOn
ths entire crowd of negroer walked sp
to The cigar box and placed in 1t tbs ship
Which had Andrew JOhnson's name upon
Il for United States Senator. And The
Sixteenth civil district is the one IN
which Senator A. B. Haynes and Repre-
sentative Hugh d. Greer live. and in
which they voted. and which. in fact, hss
helped TO give them 'instructisrs" ~
Democratic Representatives to vote for
Andrew johnson. Can It be that they
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