Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-12-14
DEMONSTRATION
Mayer Flippin's Friends Ratify
Him at the Opera House.
A Large Attendance and an Attentive
Audience.


LEDGER Office yesterday afternoon to
signify that the supporters Of Mayor
Flippin, in the present municipal caH.
vass, would make a demonstration at
the GreeulAw Opera House, brought to
that building last night cue of the largest
crowds that we have seen assembled for
political purposes since the meeting that
ratified the call upon Major Busby. 1t
was respectable in numbers and 10 char.
acter. The business committee of the
citizens party worked up and managed
the affair well. A brass band occupied
the orchestra seats and gave forth excel
lent music throughout the evening at
intervals Upon the stage we're seated
Messrs N d Menken, H. NJ. Nicely,
Louis Hanauer, J.. Steele, B P. Ander.
son, ?. G. Quigly, P. J Kelly, Judge J..
W. Clspp, Thomas Gale. Jesse Forrest,
W. N. Brown, F. NJ. White, John 7.
Fargasou, D W. McCres, W. B. Mallory,
B NJ. Estes, j. l. Goodbar, s.. r Clarke,
VIM. Miller, Rufus Mccain (colored), W.
I. Towbridge ~(colored). Judge flanagan,
Pat. Colligan, W. G. Mcclure, Ralph
Wormeley, C. W.. Metcalfe, D. T. Porter,
James Roosa. William Messick, DR.. Fry
Brown, John E Randle, Wiley B. Miller,
j. D. Goodbar, F. A. Tyler, ST., R. B.
Hutchinson, G. Il. Judah, J. R Goodwin,
G. A. Hanson ard others, including the
reporters Of the press.
Mr.. ]. R. Goodwin, chairman of the
committee, presided over the meeting,
and while there was nothing cut and
dried Of course, as there never is on
Sach occasions, everything run with re.
~markable smoothness. All the speakers
called for happened to be present and to
be in remarkably good trim. The first
floor was full Of people, nearly all
whites, except Ed Shaw and Cassels. the
colored lawyer, who happened to be on
hand very conveniently when called.
The galleries above we're occupied
mostly By colorsd men-some two or
three hundred perhaps. The crowd vas
in a remarkably good humor and paid
strict attention to the various addresses,
"
thus evincing the interest that is felt
in our city affairs, and hat orderly,
law-abiding quality characteristic Of
all large assemblages in the South. PEG.
pie came ard vent all evening, and from
first TO last we presume that twelve or
fifteen hundred persons entered the
building. The gentlemen upon the stage
represented much of the capital and in.
telligence of Memphis and eviuced a
creditable earnestness ia the proceed.
ings. Many Of them are neg in politics;
they have just been born again, as it
were, 10 accomplish certain purposes
which could have been effected long ago
within instead OF without the Demo.
cratic party by their aid aud counte
nance. Their presence even at a non.
partisan public meeting, as this was
styled, is a good sign. There is nothing
like discussion, you know, and forcing
men to take a side, even il it is an outside.
But to u mutton, as the French say.
AS soon as the meeting settled down to
a subsidized state of enthusiasm, Me-. God.
win introduced Colonel B. NJ. Estes, the
gentleman, it will remembered, who pre-
sided over a municipal convention two
years ago, which succeeded 10 nominal.
ing Judge Flippin for mayor over John
Johnson. Colonel Estes has a happy
way Of measuring a crowd as we'll as q
jury. He made a ten strike two years
ago, although be never played a game
of p, we mean billiards 10 bis life
He made a telling and a very happy
speech, and it made everybody on the
stage happy because it vas concluded
that the crowd present was oil for-Flip
pin, and that the election was Just as
good as over and won. But it IL a long
time until the 18th OF January.
After Colonel Estes came Mayor Flip
pin, with the sad, reluctant look Of a
martyr, who only consented to be mayor
as an accommodation to the public, not
that he personally felt any interest or
ambition in the matter. He was
escorted by Colonel Jesse Forrest
and Mr.. james Rosa, and was
received with an applause that rose
far above the din aud blsre aud claug
olang Of the brass bspd. When this had
subsidized entirely, at the end Of Ave min
utes or SO, he produced come manu-
script memorandum and proceeded to
make a long talk, which occupied nearly
an hour. 1t was not altogether as Goa.
nected and coherent as some of the bust.
ness men in the audience expected, but
wasa very frank effort and was frequent.
ly %applanded. The most of it was personal
to himself aud bis administration. la
the first part he was quite SARCASTIC in
regard to gentlemen connected with the
Democratic and Conservative executive
committee and those who had a hand 10
its appointment. Perhaps il he had
looked into the credentials Of the com.
mittee that opened an opportunity
for bin to come to the front two
years ago, he would have found equal
.CA.. e.. ..As.s-- n