Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-08-08
THE LOUISVILLE ELECTION.

AA6 NA11A AA6OAAON'
Louisville is divided into seven
legislative districts. At the cleo
ton held Monday last the working
mems ticket carried five out of the
seven for thelegiSlature. The move
ment to place such a ticket in the
field seems to have originated dur
ing or since the recent labor disturb
ances. There wasa regular Demo
cratic ticket in the field, which was
confidently expected to walk over
the track. The wOrkingmen, how
ever, put out a ticket which carried
the day. What definite issues were
made before the people we cannot
state. Whether the five workingmen
elected to the legislature were ADLER
or better men than their opponents,
or stood in favor Of public meas
ures acceptable to a greater num-
Der of people, it is not easy to as
certain at this distance; and
whether the five workingmen
can represent the people better and
do more for the commonwealth
than their defeated opponents
could have done is still another
question. We take it that the
cause of the little Waterloo to the
Louisville Democracy can be found
in the apathy of the party and the
absence of living issues rather than
in the personnel or profession OF
the candidates, and that the
workingmen and their sympa-
thizers availed themselves OF
this opportunity to express their
dissatisfaction with the public
management Of affairs in general,
and to take the party by the back
of the neck and give it a good shak-
ing up. The laWless elements do
not constitute a majority of the
people Of Louisville, and the revo-
luton in local affairs cannot be at
trlbuted entirely to them. There
were no doubt good reasons for
checking the local politicians in the
habit Of debating tickets and di-
yiding the little offices and honors
among themselves or their pets.
The Courier journal takes a doleful
view of the situation. We give 4
few extracts from the double loaded
editorial on the first page of yester-
days issue. 1t is headed "Triumph
of the Mob" and begins as follows:
The result of yesterday is clearly
a victory of the mob over the con-
servative forces of society. The
issue was distinctly and boldly made
by the leaders of the mob. Moth
ing more extreme has ever been
heard anywhere than the opinions
and sentiments expressed by those
who put this case of 'labor against
capital" There was no mincing
Of purposes, or words, and b
triumph so decisive, coming directly
on the heels of the late distur.
Dances, is full of significance. II
will ling all over the world, in all
the trade unions, International
and communes, as evidence of whaI
the organized workmen can do at the
ballot-box. Force may suppress.
strikes, ut it cannot intercept O.
stop the operations of universe
suffrage when the poorer classe
are firmly welded together and lie,
compactly against a divided or in
dolent public.
Further along the editor find
comfort in adversely and moralize
thusly:
TO be sure, to-day's announce
ment will sound i'll over the State
and gives us an exceeding black ey
to begin on in the State legislature
The gentlemen who have bee
elected as regulators of the Demo
cratic party will occupy very lone
some positions at Frankfort. The
will be powerless to effect anythin
for themselves or the new part
they repreEent, or to be of serviC
to any solid interest in the commit
nifty Of which they are citizen
They will augment the prelude
entertained against Louisville !
the country. But they wi
stimulate Democratic organizatio
and discipline here and elsewherl
Indeed, it is time. Things hal
gone at loose ends too long. TIL