Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-26
BATESVILLE, MISS.
The Appeal as a Broad, Liberal Organ
of the People, the whole People,
Fulfilling its Duty.
Chalmers and His Greenbaeker Sun.
pOrters-They Think They Can
Elect Him TO Congress.
To the Editors OF the Appeal:

To the Editors OF the Appeal:
BATEsvILLE, MISS, May 23.-Your liberal
treatment of General Chalmers in to-day's
APPEAL, and in former issues, is winning fol
you friends among the independent thinkers
OF Mississippi. You said truly this is free
country, and all men have a right to change
their opinions or their parties if they see
proper. once heard Manning, Chalmers.
prospective opponent, say all men except
idiots change their opinions. / have no in.
timatien that there is any prospect of his
changing politically. Many of US left the
Democratic party years ago and Joined the
Greenbackers, because we believed the Green
back party represented the true old-fashioned
Jefersonian Democracy. / heard General
Chalmers speak in the last canvass and, al
though he then said the Greenbackers
party and made their fight inside the party,
l knew he would soon be driven out of the
party and compelled to do as we had done,
make his fight in opposition to the Demo
cratic organization. He said some hard
things about Colonel King, and / see he is
catching it pretty hot himself from the
PoPGUNs,
but that will prove all the better for him, for
pure gold is only refined by the hottest Ere.
The Greenbackers open the door of their
church and cheerfully take him in; and
pole, and unerriug the shadow upon the
dial plate, that the more the Democrats abuse
him, the more Republican votes he will get.
Epithets are thorns planted by an unfriendIy
hand in the field of thought, and the more
deeply the enemy plows with the harrow of
persecution, he unwittingly cultivates the
soil more highly, so that in consequence
thereof, the independent thinker reaps a
richer harvest. Pour water and not oil upon
the flame. We who want
FREE BALLOT AND FAIR COUNT
welcome him on our side. We know that if
he had accepted the nomination of the DEM
ocratie party in the Third congressional dis.
trict he would have been counted in, Just as
Manning has always been counted in in this
district, and his refusal to run as Democrat
in that district gives us great hopes for the
future of Mississippi. 1t has been charged
that General Chalmers is a chronic Office
seeker, but when he refuses to be counted in
from the Third district, and comes into the
Second and faces a storm of Democratic
abuse, we think he is entitled to the conf
dence and support of all men who want an
honest election. This charge is simply
THE OLD STORY,
long since threadbare, and the Democratic
party set ms not yet to have learned that it is
patriotism-love for cause-and not the
fear OF being shot for desertion which has in
all ages moved armies to victory. The ease
with which the Democrats seem to be hold
ing back the Republicans in the Mackay rs
OConner case shows what they could have
done for Chalmers if they had wished to.
and the fact that they gave up SO quickly in
his case shows that they were not disposed
to support him for some understood reason.
We can only guess what that reason was;
but let 1t be what it may, we are glad
HE WAS TURNED OUT,
and that his eyes were opened to the charac-
ter OF the men he had been supporting. 1
have been for many years a reader of the
APPEAL, and read it diligently now to see
what course it will take in the coming cleo
tions in Tennessee and Mississippi. The in
dependent spirit is growing all over the land.
John Kelly, of New York, Wolfe in Pennsyl-
vania, and the recent course of Mr.. Blame,
show that party ties are being loosened. The
APPEAL, last week, commended the indie
pendent spirit of Judge Houk in East Ten
nessee, and has surprised many by its liberal
treatment of General Chalmers.
A GREAT JOURNAL LIKE THE APPEAL
must keep abreast of the times, and cannot
afford to oppose any movement that looks to
honest reform, whether the reform is from
Republican or Democratic district. General
Chalmers will be elected if the votes are
fairly counted, and we believe they will be.
Many who have heretofore winked at ballot
box stuffiDg are now speaking out against it.
They cay it has gone too far already, and
that the necessity for it, if it ever existed,
has
PASSED AWAY,
They admit that General Chalmers made
good representative, and many who will
not vote for him say he shall have fair
race and an honest count. This is the best
sign We have seen in Mississippi politics, and
if General Chalmers's course does nothing
more it will have done great good in estab-
fishing a freedom of public expression of
opinion. GREENBACKER.