The Weekly Washington telegraph., 1871-09-06
ORR OLD POLITICAL LEADERS.
WHERE ARE THEY2

EGY3T IcfgfdIW w ~ i II tIid'
the conservatives of Hampstead county,
have never polied their full strength at
the ballot box since the close of the
late war? While l do not propose to
answer this question fully, yet shall
give. briefly, what I conceive to be the
Dr;ncipal cause. Its well known, that
at our last election, there were at
least ono hundred men who did not
vote. because they neglected to register.
1t is also well known, that more than
two hundred who had registered, did
not vote. No sane man who makes
any protcntions to voracity, would say
that these three hundrelman were sat
isfed with ra3'cqi rUle, that they pre-
ieled paying from four to five per
cent tax on their property. valued too,
twice as high as thasamo in most in
stances could be sold for. No sir, these
men desire n reform as much as those
who voted, bun having witnessed the
frauds practiccd at former elections,
they had given up in despair.
I heard many say, that if We 20 to
the polls and vote, our votes will not
be coun.al-thc ballot boxes viii be
stuffed"
The men who thus talEel arc good
citizens, men who work hard for Il
living. Their arguments were plau>i-
bic for wc were without leaders, de>t-
tutc of anything like an organization,
and but for circumstances which are
well known, their prediction 10 doubt
would have been fllGiiad. I'm effort
is now being made by our county ey,
ccutiyo committee, to organic all the
honest men Of the county into one par
ty, that we my be prepared to dis
cover and to check at our next e,,ction,
any frauds that may be attempted to
BE practieed upoaus, by tno 9nscrupu.
lous and yiliainous crew, that ar lord
ing it over us, and fattcning on ou~
substance. But that committee can
not ellcctually work, while those who
were once so active to canvass our
county, and make speeches in almost
every ncishbarhocl, and who by their
eloqucnco oftcntimcs drew crowds Of
ladies rs well as gentlemen, and
fred the zeal and aroused the political
feeling Of our people, when, as com.
pared with the present, there was No
necessity for It, are NOW, almost en-
tiraly silcut Where are Judge VIII,
iams, Col. Eakin, Maj. Hcmpstoal
and other old line whigs. GIN. Roys-
ton, Cols. Garland, Ferguson and
others? These gentlemen have al
been prominent monaal raAectcdmucl
honor to orr t'e, as well as coug'H
They are a9r honorol AMI respected
/ hy the voters ofour county, and could
/ if they would, by their cl3qucnco an,
words Of cheer l.eAt the torch Of patri
otism, and give hope to thosowho have
/ dos2ajrol of honest government
/ Woull they bot come forward and d,
their duty of OLD, wa could have a
thorough organization and roll up a,
the next election in November 1872, q
majority that the B|I1.s even would
he compelled to acknowledge and re,
spcct; but some of these gentlemen
may say, "wc are 3isfauchiscd tand
so YOU all are) and should therefore be
excused from taxing q position IN
. front, that we have yo,ng men Of abil.
/ lily, who can take our rplacc..' Ifsuch
| is the answer ofany Of you, gentlemen,
I must beg loayeto differ lromyou, and
am not alone, make no pretcntions
to any more than ordinary ,aeacity, but
| | urge the fact Of your being disftan
chi.ed, i, an argument in favor off, your
taking the lead in this organization 49,
The charge cannot be made by our po-
litical enemies, that you are office seek
crs, besides most Of you were at the
beginning Of our troubles opposed to
secession. 1t is true we have young
mon orabilitv amoug us euch rs Mrs.r-.