The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-12-02
The Inevitable.

The Inevitable.
The result of the recent election in this
county. has taught all who can read the
signs of the times, that here, as elsewhere,
the lease of power of the Democratic party
is destined to be short. The general dis
gust which decent men who Mink-there
are numbers of intelligent, respectable men
who evidently do the very least possible
thinking about their political affairs-but
those who do think are about disguised
with this expensive, incompetent party.
1t is ridden by set of Office hunters, whose
idea of politics is that it is a game between
knaves and fools. the said knaves aiming
to get hold of the offices, which they look
upon as a means to grab as much of the
public money as possible and keep out Of
tic penitentiary.
The Republican party is often beaten.
when it has the strength to win, if it did
but use that power. Its masses are com
posed of the better portion of the well-to-
do men of the nation, and who, seeing the
very scum of humanity holding so conspic
nous place in the Democratic party,
become disguised with politics, and stay
away from the primary meetings and the
POLLS, and become guilty, by this negative
course, of foisting the worst set of office
hunters into power. This practice is all
wrong. Government is sacred trust that
every man should hold dear; and to keep
it's source pure, should be his constant aim.
By the Indifference of SO many of our best
citizens to their right of the elective fran
chise, knaves and idlers have contrived to
gain preponderating influence in State
affairs. The system of grog-shop election
eering is a most pernicious practice,
handed down to the present generation,
and one that calls most loudly for reform.
When candidates and others who take an
active part in politics, go out to canvass
for votes, it is the custom to give the very
lowest class of voters almost their whole
attention, and the men who keep the grog
shops are the recipients of rich facors from
both parties. Now, class which admits
of this practice is manifestly mercenary and
corrupt. and when given so much import
ance and power in our politics, or, if you
please, our government, must poison the
stream at it's fountain head. Let men go
out to work for the advancement of any
other cause, and they go to the leading
classes and men of society. The intelli-
gent, the virtuous, the solid, enterprising
men Of the State are approached and their
aid solicited. While the lowest class OF
society is given this preference in govern
ment affairs, is it to be wondered at that
SO large a per centage of our best citizens
withdraw themselves almost entirely from
any participation in politics? This is all
wrong. but it will continue to be SO until
the better classes are appealed to mainly,
and the fact that it is their first duty to
uphold the State and watch over public
affairs, is impressed upon them as binding
obligatioc-a matter of conscience not to
be neglected.
We urged these views upon the Republi-
can party Of the county the past fall, and
insisted upon the course of action above
indicated, and in SO far as acted upon, we
have reason to know, fully realized our
expectations in the result. If the Repub-
lican party hopes to lay its foundations of
power OH permanent and enduring basis,
which will insure it control in the future,
it must build of the best material, and not
out of the worst, as has been the practice
of its rival. The latter stuff has been
pretty generally appropriated by the DEM
ocratic party, and as the result of building
with such materials, we behold colossal
party seeking to regain it's lost power--lost
through its inherent immorality-by ap-
pealing to the basest passions of the lowest
strata of society, and in our large cities
the tool of a foreign priesthood, who build
and maintain expensive charities out of the
peoples money, while they attack and seek
the overthrow Of our system of public edu-
cation. Will a people, whose boast is their
intelligence and public virtue, longer shut
their eyes to these alarming facts, and
allow the old enemy of mankind to again
lay its chains about them in this republican
nation?