Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-05-02

True Democrats FcrewelI Shot.
EDITOR LEDGER:-There is little
else in ID. G. Us" long andrambling
article in Fridays issue but words and
unsupported denials Of my statements,
based in every instance upon proofs
given, except on some matters with
which l supposed every intelligent
person acquainted.
l respectfully advise 81. G. T."
before he again ESSAYS to write for the
public, to study the fact and realize the
grand truth taat words are things"
As a small example in point, | did
not complain that""T." had denied
but one TACT asserted by" me, but |
did state, and correctly, that lin his
whole article there is but n matter
on which he takes issue, and
on that he offers no proof
against mine but his own unsupported
opinion" and then | proceeded
to give additional proofs on this
point, against which he comes back
with another unsupported denial. Il
deny the assertion" says "T.," that
in southwest Virginia the white read
busters are in a majority" Upon
what evidence against mine? Why,
that within the last two or three years
[, ("L. G. To have spent consider
able time 10 that part of the state"
ergo, it is sol This, by the way is
a sample of the argument line" OF
which "T." so vauntingly boasts him
self in his article. If there has been
anything like argument in any offs"
articles, | have utterly failed to discov-
er it. Here, Ut" are some more facts
for you to"deny." In the SOUTHWEST Vir-
ginia congressional district composed
of 10 white counties, the home Of
Senator johnson of wolf in-the tall
fame, in the congressional campaign Of
1873, when there was not a full vote
and before the organization OF the re-
adjuster party, 1859 conservative
votes were cast, divided among three
so-called conservatives, electing one
of them against only 613 votes fol
Camp, republican, (see congressional
directory 18th congreSs.) In Febru-
airy, 1879, the readjusters commenced
their organization, and upon afull vote
in that district in the fail, the funders
only elected two representative and not
a single senator. In the last presi-
! dental election, when there was again
a full vote of % 1874, of which only
1868 were republicans, lin the ninth
district the readjuster candidate (fOr
congress) was elected over both the
republican and the regular demo
cratic candidates" See B. Il 0. Red
Book, pages 70, 70 and rs. Your
want of space, Mr.. Editor, forbids my
following at" in his wanderings
about Paul's district and eastern Vir-
GINA. His statements in regard to
these generally are upon a par with
his denial Of my statement about
southwest Virginia.
| was quite prepared for 81 G. Us"
Il deny that there wa any fairness
about the primary election" The
readiusters proposed that every voter
who pledged himself to vote for Han
cock should have a voice. The fuDders
insisted upon an impossible test Of
true democrats" in a state where
there was no democratic party, and,
in effect, declared they wanted ior
Hancock no votes of negroes or white
men who had ever been known as re-
p~ublicans.
Upon OIL imaginary ethical
point" of his, ST" very kindly refers
Inc to "Calderwood's Moral Philoso-
ply" in one paragraph of his article,
and in the very next one ATTEMPTS to
answer my argument on his bugbear
reputation, that if reputation
will dishonor Virginia she is already
dishonored beyond the hope of re-
demption, by a plea, in substance, of
compulsion Is this 81. G. RS high
morality? Can he mean that an hon
est mar or gentleman" will do a dis
honorable or mean thing under COM
pulsion, or that it will morally excuse
in him such an act? Why, even Jack
Falstaff declared to prince he would
give no man a reason upon compulsion,
if reasons were as plenty as blackber-
riesI p What think you, IT., OF
those so-called democrats and repub-
licans who could not honorably (?)
consent to scale the state debt, much
of which was. fraudulent, but could
vote to scale the Memphis debt to 335
on the dollar? l wonder if Calder
wood has anything on this point?
But | come now to IT'S biggest
II denyl !" 81 deny" says he, that
the democratic party began in 1923
IL l. ~ Will NuhC blC llOu'
BILE to examine Alexander Stevens
history of the United Suites, he will
find that the party OF Jefferson was
called the democratic parry as well as
the republican party" My statement
ST., was based upon information de.
rived from cotemporaneous writingi
and publications, such as Niles Reg.
lister, etc., as remembered by me
and Alexander H.Stephsns' History o.
the United States, when read under
standingly, sustains my statement.
suppose IT" means Stephens anC
not Stevens history. IT" is rarel!
right except by accident. Mr.. Sic.
phens' history is an excellent work
and thoroughly correct. lie is yer,
particular in his language, knows tina
words are things and uses then
accordingly. l have met Mr.. Ste
phens, and heard him talk upon tru,
democracy, aud even this book. t
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