Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-04-29

The Readiuster Citadel DemOI'
ished-WOe TO the Vanquished.

The Readiusfer Citadel DemOI'
ished-WOe to the Vauquished.
EDITOR LEDGER:-In IN article en-
titled "Mahoneism written by True
Democrat, in reply to my second let
ter, he takes occasion to complain that
l have denied but one fact asserted by
him in his previous attack. Now,
really, Mr.. Editor, | don't think the
gentleman did any better in the effu-
sion to which my last "emanation :
was an answer; he made only one de-
NAL of fact then, and in the present
article makes no new one at all, except
a partial one in regard to the history
of the democratic party. IT'S true
that | did not take thetrouble to deny
every one of 81. D.'s' so-called
facts" but l did something vastly
better in the argument line, when |
showed that his differences drawn
from those facts were lamentably
faulty. But in this, my third article,
he shall not complain of a lack of de-
mails ofany character, and | shall put
them in a form not to be mistaken by
any person, whosoever he may be.
In the first place, | deny the
assertion that in southwest Vir-
ginia the white ~readjusters are in
a majority. Within the last two or
three years | have spent considerable
time in that part of the state, and
while | am prepared to admit the
prevalence Of a very large readjuster
element, tits the negro vote that gives
the former the power In that section
too few to elect a republican candi.
date, the negroes are always ready to
coalesce with the friendly CD re-
adjustsrs john Paul, recently elected
from the Rockingham district, part
of which lies in the valley Of Virgin
ia. is VIGOROUSLY known to have re-
ceiYed a large negro support. Now
it seems to me that AT. D." ought not
to go for the purpose of seeing how
the colored men vote, to portions Of.
the state where they are found but
sparingly, but he ought to go to east
Virginia where the great plantations
were before the war. There / am at
home and there | visit every summer
and l can tell "l. D." that all through
that section of the state the negroes
vote with the r~eadjusters whenever
they do not select a republican ticket;
and as to "bull-dozing, | have seen a
readjuster get up at a meeting
and create such a disturbance
IS to entirely put an end to all
free discussion. But | am sur.
prised that 1T. d. should deny a
point | have been acquainted with
SO long, and for which readjusters have
been censured so continually. Every
letter on politics that comes from Vir-
ginia to me here in Memphis, makes
the same assertion. Sometimes, in the
negro counties" they, the colored
people take it in their heads to run
their own man, but whenever they do
not, they invariably combine with the
readjusters thus, to my personal
knowledge, in Charles City county. a
readjuster was last year elected by this
combination commonwealth attor-
ney. The explanation that IT. D.
gives Of the crushing defeat Of the re.
adjusters in the last presidential cleo
ton does more credit to his zeal for
his cause than to any real impression
he may have that it is not inconsistent
with the claims Of the readjusters to a
numerical superiority in white voters.
Everything was done by the Malone
papers, and the leaders Of readjust-
ment, to embitter party feeling, but
the regular Hancock ticket came out
with asweeping majority of So, 900 over
the readjusters, and 1900 over the
republicans. Was there ever such a
victOryP
/ deny that there was any fairness
about the primary" election "T. D."
alludes to. [ showed how the demo-
cratic funders proposed to share the
electoral college with their adverse
ries, and hsw that magnanimous offer
vas rejected, because, forsooth, they
thought they constituted a majority
l mean the readjusters thought,
(only thirty thousand you know.
What did they propose then
in return2 Why, that the party that
polled the largest vote at a primary
election should have the entire selec-
ton of the electoral college. The
tunders agreed to this proposition pro-
vided the negroes or republicans were
not allowed to vote, but only those
who were true democrats. Then the
r~eadjusters backed down. Next they
put the state in jeopardy by continu-
ing TO keep their ticket in the field.
and finally met a telling rebuke by an
utter overthrow. This is the whole
truth. The readjusters expected L
depend upon their republican friends
at the primary election, and thus Sc.
cure their ends, but when the funderi
qualified the proposition by the rea
sonable demand that only democrat,
should vote in a democratic election
the readjusters withdrew. 1t follow.
that the readjusters were responsible
for the two Hancock tickets.
| deny in respectful tones tina
/ yield. one jot to True Demo
crat'' as to the proper under
standing Of the provision in the Unite,
States constitution ~forbidding tn.
"impairing Of the obligation Of con
tracts | understand perfectly wei