Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-01-04
VOICE OF THE 0
A Criticism of Certain Methods
In The Canvass.


EDITOR LED0ER:-Will you allow
the use Of your columns for a brief,
but earnest protest against the method
adopted for the conduct Of the muni-
cipal canvass by your morning CO.
temporary, the Appeal? Nobody will
deny the right of a public journal to
express fully and freely the views Of
its editors upon every subject of pub
lie interest and concern any more than
the same freedom would te denied to
a private individual, but il admits Of
very great doubt whether or not q pub
lie journal should be permitted any
greater latitude on the expression
of those views than is
accorded the private individual. Now
if any private citizen of Memphis
were TO denounco Messrs. w. j.
Chase and John Scheibler In the
terms employed by the Appeal this
morning, and for no greater provOca-
ton than that afforded by the mere
fact that these gentlemen have seen
proper to become candidate for mu-
nicipal Offices, it would certainly be
judged a very wanton and ill-bred
assault. II there is anything in the
life and conduct Of these persons
which renders them un6t or
unworthy to hold a public position it
is beyond all question the duty of the
Appeal to make it known in a man
ner so clear and explicita as to admit Of
no doubt-but in the absence Of this
ordinary courtesy and a decent re.
spcct for the rights Of others should
restrain its opposition within some
temperate aud becoming bounds. By
common consent everybody it seems
is absolved from party allegiance and
no newspaper in Memphis has lauded
this recent departure more eytrava
gantly than the Appeal, but
when Others undertake tv act
upon its suggestions they are assailed
more fiercely than ifthey had bartered
a party nomination. What higher au
thority placed the Hadden- Burke
ticket, as it is called, iu the field than
sanctions the candidacy OF the Had
den Chase ticket The Appeal will,
doubtless, answer, that the lormer was
brought out by the call of fifteen hun
dred signers to a petition asking the
candidates to run; but does not the
Appeal know, as everybody else
knows, that less than half a
dozen gentlemen put this ball in mo-
ton, and that the same or a greater
number OF signers could Just as easily
have been secured to a petition asking
any other reputable citizens to become
candidates for Office. And whether
this is true or not, the fact that any
number OF persons may see proper to
petition certain other persons to serve
the public, certainly imposes no duty
upon everybody else to vote for them,
or preclude the right Of all
others 10 seek public prefer
ment at the hands of their fellow
citizens, Who has the right
to say that Chase or Scheibler or any
body else who chooses to do so shall
not run for Office without ~subjecting
themselves to newspaper detraction
and abuse? The assertion OF any such
authority by the Appeal or any other
power smacks very strongly of the
boSsism which hat paper so vigorously
denounces. As party restraints lave
been removed, let US for once have a
free, Independent election Without
demonstration or insult, every man
voting for the candidate Of his choice
without the fear of being held up 10
public odium through the columns of a
newspaper. Another thing the APP
peal is doing by theintemperate course
it is pursuing in this matter. 1t is
inlicting great injury upon a very
worthy man and most estimable gen
tleman. Major Burke will gain moth
ing in public estimation by Will Chase
being denounced by his friends, sim
ply because he is a candidate for .
seat in the Board Of Fire and policC
Commissioners. In this race every
body has a right to run that wants to.
and the public will not patiently sub.
NIT to any effort to prevent it.
Lowry