Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-08-17
To TIE DEMOCRATS OF ST. Ma.
RVS COUNTY.

again before you, IN further defence OF the
action ofthe Democratic Central COMMITTEES
of the county. and wirh promise to be
as brief as the circumstances will allow.
proceed at once to notice the card Of Col.
J. Parran Crane in the Beacon Of the 10th
instant.
While I iisclaim any intentional discour-
tesy or askindncss Of feeling towards any
Of the opposition candidates. in the defence
Of the action Of the Central Committee OF
the Bird instant. claim the right. and be-
lieve il duty to deal in plain wor.ls. and
call things by their right names. This |
have DONE. aud no more, The. OCCASION
demanded plainness OF speech. and the
pruvocssion justified it,. use. >4
The ComEittee wkh -ccascienee void
af effencc toward.any. looking 70 the near
ly evenly balanced voters of the two Pc
lisical parties Of the ccunsy. md looking,
too. to the more perfect. organization and
surer success OF the Democratic party. n
paramount to. all other questions. issues
and considerations. gave the notice fog
Primary Elections. after having made due
inquiry as to the views Of the Democratic
party, on the subject of nominations -
They had satisfied themselves BY inquiry,
that large majority Of said party favored
nominations for all Offices to be filed. and
gave the notice accordingly. knowing that
the Convention when assembled. Wonid
not be 20 stupid ss to regard the call Of
the Committee as " Sheriff. writ" or
Courts mandate, bat would reflect the SEN
timents Of their constituents. in their ac-
ton as a Convention. They were aware
that there was some opposition to nominal
tons, and recognized it so plainly in their
call. that il required no Solomon to make
the discovery. The opposition appeared
to be more limited in numbers. than pru-
dent in zeal. A very few oppositionisis
to any plan Of organization. can make much
ado. on very small grounds, as was made
manifest. after the call Of the Convention
was made. and still more manifest, after
q failure on the part Of certain candidates
to get the nominations they sought. And
this (thc failure Of these caudidatcs) is all
the offending Of the Committee. They
(thcsc failing candidates) must have some
pretext for their inconsistency and false
position. Hence their assault upon the
Committee. II was better war tactics to
asssail the Committee. and incur the ac-
tive opposition Of its three members, than
TO assail tire Convention and incur the &C
tive opposition Of its sixty members. This
is prudent, but nevertheless, very bare
faced strategy. But drowning men catcl,
at straws. and it is only in such extrc,ni-
ty. that the slightest excuse can be made
for their weakness.
1T has been time out Of mind" (says
Col. Crane) "the usage Of the Democratic
party here, to nominate by mass meet
ings." Hence We infer he is in favor of
that mode of making nominations now. if
in favor of any. AS he was but child,
when Democratic nominations we're made
in this way, he may be ignorant of the
under which this mode of
nomination was practiced in opposition to
Wing nominations by Conventions. This
was the general practice Of minority par
ties, here and elsewhere. as i, afforded the
thus put in the field, then, rs
now. better opportunity of playing the
parts Of demasogues in canvassing for
votes. BY making appeals to the prejudi-
ces of voters, and stirring mp discord in
the ranks Of the dominant party. BY cllarg-
ing that their nominations were made (just
rs charged now by .'cliques' and rings"
BY resort to party tricks and :. foul
wrongs" snd did not reflect the choice of
heir party. In this way. they sought to
make inroads. (and sometimes with sue
,css, upon the dominant party. In this
way only, can the present opposition cam
iidates hope to be elected, with the addi-
ion of the vote of the minority party Of
he county.
But how would mass-mceting romiaa.
ions accord with the good sense of the
dominant party now? How would the
.emote Districts like nominations to be
made at Lconsrdtown, where there would
be larger attendance from Leon
lrdtown district than from all the othe.
districts together? How ridiculous =
What an absurdity! But just such frivo-
Gus prctcxts as these, are always seized
ipon to bolster up the weak claims Of dis
candidates. They represent
hat enormous grievances have been in
iicted upon the Democratic party, BY the
Convention. and they have
nagnanimously come forward to redress
hose grievances. Pure. disinterested and
they set themselves up as will
ing sacrifices upon the altar of their coun-
'ry's wrongs. and solicit your votes to COM
pensate for the Offering. that they may be
.what Martyrs in the cause of right
No! Recipients Of honors and emolu-
nents. and that. too. At the risk of break
ing down the ascendcncy Of the Democrat.
10 party in the county. and diminishing
he vote of the State candidates..
Il is deemed unnecessary to notice in
detail. the objections urged sgainst the
action Of the Central Committee, aud this
..humbug of Convention" Gas elegantly
styled by Col. Crane). The common sense
u all impartial minds wiii readily sefate
bis qaerulous objections and weak falla-
cies. without any suggestions from the
Committee. They will re.diiy see the
nnimss that prompted these objections
aud fallaeies, aud viii as readily discrcdi,
heir souudncss. :.
Cur neighbors Prince Georges and
ammo Arundel ccunties have romirate,i
for all Offices. political and local. Charles
and other counties will do the same thing.
And what matters il whether the call of
the Committee was published on the a5,h
Of May. or the 18th Of some other month :!
What matters ID whether the call was
made for all nominations. or only for Deli
cgases to the State Convention? The
whole matter was in the hands Of the Dem
ocrats Of the county. They had ,rct~