Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-07
SHELBY COUNTY coNvENTros.

1t will be seen from another column that
J. NJ. Coleman, chairman of the Democratic
Executive Committee, and c. E. Smith, chair
man Of the LowTax Executive Committee,
have agreed on Saturday next as the day for
selecting delegates to the Democratic State
Convention. According to the call, the civil
districts will hold an election at their re-
spective votipg-plsces between the hours Of
i and o'clock in the afternoon, and at night
the Democrats of Memphis will meet in
mass-meeting for the purpose of choosing del
egates from the city to the State Convention.
The Democracy Of Shelby county should see
to it on Saturday next that, in electing dele
gates, man should be selected
unless he pledges himself to attend.
Many counties have pronounced against
the old ''proxy SYSTEM" and it is probable
that future conventions will exclude the
votes of all proxies" Men are selected rs
delegates because of their supposed integ-
rity and ability TO serve the party wisely,
and they have no right to delegate their pow
ers to those who have not the confidence of
the community. 1t is to be hoped that the
delegates to be selected on Saturday will be
composed of representative, substantial citi-
zens. Wise action by wise men is what is
needed in the State Convention. The eighty
ak delegates from Shelby will be potential
in shaping the future destiny of the Demo
cratic party of Tennessee, and we should
send our best men TO the State Convention.
So far the Democracy of Shelby county
Il l.
right direction. There is no issue between high
and low-tax Democrats; between the young
Democrats and old Democrats, or that dema-
gogical issue between the people and the
politicians. In the next contest the high
and low-tsx Democrats, the young and old
Democrats, will be united, aud the battle will
be fought and won by the people, by politi
cisns-Democratic politicians. The people
A q comprehensive term, for it includes the
politicians. The line cannot be drawn be-
tween the sheep and the goats. Whoever
saw politician that would admit that he
was not one of 'the people?" Indeed, these
men are very apt to imagine that they
are che people," At all events, the
more you call for "the people," the
more loud and numerous will be the
responses of "tbe politicians" and they
should not be regarded as criminals, for
Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison,
Monroe, Jackson, Lincoln, Grant, Seymour,
Garfield and thousands of others who are
canonized as patriots and statesmen have not
only been politicians, but office-seeking poll
ticians, and in the next Tennessee elections,
if the people will be as prompt in the dis
charge of their duty as the politicians al
ways are, taxpayers will have nothing to
fear. Ii there is such thing as "the peo-
Piles fight" we are now in the midst of such
a contest, for the enthusiasm in every part of
the State, Notwithstanding the lack of any
popular interest as to the candidate for gov
ernor, and the absence Of the usual friction
30 necessary to excite interest, shows how
healthily the Democratic heart beats in every
section of the State-not for the promotion
OF sassraAaeri.Al- aspiEAats, but for the ad-
vaneement of the great material interests of
the people. We believe the Democratic
State Convention, to be holden on the 20 tn
instant, will be harmonious, and that it will
be followed on the part of the reunited
not by divisions among them
selves as in the last contest, but by hearty
union against the common enemy, which |
the Legislature and passed bill |
to settle the State debt in defiance of popu-
lar protest, in the hope of securing new |
lease of the power achieved by accident.