The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-09-24
BALTIMORE.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER "a, 1860

The two opposing candidates for the Mayoralty
are at last in the field and the day is near at
hand when the contest will be decided by the
people. 1t is high time, therefore, for US TO con-
slider the personal qualifications of the candidates,
and the principles of which they are at the pres
ent moment the opponents. OF Mr.. BRowN' s
intellectual and moral fitness for the place for
which he has been nominated, we have already
spoken, and it is scarcely worth while to reterate
opinions which none, few INSCRIPTIONS
partisans, have as yet attempted to controvert.
But Of Mr.. HNDEs' capacity it is impossible that
any but his personal friends can undertake to
speak with any confidence. He has done abso-
lutely nothing which justify the public in
BILE credit to himself the gtave1~ tvbo 1nIera-
time to time devolve upon the Mayor Mr..
HINDEs may be, and doubtless is an estimable and
honorable man in all the relations of private life,
he may have conducted his own business ener-
getcally and successfully, and he may have
filled the office of Sheriff as well as
the best of his predecessors, but it by no
means follows that he can comprehend or
in any way deal with the financial, commercial
or sanitary questions which so frequently arise,
and upon the proper determination of which the
welfare of many thousand citizens may materially
depend. 1t is barely possible that we underrate
Mr.. HINDEs ability, but we are sure we do him NO
injustice when we warn the public against placing
too much reliance on his judgment. If after two
years attendance on the Criminal Court Mr.
HINDEs could give such testimony in favor Of
Judge STUMP as that which he delivered last win.
ter, he is certainly not the man who will be
prompt to detect or remedy any public grievance
whatsoever.
We have, however, very little disposition to
discuss Mr.. HNDEs' personal qualities, and we
are persuaded that the people will consider his
position and affiliations rather than his individ-
ual merits or dement's 1t is as the apologist for
all the abuses Of the past four years-as the
supporter Of the existing municipal administration
that Mr.. HINDEs appears before the public He is
the nominee of those who delight to call them
selves 'straightout Americans" and the represen.
tative of Convention which has given unmis-
takeable evidence Of its hostility to the Re.
form movement which was set on foot here
twelve months ago. He is endorsed by
Mr.. SWAMI, in whose footsteps he is expected to
follow. He has been brought forward by the
reckless partisans who deny that the people Of
this city have suffered any such wrongs as they
have complained of so bitterly, and who are bent
upon concealin g the frauds which have been prac-
Used, and upon thwarting the police force, to
which alone we are indebted for the peace and
security we now enjoy.
Mr. Brown on the other hand has frankly de-
nounced, and as boldly withstood the rufianism
which so lately set its foot upon the neck of this
community. He appeals 10 no one party for sup
port, nor does he seek to obtain office through the
instrumentality of penthouse politicians or the
machinery they know so well how to employ
lie points to the corruption and violence of the
past and offers to cooperate with all good
citizens for the purpose of taking active measures
to place the municipal government, for some time
to come beyond the reach of such influences He
reminds us of the good work which the Reformers
have so efficiently begun, and offers to help to
perfect it. These are the issues before the people
at the coming Mayoralty election. We hope they
will be squarey met, and that no general political
questions, and no other party candidates will be
brought forward to divert the attention of the
public from the only matters that are really worth
its consideration at the present moment.