Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-11-14
A woRp ABOUT rHOMAg pEMoCaArs.

ana 81 per annum IoE sno MeeAS A's'
age free.
A WORD ABOUT THOMAS DEMOCRATS.
The Thomas Democrats have been
read out of the party. They have been
ordered to depart, ye wicked" into
that place prepared for the Radicals, and
stay there until needed to elect Casey
Young or some other Democrat to con
gress. The fact that they voted solid for
every nominee on the ticket except Por-
ter does not count q feathers weight in
their favor. The Radicals voted for
Thomas, ergo, all Democrats who voted
for Thomas are traitors-worse than
Radicals and should be read out of the
ranks OF the faithful, without the benefit
Of clergy. The shrewder high tax Re
publicans in East Tennessee voted for
Porter, and if the reasoning applied here
can be brought to bear up there the East
Tennessee Democrats have gone over to
the Republicans or the latter have joined
the Democracy. The fifteen hundred
Thomas Democrats in Shelby county
can afford to wait. They will be needed
to save the p a.r-t-y in less than two
wears, and, we have no doabt, will
respond with as much patriotism
aud readiness as II no spi;eiul attempt
had been made to stigmatize their name
and class them with t~raitors, Radicals
aud negroes. Remember that There is
some excuse for words uttered in the
heat Of discussion or in times OF high
popular excitement, and due allowance
should be made for surroundings and
circumstances. Men often cay and DO
things one dag that they would not re-
peat the next. Bot there'is no excuse
or apology for adelibsrateinsul studied
and repeated day after day. Some Of
those who censursd Governor Porter in
more severe terms than vi ever did,
became his noisisst advocates When
they saw that he had no organized
opposition and was certain OF election
And now they claim the entire credit Of
the victory, aad read out OF the party
men who took their edvice six weeks or
two months ago. No man is u be
treated or recognized as q Democrat who
had the temerity to protest againot the
funding oil aud an increase of taxes, for
that was what it meant By scratching
the name OF Porter or voting for Thomas.
The party, it seems, is big enough, ttrong
enough and unkind enough to kick Gf-
teen hundred Democrats out Of the
party at onca aud tel them to 20 to the
Radicals, where they belong. This, too,
is done oy men who advocated and voted
for Governor Senter and Horace
Greeley, both lifelong Republicans
Had this not been the year OF the Preii-
DENTAL election Porter's vote would
havebsen greatly reduced; as it is he
makes considerable gains over two years
ago. We have always favored strict
party organization, but not party des-
potism. This is a free c0aairy, or ought
to be, and every freeman ought 10 keep
his own conscience. The most Of the
Porter Democrats, we ara free to say,
admit this aRd do not assume to sxsr
else any supervisory control over their
neighbors. A few, however, set up to
represent and speak for the rest, and
even 10 order the merchants to take
their advertisements out Of the LEDGER
for not stultifying the record of
three years By ~indorsing Porter
This ultimatum Is as ridiculous as a
Millsriie prophecy that the world will
come to an end on g certain day. Some
Of these would.be leaders no doub. fond
ly dream Of a day when they can muzz.e
an independeB. press aud say that this
policy shall be insorsed or that man de
nOlnced. The LEDGER, having dis
charged is duty to the party and the
pubic, pursues the even tenor Of i.s way
unaffected by the rant Of parlisans. the
nonsense Of snperanuated leaders, or the
malice Of blessing selpents. The end is
not yet, We shall zee who vas right. We
have been in the minority before, but
have never shirked an issue. Time at
last makes all things even so Byron
said. Ii any Of the Porter Democrats
insist on irou-clad tests Of party fealty
they will no doubt succeed in excluding
enough voters to reduce the party to very
select and manageable proportions