Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-09-14
LAUDERDALE COUNTY.
The Peoples Candidate on a
Boom.
Grand Ovation at Ripley.

Special Corr. LEDGER.l
RIPLEY, LAUDERDALE Co., TENN, !
September, IL, 1880. !
THE DEBATE.
About six hundred people were
present at the court room to-day, and
such a grand triumph Of reason and
noble ideas over bluster and coarse
wit has rarely been witnessed. 1t was
a glorious victory for the liberty of
Tennessee over the monstrous mass of
corruption and fraud with which
it has been well nigh strangled.
Judge Wright opened, and in a speech
of an hour and half ran over the
usual calendar Of anecdotes and in
vectivs
But for once he was mistaken in his
audience. 1t was Saturday, the
farmers day for going to town, and
that class, all VIGOROUSLY Wilson men,
were in the majority. The town crowd
were stationed in e body around the
rostrum and never lost an opportunity
to yell. They found plenty to inter.
est them and make them laugh in his
funny yarns, but they couldn't see the
points in his arguments.
MR.. Wilson's
argument to-day, though much the
same, as a whole, that urged all along,
was unusually brilliant. both in logic
and delivery. Judge Wright had re-
peated a passage from Deuteronomy,
urging that when man takes new
wife he shall be exempt from war and
business one year, advising Mr.. Viii
son 20 60 home and care for his new
wife. "You made me leave her, an
swered Mr. Wilson, to keep you
from saddling a vast fraud upon the
people, and now you wish me to re.
turn. No sir My wife is a patriot.
She exhorted me to go from her and
fight the
BATTLE OF LIBERTY;
battle with all the strength of nv
soul for the rights of the people, and
never to return to her until came
triumphant at their head, bearing
proudly aloft a banner upon which
victory was Inscribed Profound
applause.
In reply to Wrights charge that
Savage's county got lot of these
bonds, Wilson said the railroads got
them, and not the people.
Mr.. Wilson was asked to-day by
Judge Wright if the people we're to get
together and instruct him to do this or
that thingtohim dishonest or repulsive.
would he do it; and his answer drew
forth round of applause that rung
to the echo. mo, said he, "but /
would do exactly what the democratic
party teaches | ought to do in such
case. | would step down and out,
and let somebody else carry out the
command private convictions would
not permit my doing.
Mr.. Wilson is growing more agrees
sive every day in his argument, admin
istering the most scathing rebukes to
his opponent.
THE SENTIMENT
of LaudeIdale county can be no longer
disputed. Hundreds who wore on the
fence have become ardent Wilson
men since hearing the discussion.
While taking a stroll this evening |
heard an old fellow say, Boys, that
fellow Wilson amt no slouch. The
way he did skin the old Jedge was
shameful. The old fellow put on his
glasses at fust, but he tux 'em off
when Wilson begun, aud his eyes got
big as moons"
Mr.. Bannnn, deputy register, said
that only organization was needed to
make the county solid for Wilson.
Mr., I, A. Roy, an influential citi.
zen Of the western part of the county,
said he knew only two Wright men in
his part of the county.
DR.. w. NJ. Gudger, greenbaeker and
eX-whig, said the Edwards men had
no hope of success and would 20 solid
for Wilson. A low-tax democratic
Olgb has been formed here, and a little
circular has been introduced in the
interest of the peoples candidate.
The county casts 1000 democratic
votes, and at least 1900 will 90 for
Wilson. This can be relied on as a
close estimate, which has been arrived
at by careful canvass of the public
sentiment. Put Lauderdale, Obion
Dyer and Weakley COMMITTEES down for
Wilson, majority not less than 800 in
either. Some tough work will be done
in Crockett and Gibson counties.
WILLOUGHBY.