Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-12-28
WORKINGMEN.
How They Ratified Last Night
at the Greenlaw Opera
House. iI
A Good, Lively Meeting.

Ratification mass meeting No. 3 was
held last night at the Greenlaw Opera
House. We FIRST had a Flippin meeting,
then a johnson demonstration and now
the hardy, horny-banded sons Of toll, who
never clipped a coupon in their lives,
have ratified the regular nomination of
James W, Anderson. At 4 o'clock yes
terday afternoon the booming o. q six
pound gun on the Bluff announced that
something unusual was on hand.
The opera-house was lit up early in the
evening, and the strains Of a good color
ed brass band fell upon the air. By S
O'clock the house was well filled, above
as well as below, and compared
very favorably With The two pre-
vious mass-meetings held there. Upon
the stage appeared James W Andersen,
the topipee Of the party, Minor Meri-
weber. A. T. Lacey, Wp. Horgan,
Councilman W. e, Bates, Jas Gallagher,
l. Happek, Charles Aaron, P. Ryan, Jno.
Deets, School Visitor Keely a. Il. Doug
lass, y. W.. DdvaI, Herbert Ashbrook,
John Carnes, colored, Jo' Clouston, col.
ored, and several others. Alter music
by the band Nr. Aaron, Of the central
executive committee appeared and stated
the object Of the meeting, viz: To rat;iy
the nomination of Mr.. J. W. Anderson
as the Workingmep's candidate for the
mayorslty Of Memphis nHg
Mr.. Anderson was then introduced
and was received with hearty applause.
After a few preliminary remarks he pro-
duced a manuscript and proceeded to
deliver the speech be had prepared for
the occasion. IL was not long, but was
sharp, spicy and effective. he said be
had not sought the candidacy rendered
him, the candidacy which his competi.
tors had SO earnestly and vigorously
sought to obtain. The workingmen for
the first time united in a powerful or.
ganizatiou. They had been attho mercy
of the capitalists, but they were de-
termined to be SO no more. Others were
socially and ~pecuniarily their superiors,
but not intellectually. The Workingmen
needed but an earnest and united slrug.
gle to win.
Mr.. Anderson then read from the
W%orkingmen's platform. and said tire
ceived his warmeSt support.
he then paid bis respects to the two
former mass meetings. he character
lied the first as a meeting of "solid
men" each clssping bis portmonaie and
claiming that wealth aud respoctabilily
went together. These men boast that
they have thousands with which to buy
the poor mans vote. Why not let them
put up this money to pay the poor IN.
paid city employes2 he favored paying
the city employees in preference to the
salaries OF mayor and city officers. The
second meeting vas held, not by the
boudholders or solid men, but by the
o6ice.seekers, the vampires, curbstonC
shavers, etc, who live off Of the public
q
They we're lawyers without clients, mer.
chants without merchandise, played.oui
ward politicians, who had been every,
thing by turns aud nothing long. These
men support John johnson. The speak.
ers claimed to represent the Working.
mans party, but they did not represent
the workingmen. In the first meeting
the sleek, weli.fed bondholders we're
present; in the second we're the Office
seekers, the lean, lantern,jawed politi.
clans, who are pulling at the public pap
he referred to the charge that he was
brought out as a side friend of one Or
the other candidates. This was not true.
He was the Workingman's candidate,
and would make the race to the end; and
he was opposed to the exsetiug bond
holder on the one side and the unscrupu-
lous politician on the other.
Mr.. Anderson's strong ATS we're heart.
lily a~pplauded.
The next speaker was Mr.. Minor Meri
wether. He said that the city had been
under the genius of misrule. This was
no communisic effort. II was 8 move
ment of the people TO restore the gov
eminent to its primitive purity. Mr.
Meriwether read copioas extracts from
the address issued by the Workingmeh's
party. Mr.. Meriwstber claimed to be a
Democrat Of the old Jefferson school,
but said that the Democratic party had
abandoned its principles, and DOW was
going for Office and spoils. He wore no
collar, and was not to be whipped in by
the party lash, and he was now with the
Werkingmen's party. he discussed the
rise of the city debt under various sd-
ministrationsr and criticised Mr., John
sons in particular. As between the
two he was in favor of Mr.. Flip.
pin, who was present. He was in
favor Of placing the city in the hands of
a receiver, and in conclusion urged his
hearers to vote for Anderson for mayor
The other speakers we're ex.Mayor A.
H. Douglass, John G. Carnes, (c%olored),
from the Charleston railroad shop, W. j.
Duvall, a lawyer, James Gallagher, ESQ
and Mr.. l.. Happek, The speakers were
spplauded more or less, and interrupted
- I. yhnJ hrAnrad ,y.v H. ~. l