Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-12-02
POLITICAL.
One Way or the Other.

| pointed by the Democratic convention
which assembled at the Greenlaw
Operahouse Saturday last, having tram
scended the powers intrusted to them by
the convention, should at once publicly
rescind their Illegal and void action in
the premises, or Immediately resign.
Either course is simply the duty of the
executive committee, dictated alike by
sense Of respect to the convention
which appointed them, and which has
been outraged by their action, and by a
sense of justice to the Democratic party,
whose success in the approaching cleo
ton the committee has seriously leopard
lied. CONSERVATISM.
That Sad Resolution.
EDITORS APPEAL-The city executive
committee seem to misunderstood the
functions of their Office, and to imagine
that it is competent for them to radical
ize the movement inaugurated by the
call for Democratic mass-me Getting,
signed ten days ago by number of re.
/ spectacle citizens, and in pursuance of
which the staunchest and most intelli-
| gent Democratic citizens of Memphis
met in the Greenlaw Opershouse Satur-
day night, and appointed simply
Democratic committee" During the
| progress of the mass-convention there
was not one word uttered which would
lead anybody to think for a moment
that it was anything else than a purely
Democratic gathering. ALI the rag. tag
elements Of liberalism, which includes
every Radical in the city, were not in
vited to attend nor to participate in the
proceedings; and, in fact, they did not
| attend nor participate. General Wright,
whom the meeting, by vociferous call
ing, insisted upon hearing, said In his
short speech that he understood
the business in hand was the
resuscitation Of the regular old
glomerations Of inc0ngruous elements
which could be classed under the hydra
head of "Democratic-Conse Lib
ersl." Such combination would not
be tolerated. And that General Wright
expressed the sentiments of the meet
ing was sufficiently attested by the
cheers and evident general satisfaction
with which his speech was received.
During the whole period of the meet
ing not word was said about anything
but Democracy, and it was universally
understood that the committee was en-
powered to act as Democratic COM
mittee, and nothing else. There was
nothing left to their wisdom, or discre-
ton or caprice. They had certain plain
duties to perform; debating what ele-
ments constitute Democracy was not
one of them. 1t was their duty to adj
here to the letter and spirit of the mass
convention, and these were entirely
sverse to the admixture of elements
hitherto and now hostile to the princi-
piles Of the Democratic party here and
everywhere else in the country.
OLD-FASHIONED DEMOCRAT.
The Appeal Sustained.
EDITORS APPRAL-By reference to |
the editorial columns of the Ledger, Of |
last evening; it will be seen that the at |
titude of your journal toward the un-
warranted proceedings of the Demo- |
cratic executive committee for this city, |
which was appointed at Democratic |
meeting, called by Democrats, to pre-
pare for the nomination OF Democrat |
for mayor of Memphis, is pretty nearly |
knocked all to pieces by one of the ablest |
arguments that ever appe AIRED in print. |
In my estimation you have most cor
rectly asserted that the following reso-
luton, passed day before yesterday by |
the municipal Democratic executive |
committee, does not oomport with the |
objects and sentiments of the Democrats |
who gave 1t life and power, but that on
the contrary it opens the doors to the
very vilest enemies Of our party organ.
iZation into the chamber Of its birth.
Here is the resolution which you have
deemed wise and proper to inveigh
against, and in which opposition you
are more largely sustained than perhaps
will be palstable to some who are or
may be of the Ledqer's EDITORS "new
dispensation
Resolved, That 1t is the sense of this COM
mlttee that all the Democratic C Conservative
to unite in the election of delegates to a con-
vention to be held for the nomination of
candidate for may or of Memphis.
That means ell sorts, no matter of what
political complexion, so they can pro-
nounce the magical word liberal " for
the occasion, must be invited" to join
in the proceedings of our ward meetings
and help send delegates to nominate
mayor, whom in all probability they do
heart and soul to defeat. This is the
margin and scope given to the enemies
of the Democratic party under that
resolution, to which you have most
timely opposed your sanction. The
Ledger'S crushing grounds to your po-
sitiOn on this point are these: That
when the last State Democratic conven-
ton assembled at Nashville, August 10,
1874, TO nominate Democratic candi.
date for governor, and after such nomi-
nation had been made in the person of
that Democrat, James d. Porter, the
convention promulgated this language:
The representatives of the Democratic and
Conservative party of Tennessee, in conven-
ton assembled, most cordially mute all good
and true men, who desire to increase the pros
perity of the people of the State and preserve
her honor untarnished, to unite Nth them in |
carrying out the fOLOt0ino principles, etc.
And the Ledger, to clinch its position,
says, "these are yet our sentiments"
How sublime! How unanswerable are
these words, Messrs. Editors, against the
humble attitude you have taken that
Ed Shaw, Colonel Barbour Lewis, John
League and General NJ. T. Williamson
who are "good and true men, who de-
sire to increase the prosperity of the peo.
pie of the State but who happen to be.
long to the "Liberaln Radical party of !
not be invited into q
Democratic convention to control it's
before they proclaim them.
selves Democrats or Democratic Com
and opposed to the party to
which they never deny allegiance. The
resolution which you oppose does not
smanate from a Democratic convention,
after 1t has assem- bled, selected its nom 1
nees and passed its resolutions, such as {
he one the Ledger refers to. '
sut from an executive committee.
which was simply formed for the
express purpose of preparing for DEM s
,cratic or Democratic Conservative con-
yention, for have no earthly objection
0 the latter appendage, surrounded by G
he limitations OF the Democrats who
reated 1t. A convention has plenary
rowers as to party resolutions, plat.
orms and candidates, but such is not the s
ase with executive committees, who d
re but the servants Of conventions, and 8
the exhaustive and
BILE reasoning, backed up with the over
resolution Of the convention,
assed after 1t had made candidate and
platform in 1874, which the Ledger 8