An "Open letter" to the Ring.
A publication has recently made its
appearance in Knoxville called "The
People." Its editor and manager is Mrs.
L. Crozier French. Mrs. French is well
known to the people of Knoxville and to
many throughout the state and country,
as a woman of extraordinary ability, and
her courage is no less pronounced than
her ability is apparent. She has a habit
of speaking out on things in which she
takes an interest, and doing it in such a
way that the services of an interpreter
are not necessary to tell what she means.
Consequently "The People" is sure to be
read. It is a monthly, and the first issue is before us. In it we find "An Open
Letter," addressed to some of the gentlemen believed by many to be allied with a
political ring in this county. Following
is the open letter:
Messrs. Cateses, McTeers, McMillins and
Others:
Sirs—Common report says you are the
manipulators of a Ring that was placed
in the nose of the dear people some years
ago and that by means of this Ring,
You & Co. have been driving us wither-
so-ever ye would's ever since.
Now I am one of the People and I
seriously object to being led about by
Judge, Attorney-General, Sheriff, Tax
Collector, or even the Lord Mayor himself.
The League, I am told, is taking measures to break this ring and set the People—I was going to say free, but I hesitate to utter the word in this connection,
because it is just possible that the League
may only have the intention of breaking
your ring in order to insert one of its
own manufacture.
If I understand rightly the meaning
of the word ring one kind is no way superior to another be it gold, silver, copper, lead or iron.
A Ring is composed of those who say,
"I want to get a certain thing or pass
a certain measure which it is not to
the interest of the people at large; now
if you will help me hoodwink, bulldoze
and coerce the People into letting me
have this, I will help you to get from
them, by fair means or foul, anything
that you may want."
Now such organizations or understandings exist not only in politics, but in
churches, school affairs, and clubs of all
sorts even in those of women. So, if you
gentlemen do compose a Ring I do not
know that you are any worse than the
average man or woman.
Now the Ring fever is a disease that
has made no inroads into my constitution
and consequently I feel myself peculiarly
fitted to make the attempt to eradicate
it from the system of the multitude.
Of my knowledge I do not know that
you gentlemen belong to a Ring. The
purpose of this letter is to ask you to
answer the simple question: Do you?
Have any of you, in even a remote degree, had anything to do with practicing
fraud at the polls?
Do you truly believe in the democratic
doctrine of the right of the majority to
rule?
If none of you have ever interfered
with the rights of the majority to ex
press at the polls their choice for can
didates, will you say as much before
notary public and send the certificate, t[o]
me to publish in the next issue of The
People? For I think it a perfect shame
that innocent men should be talked about
as you gentlemen are talked about by
the'peopie at large. You, who are, some
of you, deacons and elders in the
churches, who have wives and children
who must be greatly wounded by the
malicious abuse, of which you may be
the innocent victims.
The People proposes to undertake the
defense of the maligned and I fell that
your cas'e should be speedily set right or
great injury may come upon you.
Yours to command,
EDITOR "THE PEOPLE."
