Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-08
CONGRESSMAN SINGLETON,
One OF the oldest Members of the House,
Will NOT. He Says Be
Gerry mandered-He Has Moved 90 Scott
County, and Will BE ~ Candidate.

| The Washington correspondent of the
Nicksburg Herald sends that paper on the Sd
| instant interview had the previous day
with the Hon. o. r. Singleton, as follows:
General, let me ask you question.
Were you ever party to an understanding
| during the last campaign that yen would not
again be a candidate for Congress"
| 81 answer, emphatically, no! On the con-
| trsry, have always taken the position that
| was the servant of the public, and had no
| right TO put myself in a position where they
| could not command nv services if they so
| desired. Oh course | do not know what my
friends may have said on this subject, but
state unequivocally that / authorized no
such statement. l made a great number of
speeches in the last canvass before and after
the nomination. and il / had entertained
such a purpose | should certainly have
nounced it to the people"
"Did not you and Captain Thomas Woods,
oil Meridian, make joint canvass Tor the
nomination.
mot exactly j3int canvass. 1t hap
pened this way: Upon my return 10 Mis-
sissippi early in the summer Of 1880, j found
that Captain Woods had published a list Of
appointments TO address the people OF several
counties, some of which he filled. l attended
his appointment at Paulding, Jasper county,
and by his courtesy was al owed to address
the people assembled. We then filled ont
the rest Of his appointments jointly"
"Was there any understanding between
you and Captain Woods relative to your fu-
ture candidacy, and did you ever agree with
him or his friends TO yield the way in his
favor at the next nominating convention"
"Never, in terms either expressed or i'm
piled; the very fact that the county of Mad
ison, IN which | lived was cut out of my old
district proves that no one really believed
that such an understanding existed"
L., - tr.ta 4. -, d
took prominent part in securing the iiaal
passage of the congressional district bill in the
lower House of the Mississ ippi Legisla-
ture"
al know nothing of this matter except
what | find in the Weekly Clarion of the 18th
of March, 1882. giving the proceedings in re-
lation TO the passage of that bill. quote
from that paper, which is before me: ,'Mr.
Woods moved the bill be engrossed, read The
third time and pat upon its passage, but on
that called for the previous question. The
question was then put and carri,d-yeas
So, nays 2l.'"
81 notice in the Meridian Mercury, of
March SIst, that you charged with in
spring paragraph in the Aberdeen e.
amiuer reciting that you were in receipt of
letters condemniRg the action of your rivals
in procuring legislation that cut your home
county-Madison-o of the old district.
State what connection, if any, you had with
the publication OF that paragraph"
'None whatever. have neither seen nor
spoken to Major Jones, Of the Aberdeen Err
oaniRer, upon any subject since the passage of
the congressional district bill"
"You are charged with being a carpet
Dagger into Scott county. What are the fac Is
in the case?"
81 am willing TO let the people of the dis
trict decide whether [ deserve the epithet
carpetbagger or not. l have lived in the
State nearly forty-four years, ltave owned
large landed interests in the counties of Scott
and Leake, as well in Madison, and am
now and have been for eighteen years tax
payer in Scott county, and feel that the
right appertains 10 me as we'll to any
other citizen 10 change my citizenship
whenever it suits my purpose or conve-
nience."
"Have you any statement to make as 20
your reasons for moving into Scott countyT
That is pertinent question, and l pro-
pose to meet it squarely. Feeling that gross
injustice had been done me by scooping my
county from the district, when there no
territorial or party necessity therefor, leav-
ing the counties on three side of it intact,
after due reflection ard consultation with
many friends, changed my citizenship that
i might be in position to appeal from the
action of the manipulatOrs OF the district
bill to the people themSel Ives, the source OF
all power When they haze decided it, it
will be decided forever. II the decision is
against me | shall bow cheerfully 10 their
will"
Have you received any limitations that
would indicate the views of the people OF
your old district as to your change of citi-
zenShip"
81 have by numerous letters and kilograms
indorsing my action in this respect. These
indications of public sentiment come to me
from every county in the district except one,
which is too far removed from the line of
rapid communication to have yet been heard
FROM"
"Have you gone into this fight to stay?"
81 am not fond OF controversy OF this sort;
but, being in, l intend to stay"
Your correspondent then took leave of the
Venerable cong ressm