Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-08

E,su1xeros, September THE follow
;,a ,s,.e- h.s been received by the Republi-
-. Conores,iouai Committee, which it Is
,~-a.rr,s3 II will make answer in few days.
r. =. con.;stept. il ought TO follow up the
,,o,sx r. bas expended on Houk and per-
sonalfy help the canvass against Rule:
...-~n- Of Tennessee. 90 Secretary
n e.fierso0, At Washington
pooxs or THE REPUBLICAN, CoSGREssIoSAL0
Co1GTTrE STE EsS, September sept m 3 ISL
TN Henderson. Esq, Secretary of the Repub-
H. p co1SreSsional COMMITTEES, Washington. b c..
ST. ace ii stated in the newspapers that
xon have written an official letter to John
M. Cordell, ESD, chairman, etc, in which
YOU say that your committee, after investigs-
a., have reached the conclusion that L. ID.
Eont v,s regularly nominated for Congress
~ tbe Renublicans of this district, etc. You
rS,r.b.te the action of the convention which
,;rat.d Mr.. Rule for that position, and
cr;,;c;.e m. conduct as injurious to the Re-
nnhI;.an cause. You then urge the Repub-
leans of the district to support Houk, give
him certificate OF character as a member
of Congress, and promise freely the aid of
your committee to secure MS election. We
are NOT aware that the Republicans Of
this district have submitted this mat
ter no yeur arbitration. Assum-
inc thai you have authority from
so5,a members OF your committee to write
thi. ex,r.ordiuary letter intended 10 infu-
sncs the RepubIicans of this district, we have
a ripbl to know who, If any, of your commit
tee we're consulted and authorized this i'm
portaut and dictatorial action. Some years
of experience As member OF that commit
tee, and my personal acquaintance with
many of its present members, induces me 10
believe that II more than a small minority
have authorized your action, the facts con-
nec.ed nth the contest in this district have
been grossly misrepressnted to them. Your
statement of conclusions reached in regard to
the regularity Of the Houk convention, and
YOUR denuncistion of the men composing the
convention which nominated Mr.. Rule, indi-
Gates that you have accepted the statements
of Mr.. Houk a. the basis of your action
There were two conventions held here. One
nominated Mr.. Rule, the other Mr.. Houk.
Mr.. Houk happens TO be member of your
committee. You indorse his nomination and
assume to direct the Republicans of Tennes-
see to support him. Mr.. Rule Is, and for
MANY years has been, Tennessee's member of
the National Republican Committee, of
which the Hon. Marshall Jewell is chair
man. II would be an easy matter for Mr..
RuIe TO convince his committe and the
country that the statements on which you
have acted are false and your convictions
| pnfounded. The contest here is not between
the Stalwarts and Independents, nor between
Garfield Republicans and the supporters of
this administration, but it is a conflict of
intelligence, honesty, sobriety and morality,
| against all that these antagonlze, and In this
! contest YOU and your committee, and proba-
| Div The funds intrusted to you, are being
Urongfully used. There is no Democratic
candidate for Congress in this district, nor
Ia IL likely there will be, considering the fact
that in the last Presidential election there
were more than two Republican voters in the
district 10 each Democrat. The truth is that
thousands of intelligent, thinking Republi-
cans of The district have determined to sub
! nit no longer to be represented in Congress
by Mr. Houk The preamble and re,olu-
tions unanimously adopted by them in the
convention state their reasons for this de-
termination. This convention was COM
posed of farmers, merchants, mechanics,
bankers, laborers, lawyers, clergymen,
physicians and business men, many
Of them ex-Federal soldiers, rep.
resenting the best elements of society, filling
our large courthouse 10 OVERLOOKING and
yeptious from various counties in the district
as any who attended Houk's convention of
ofice-holders And that you may no longer
remain entirely ignorant of the causes Of
dissension in the party here, will insert one
of the resolutions above referred to, and
which shows in part what the trouble is:
Resolped That the electors OF the Second con-
ther to the humiliation and disgrace of being rep
resented in the Congress of the nation by q man
from respectable society whose association and
sympathy with criminals, whose hypocrisy in re-
whose preference for falsehood to TRUTH and whose
odious character have become the theme of COM
ment and illustration in the newspapers through
out the land, have brought shame and Ieproach
upon a worthy and reputable constituency.
The Republicans Of this district feel that
they are competent to m image their own
affairs, and that they have the right, without
dictation from abroad, to select Republican
who will represent the intelligence and NOR
ality of our people. The whole theory of
our government is that all power emanates
| from and belongs to The people, and that
they should be left free to cast their ballots
without outside dictation, money or infiu-
snce. We deny your right TO interfere or
NEEDLE in this canvass, or TO dictate for
whom we shall vote. The extraordinary and
! inn pertinent action of yours is an insult to
| the people of this district, and neither your
guarded certificate Of Houk's character as a
member of Congress, nor your self-assumed
guardianship of our voters will prevent
Houk's defeat, unless you go further and
furnish our people proof that the Congress
s;ondl Record is false, which shows that he
was absent from his seat, neglecting his
duties, and not voting more than six-sev-
enths OF the time during the last session OF
the Forty-sixth Congress, and that the
Record of last session will not show a state
of affairs still worse; that be has not been
repeatedly intoxicated on the foor OF the
House Of Representatives and elsewhere;
that he has not been arrested and locked
up by the police OF Washington for being
upon the streets drunk and disorderly,
and that his conduct and habits have not
become such as to disgrace bis constituents;
and we protest that the money which you
collect from ofice-holders shall not be used
in this canvass for Houk against better
man and better Republican, and that to do
so is an outrage upon our people and a
fraud upon the men who gave the money for
different purpose; and Notwithstanding the
efforts of small Federal ofice-holders, who
abandoned their posts of duty and at public
expense are securing the district and at
tempting to boes the people as they are
bossed by their master, and notwithstanding
your unfair and presumptuous action and all
the "aid" you have promised or given, the
Republicans of this district will, despite
your attempted interference, vote as they
choose, and will elect to Congress the Hon.
William Rule, whose fitness ia conceded by
ALL In attempting 10 control and dictate 10
the voters of this district, you have UNDER
taken a task which the whole Southern Con-
federacy with its organized armies were
unable 10 accomplish. Respectfully,
J. NJ. THORNBURGH,
Chairman Republican Congressional Committee,
Second District Tennessee.