Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-03-16
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without being nypercrluchls We may
observe that the above displays rather
more of what the ancients called frosn,
and we call cheek, than any small effort
recently brought under our notice. Be
so good as to remember, gentlemen, that
you are on trial, not the Times. Wit
ness for whom you may desire subpe-
nasl" That is to say the suspected
parties, or their agents, constitute them
selves court, Jury and prosecuting attor.
ney, and ask a witness TO plead guilty
or not guilty. Abstractly speaking,
nothing could give us greater pleasure
than to investigate the Tennessee legis-
%lators, but to do so in the manner sug-
gested by Mr.. Quarles and Mr.. McGath-
lin, would subject us to an inconveni.
ence out of all proportion to the duty we
owe our esteemed sister State. Nor can
We permit those gentlemen to put us in
the attitude Of defendants in this con
troversy. We published, as an item of
news, q paragraph which we believed
then, as we do now, to be at least not
unfounded. 1t contained no Charges"
whichever, but may very well have sug-
gested the proprietY of charges to those
who were more deeply interested than
we. Perceiving in the Tennessee Legis-
lature evidences Of an indignation which
we regarded as spurious, we volunteered
to lend them all the assistance in our
power, which was considerable, if they
would proceed with a bona hde inVesti-
cation. Whereupon they all with one
accord proceed to throw themselves into
attitudes in a very furious and funny
manner and scream. Come on, Mao
duff" This wont do, gentlemen. II
sounds more like %buncembe than ever.
We propose to keep our promise, but we
do not propose to frame charges with the
particularly OF an indictment and then
nroceed with the role Of prosecuting
attorney before q stocked jury. We
urged the committee to go to Memphis,
the only place where the ease can be
properly Investigated Instead of that
they sit down in Nashville and request
us TO bring Memphis to them-quick,
too, because they want TO go home. We
presume Tennessee is reconciled to their
going home as soou as possible, and in
order not to delay so desirable a con
summation, we hasten to give them some
suggestions which, if acted upon, will
greatly facilitate their labors. First,
thew might examine the Nashville banks
and the books Of the Union, and the
First or German National bank, OF Mem.
phis, for transactions connected with the
/, expenses of the late election. The banks
may tell the committee that private
transactions through their officers are
J none of the committees business, which
! will be correct, from the bank stand
. point; but it is the duty Of the com
/ mittee to find them out il they can,
To this endthey might call upon Mr.,
Tyler, Mr.. Rhea, and the city editor o.
the LEDGER, and get their information
concerning the facts that t%ranspired du
ring the canvas bearing upon the ques
ton of influence" The names OF the
R Messrs. Looney are suggested as compe
|, tent witnesses, and possibly Mr.. Green
! a cotton broker, Messrs. Logwood anC
Hill, attorneys, ex. Sheriff Wright and {
e gentleman named Doyle, could furnish
something in the way of interesting ties
, timony. They should be questioned il
, regard to what they know about tn,
4" cigar-box pledge" and whether or no
+ that was what elected the Shelby nine
!. 1t is proper to state that we use tn
names of the above gentlemen withou
their suggestion, but on information tina
they are in possession Of importan
0 knowledge in the premises. The natur
of the written pledge" Of the Shelb.
! delegation, referred to in the paragraph
! was that il Johnson's friends woul
q secure their nomination, which wa
equivalent to an election, they woul
vote for him solidly for United State
m Senator, as they afIerward did. Tn
COMMITTEES should examine the ger
&c tlemen who we're the officers Of th
ID nominating convention at Expositio
or building, aud get directreplies from thel
90 as to the pledge obtained from the Shelb
delegation by gentlemen who were the
laboring for Mr.. Johnson. Before ii
so examination Of these gentlemen is fiji
Ter ished the Times expects to be able
40 forward other names to the committt
Of persons whose evidence should be o
'as tanned. We have not charged that NJ
mr. Johnson aud the Shelby delegation we
az guilty Of corruption, though we hay
he been told so with such corroborating ci
cumstsnees as induce us to put creden,
NJ in the statement. We did not pay nut
attention to the matter at 6rst, because
cy, did not directly interest us; but since Il
raj Legislature has taken it up, we desire
see them 20 through the business no
:" estly and thoroughly. 1t is their affa.
the not ours. We have enough rascality
lcy home TO attend to. Ii the committee
md vestigate iully and fairly, aud then I'll
that our information is not correct,
shall be glad TO publish the result. The
as proceedings thus far do not look mn
lue- like a desire TO investigate. OF 0
as thing they may rest assured, noy Ii
AZ our Interest is TO some extent arous,
10 wit: that we will not allow them
ivy Kick up a dust and run of in the
security Of the same without making thI
ieve action right extensively known.
have no feeling IN the matter. We KIN
nothing personally Of the Shelby dele
nan ton. OF Mr.. johnson we know m,
ould than we admire, though we indo
e to many Of the principles he advoca
with ability and effect, But as he 2,
to Washington with a flourish Of trn
goes pets, and as the ayenger Of corrupt
'ged and the high priest Of the Constitnti
he ought, in all conscience, to 20 Ii
ress with skirts freer from disreputa
of Z practices than we are able to believe
TO be.
the
the s" pSr'or ornament Is the e
the acting perfume fountain" 1t is a la
not basin of some peculiar compost
from the center Of which comes a ST
an IN