Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-23

sand, according 70 the Office for which they
are nominated; even school-dIrectors, VINO
get no salaries, are assessed fifty dollars.
Bat after the FIRST day the defeated candi-
date" came 20 the conclusion that he would
not pay any Of the demands made upon him
except the regular as assessment of the party
whose nominee he vas II saw, he says,
early in the action, mnch to my surprise,
that success was matter Of money; that the
a ,ating vote had to be purchased or could
win. ] made an estimate Of the cost, and
f aud that it involved the expenditure Of
more money than the otfice was worth to me,
having neither political aspirations nor axes
to grind" Some Of the scenes through which
be had to pass are described with much hu-
NOR. There Is a sort of a dramatic climax
when his China boy opens the door for the
anil coolie delegation. The writer explains:
AN unfortunate eoHtretsnpS lost me the
nomination of the anti-coolieites. | was
snatching an early breakfast In the hope Of
escaping early from my daybreak friends,
when the bell rang, and my China boy re-
turning reported that one piece man top
SIDE wanted to see me. l assembled and en-
! coIatered a delegation from that society, and
toe usual inquiry if would accept nomi-
nation" But the inopportune appearance Of
the Monaghan rendered negotiations diff
cai,. With some humor the authoee laims:
e was ruined by cheap labor, the fir axper-
iment.' There are only one or two points
upon which Defeated Candidate" furnishes
y hat may b. considered new facts. One of
hot s
hch were aiterward offered TO the
city, entered actively into the
fight The authors description of
bis visit TO the sewer trap is one of the most
| amusing scenes which he paints. There is food
for reflection in the closing sentence of the di-
alogue on this occasion: Il said, My friend,
l. not this a little p-emature?' 'Oh, no,
wanted you to see this machine before you
were committed 10 some other one" The
secret organization business is well touched
Up in the interview which followed the mys-
terious note: Dear Sir-by calling at room
-, Granite block, you will learn something
greatly to your advantage as nominee
An offer TO insure his election for one thou
sand dollars made by certain parties, the au-
thor is inclined to think, had reference to
some ''crookedness" in the counting. But
there is a serious side, and very serious one,
to all this Defeated Candidate" puts the
matter clearly when he says: ''To be a can
didate for office requires such an outlay Of
money and such sacrifice of self respect
that no man not having unusual interest at
stake. or. perhaps, political ambition, can
afford to accep. a nomination and be put
through such course of experience. The
only remedy he has to suggest is, that before
election the committees of the great parties
shall come together and mutually agree that
their candidates shall pledge themselves to
have nothing to do with any outside organ
izatiOn. There may be some exaggeration in the
picture drawn by the defeated California can
dIdates; but here in Memphis. and through
out the whole country, candidates for high
official station will find much of their own
experience. Vagabonds and topers dog the
heels of candidates from rosy morn to dew
eve." Ward politicians, who live in idleness,
claim and receive money from all the can
didates, and betray all alike. Money can
be legitimately used in political canvass.
Without it party machinery would go to
pieces, and there would be no such a thing
as party organization. Work has to be
done by somebody IN the primary steps to an
election, clerks must be paid, printing must
be done, and Office rent, and a thousand
things provided, and somebody must furnish
the money. The only question is whether it
should be forced out of the candidates for
office or collected from the mass of the party,
including these candidates. The candidates,
after contributing their share for the pay
ment of the necessary contingent expenses,
should set their faces like flint against fur
ther exactions. The distribution of money
among men base enough to demand 1t encour
ages idleness, which is the nursery Of vice.
IL degrades the elective franchise. 1t incul
Gates despicable morality. If this thing is
to be continued. the offices Ct the country
will be auctioned off at the courthouse, and the
successful bidder will not be the man of
moral worth, honesty and capacity; but the
gambler, the sharper and the burglar who
has stolen money enough to purchase him an
Office to give him respectability