Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-05-04
The appeal said So,

AZ tue EullOr OF Tue Leuger.
1t is a matter of establishment to many
of our citizens to see the Memphis APP
peal permitting itself to be used by what
you denominate the Exchange Building
ring. Time was when that journal was
ever the FIRST to lead off in exposing cor
ruption and misrule. 1t stood as il we're
upon the watch.tower and guarded the
public interest, and when the public veal
was threatened ii gave out unmistakable
notes Of warning. There was a time
when the Appeal warned the people of
Memphis against John League, and
placed the name of Busby at its mast
head. Now, since Johnny has been
Mayor a little over fifteen months, a
change has come over the Appeal. The
fierce attacks Of former days have
melted down and Johnny has no de-
fender more earnest han the big morn
ing journal. True, it does not TEEN with
praise of the lutte Mayor, BUTT shrewdly
supports and abets him in a far more
effective manner. 1t publishes Johnny's
little lectures to the General Council and
what he has to say about caucuses
among the members of the two Boards,
but it is significantly r%eticent in telling
the public about the tricks that the diff
ferent committees have caught Johnny
and his figure. heads in. When Council
man Hewitt made a short speech in the
Common Council, and in reply to
Johnny said the object of the caucuses
was to endeayor to prevent him (the
Mayor from putting or keeping thieves
in office, there was not room in the
small columns of the Appeal for Hew-
tits short speech. When Alderman
Hillsman and others made speeches in
favor of e%lectiDg the FIVE police and FIRE
commissioners, that paper could not find
space to announce to the public their
remarks. But the speech of Alderman
Robbins (who has equally strangely got
over the line) against the election and in
%consonance with Johnny's views, APP
peared in full. Again, it is said that the
able legal opinions Of Messrs. Craft,
Houston and Estes was offered to the
Appeal for publication, but there was no
room for it. But there is room enough for
divers illusions in praise Of the opinion
Of I. w. Brown, Esq against the legal
ity of the election, Why is this2 League
desires that all the officers now 10 shall
remain in until next January, and Rob.
bins fights his battles in the General
Council and gets Browns dictum pub
lished in the Avalanche, while the Ap.
peal takes the cue and thunders away
generally against the charter, the Fl
nance Committee, and especially the
sixteen" who have shown to the world
that they are for reforming abuses and
have the pluck to throttle Johnny, in
spite of my Lord Cardinal" and the
old reliable" 1t looks, on the surface
even, like Johnny is laying pipe for an
other term of Office and is DESTROYS TO
keep his ring-men in Office in order that
the patronage may be thrown in the
scale on his side. The question natu-
rally presents itself: Has be captured
the Appeal2 Surely the Appeal cannot
be tied to the bebtail coat of Johnny
Loaguei But things look that way, and
we, the public, have not access behind
the curtains and must judge from ap-
pearaces. The time was when the Ap-
peal would have published to the world
that Johnny falsiied the truth Of his
tory" when he said he had not drawn
his official salary, or any part OF it;
when that paper would have proclaimed
that Johnny permitted $4,000 of the
money of the city to be tied up by at
tachment inthe Emmett Bank for months
to satisfy a debt Of only Sll0O; that
Johnny was very anxious that an attor-
ney should be elected to assist the City
Attorney, at a salary of $4,000; but when
he could not force his pet upon the
Board he took q fit of economy and
vetoed the measure. Has my right
hand lost its %cunning2 Has the sword,
once welded as the cimeter of the
Turks, become suddenly dulled and
hangs upon the wall, while the chibouk
has taken its placer Does the Appeal
mean hat the public shall consider it
making a war upon the General Council,
because their efforts are pointing to re-
trenchment and reiorm2
REFORM.