Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-10-04

! Aroused by the late report OF tue g.aHu
Jury the attention of the thougns."..
men OF Shelby county is turned to the
Qurterly Court, and its deliberations at
the next term, which begins tomorrow,
will be watched with unusual interest.
by the report of the grand jury,
but il is fair to say that they are moved by
different reasons. Some of them are
PERSONALLY AeGRIEvED;
there are others who feel chagrined and
mortified because of their connection with
an institution with which so much fault
was found, Taking everything together, the
county solons are terribly demoraliz9d and
some of their castles in the air are already
tumblipk into rnins, and every man when
court meets next week will regard his
Deigbbor with suspicion.
while the coming session is an oil
one," sa a rounder yesterday, there
will be some very important subjec's dis
cussed, and more than one county official
is already trembling in bis boots. The
grand jury will catch it for one thing. You
can put that down. They have had their
turn: ard noN it is the trrn Of the Coun-
tv Court. An effort will be made to
spread nice
COAT OF wHITEwAsH
over the walls against which the inQuisi-
tors directed their battering ram. But
they hit SO hard, and their aim was in
most cases 30 true, that l believe the ef-
fort will fail. I have talked with good
many people; and don't believe they are
in the mood to stand atty foolishness. AS
it is now, the fact that constitutional
amendment wonld be necessary to abolish
the court is the only thing that keeps the
public from moving in the matter at once
And Just there is where the shoe pinches
again. They are more insulted by that
clause in the grand jury report which ad-
vises them TO pattern after the Tax
ing District, the best government
ths world ever saw than they
are by anything else that was said. You
see it attacks them in their tenderest spot,
THEIR DIGNITY.
The public is advised TO kick 'em out.
The fact is that when any measure is ab
solutely necessary f,r the good of the
county there are three or four good men
who are Obliged to step TO the front. But
the good they do is soon dissipated by the
ignorance and carelessness of the balance.
And it is these four or five men who are
most hurt by such revelations as those
made by the grand jury. 1t is unneees-
sary - mention them. They are. easily
picked out. The fact is that durifiZ the
past few yesrs people have been going
along asking no questions, and by their
silence betraying the most implicit faith in
the County Court"
1t has been q common belief that the
days of jobs were over and that the MEM
bers of the court were honest, at least.
Now
AN ABSOLUTE CHANGE
is demanded. Demoralized as they are,
an effort will be made at this term to form
combination looking forward to the JAM
Uary term. when sn election for chairman
and other important offices is to be held.
These places have been filled and refilled
OF late years by the County Court, and no
| interest taken by the public at larg7, when
the fact is that the Office OF chairman oi
| the rich, p pu,ous and powerful county
of Shelby is a posi'iLn Of the greatest
| trust Those who know something abou.
| couL ty Affairs cay that the chairman should
not be in any s7nse q mere eutomaton,
| obeyirg the orders Of the court with nc
effJrt ON his part to intelligently direct
| the financial affairs of the county, of which
| he ought to M Ike study, and they are oi
| the pinicn that the court wi have new
| chairman. There wss such
HANDWRITING ON THE WALL
long before the grand jury put it there
The charge against him is not exactly
mismsnagement, but rather q lack OF al
mans cement. That Shelby county need,
strong hand at the helm, snd q cleal
head and mind undiseased by politica
influence, is a prevailing belief. Most peo
pie are willing to d Chairman Smith tn,
Justice to say that he is not to blame
while they will still assert that he is no
the right man for the place, and they adj
that he has all those qualities which g
to make up courteous gentleman, bu
nothing which Qualities him for
THE DIFFICULT OFFICE
Of chairman. He is working hard for re
election, and is said to be making som
strong combinations with Justices Flem
ing, Elliott, Winters, Pope and several G
the colored members. There will be tw
or three little offices to fill tomorrow an
they are declared to be swapping aroua
and trying to get votes that way. Th
chairmsn's right hand bower is Justic
Fleming, who runs cost mill on Mai
street near Bsale. He does business righ
in the heart Of the darky district, an
warrants and ross warrants are stacked
foot high all around him,
ON HIS TABLE,
| on his desk and on Cha rman Smiths SAT-
which sitl in one corner of that angus
tribunal. He has some influence in ce
tain directions, and will make hard fgf
for his friends. Altogether, it is likel
the court will find a chairman outside {
: the Smith family. There is only on
other candidate out yet. Justice Slaughtt
, wants it, and he has plenty Of backbon
good hard sense, and is known for b
sterling integrity. The only trouble abo,
him is that he is not very public spirite
when it comes to the public needs.
THE GREATEST OBJECTION
, to- him would be that hs is not broat
/ minded enough for big and CROWN
f county, and that he would have all of b
, teeth pulled before he would impose ts
v to put up a marble courthouse if ts
' paulin stretched on two g. ids would kee
a out the rain as well. Some of the
: officials who have been drawing regul
e salaries from the county are said TO
charging up too many extras, and any ol
of them who is caught trying to beat Il
county in that way, even if he does ha
). the color of law for it, will probably
| With rot1nd fr1rn