Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-02-15
The Second MayOralty Term, "YOu
Know"

In yesterday mornings Appeal APP.
peared a very funny interview between
Colonel Heating, Of the appeal, and
john League, Mayor of Memphis.
John gives his political history at length.
He was a Wing in early youth when he
resided in an Eastern State, where the
manufacturing interests prevailed; but
when he came to Tennessee, where
agriculture prevailed, he was a Demo-
crat; when Whiggery went down and
Know.Nothingism came up John took
refuge with the Democratic party, which
defended the foreign born citizens from
their enemies; when the war broke out
he abandoned Democracy and became a
Republican, and at the close of the var
he, according TO the Darwinian theory
Of progression, developed into a South.
ern Radical Of the Brownlow stripe, and
during the war stuck to Andrew John.
son when this latter worthy was the
ierocious military Governor and Briga-
der General of Tennessee. John
remained a Radical through every
contest since 1864; he was the
nominee against Mr.. John johnson
for Mayor on the negroized Radical
ticket; was elected Mayor over Major
Busby in 1873 by Conservative votes,
although the Radical party again nomi-
mated him; but this nomination accord
ing to Johns friends) was not sought by
him, and he announced that he ran for
the office Of Mayor regardless of politics
or party lines. When elected his per-
sonal friends, who secured office under
him, Don showed the cloven foot, and
declared his election to be a Radical
victory, a false assertion, which at once
disguised the Conservative people who
elected him. John relapsed into Radi.
calism once again; he attempted to turn
the fire and police departments into hos
pitfalls for rascally negroes who we're not
respected even by their own race; he
sought to kick out Police Chief Athy
against the wishes OF the white people OF
the city, and then surrounded him with
a set of officers in whom neither the
Chief nor the people had confidence.
He remained a Radical through the
famous August (Bartlett) election,
which gave a deadly blow to Radicalism
and in November last he was still found
fighting against the Democratic nomi.
nees for the Legislature. His financial
policy (if he had such a thing
has proven q farce and a failure,
resulting in almost bankrupting the
city. John saw clearly that he was left
politically and officially, so he looked
around for q chance to square" him
self with Democracy. Not many weeks
ago when the LEDGER pitched into the
City Hall clique or Irish Radical ring,
John wrote a famous letter to the LEDGER
in which he proclaimed himself q Repub
lican, and claimed the right 10 be me,
to which the LEDGER honestly and mag
unanimously replied that John chad a
perfect right in this country TO be a
Radical or anything else equally as dis
reputable he saw fit to be-" But Andrew
johnson came to the front as a candidate
for United States Senator from Tennes-
see, and John saw his chance by which
he and the other Irish Radicals could
slide into the Democratic party with q
view to a second term Of office. The
Appeal interviewer proclaims TO the
world that John has become a Democrat
and has gene back on bis former psliti-
cal faith. We are glad Of it; we welcome
him to the fold, and hope he will become
q good Democratic voter in the future.
so long as the lamp holds out to burn,
The vilest Radical may return"
But John becomes a Democrat with pro-
yisos, and asks Colonel Heating not to
misunderstood his position. He will be
a Democrat when Democracy suits him,
and q Radical when that suits him.
when the devil was sick, a saint the devil
you'd bo;
When the devil got we'll, the devil a saint was
Should the Democratic party become
so thoroughly J%ohnsonized next fall
as to nominate John as its Mayoralty
candidate for a second term, then he
will be a rip roaring Democrat; but if
not, not. We now predict in advance,
that the Democracy win not, and if it
does, John will not be elected. We hope
the Appeal will continue its good work,
send out its apostles to proselyte the
political heathens and convert the Radi-
cal ring into good Democrats; but it
would look suspicious if these newly
converted Radicals asked for office so
soon after the miracle had been per-
formed. One hopeful sign OF reforma-
ton in John is his going back upon his
civil rights ideas which be carried out
so practically last summer when a Texas
delegation of editors visited our city
and when OIL a steamboat excursion
John refused to eat with the white trash.
and sat down at TIE second table with
negro 6ounOilmen.
He says on the subject Of the civil
rights bill:
a. -