Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-10
A GRUMBLER WHO SHALL BE HEARD.


drawn indictment from San oil
resident" who is not satisfied viii
the editorial management of thu
LEDGER. We give it entire, after
eliminating it Of bad spelling and
a promiscuous use of capital letters,
The sight of his complaints in print
in this improved form may quiet
his nerves Here it is:
To the Editor of tbs Ledger:
How is it that the LEDGER" the
peoples paper" has just made the
wonderful discovery that base bsll at
Central Park on Sunday is not only q
nuisance but q positive violation of law
aud should be suppressed by the sheriff
of the county Why did not the
LEDGER impart the startling intelli.
genee several years ago that baseball
was destined to overthrow the govern
ment, and that the violators must be
punished By the proper authorities2
How is it the LEDGER" the peoples
paper an exponent OF public opinion,
does not call tor justice to be melted out
in full measure to the Reesnoyer broth
ers, who stand guilty Of having commit.
ted one of the foulest and most cold.
blooded murders that ever occurred
within the borders of Shelby county?
The consistent LEDGER has been for
many months engaged 10 constant war.
fare against the Street Railway Compa.
ny, fighting for the rights OF q dear pee
pie" where only one and oue,fourth
cents per ride was involved; but where
is the peoples" paper, when such as.
sassins as the "Reesnover brothers are
set at liberty by a jury OF twelve men,
who are little or no better than Tom
ReesnoVer, who fred the fatal shot that
that brought w~idowhood, o~rphanage, des-
o%laiion, and lasting grief to what was
onee q happy homer Could we imagine
a picture Of so sad q nature as that pre-
scented IN the courtroom on the day OF
the acquittal OF the murderers2 There
sat the widow Of the dead man, Ellis
sorrovful, downeast, suffering mental az.
guish almost beyond human endurance,
in tie very presence of a jury who de-
clare Reesnover not guilty of the terri.
bic crime of killing her husband. What
a mockery and dsmnable farce is the
Criminal Court OF Shelby county, Aud
how we'll the peoples" paper knows
this to be a factl Yet all is silent. Not
a wori does it have to say.
The LEDGER is constantly calling on
the police to wake up. etc., and give at
tention to such and such things Why
ia it and how is it that you do not tell the
people that Memphis is almost destitute
Of police, and that only eighteen men
are Oh duty at a time, and they are dis
tributed over four miles Of territory, or
in other words have to Istrol seventy
miles Of street?
How is it that the great LEDGER does
not tell the dear people" how to rid
themselves Of the professional Jury
s%bomination, by which ~murderers and
thieves are set at liberty; an sbomina-
ton and q curse which afllcts this coun.
try to such an extent as to make human
ity shudder? Will the LEDGER come 10
the front, aud meet such exigencies as
may be involved 10 wsging q severe and
bitter warfare against these professional
jurymen, and others who set at liberty
nearly all Of the assassins who are ar
raigned before the f%arcical Criminal
Court of Shelby county, Shall we hear
from you? OLD Resident.
Memphis, July 8.
If "0ld Resident" had been a
constant reader of the LEDGER he
would not fall into so many mis-
takes. We answer him seriatim:
First-The LEDGER has never
encouraged baseball or taken any
stock in the game further than to
sometimes report the result of
games as a matter of news. We
have, time and again, for years past,
spoken of its evil tendencies when
carried to excess, and especially con-
demned the Sunday game. When
it at last became a gigantic nuisance,
disturbing public peace and cor
rupting the morals of the youth of
our city, we felt constrained to
combat the evil with greater force,
and shall continue to do SO whether
"0ld Resident" approves or APP
plauds. Moral-Read the Ledqey.
Second-We hold that when O
man charged with any crime is
arrested and arraigned before the
courts, it is the duty of the State to
prosecute him, and not the news
papers. One jury found the Rees.
movers guilty of murder in the
first degree. They were granted
a new trial on account of irregular.
tiles in the first trial. The next
jury acquitted them. The case was
ably argued on both sides and con.
tinued several days. 1t cannot be
said that the prosecution lacked
great energy, perseverance and
ability. We did not hear the testi-
mony or much of the argument
What would "0ld Resident" have
us do? Form an opinion upon out
side rumor and try to manufacture