Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-09-12

State; and under The speeious name Of demo
Gratis, arrogantly assumed TO themselves POW
ER to do as they pleased, perfectly regardless
of any injury done the people or the party TO
which they had, so recently and so conven-
ently, ATTACHED themselves. The Constitu-
tional Convention of ls67-composed, princi-
pally, MS it was, of such materials-eyen going
so far as TO abolish the plnin old democratic
and economical one Judge system-for which
the democracy of the State had been contest
ing for so many years, and at last, in 1851,
got accomplished, and against which neuer
breath Of complaint Seas heard, Ito reinstate
the cumbrous and costly old Colonial system
Of three Judges, which every democrat in the
State had, only few years before, utterly
repudiated; and their public speakers-one
OF whom is now upon the Judicial bench
denounced, from every stand, as grossly ex-
travngant, anti-denocratic, and unnecessary.
But IL, democrat of that day-(and there are
some such yet living )-should still cling to the
same opinion now, he is looked upon by the
'improved democracy" rs not of their 'tac-
cepted ORDER and must learn, before admis-
sion, that what was 'sauee for the goose
then, is not considered ''sauce FOR the gander''
7of0. And when | enquire the reason for this
absurd Inconsistency, am given for answer,
the Insulting reply ''stick to the party
Where, pray, is ''the party" now, in this
county and who destroyed it2 and / venture
here to affirm that had the members of that
Conven tion-whilst they were yet candidates
before the people-but intimated their design
to interfere with the old one Judge system,
not single solitary one of them would ever
have darkened its doors. And yet, it was
DONE and done, too, by the leading spirits
lawyers land their dupes, in that body,
under the assumed mantle IF democracy, in or
der the better to cover up their real purpose TO
create more Offices for themselves, or the fra
ternity, to enable them to roll about in their
carriages, on the peoples MONEY! Is not such
the fact felow-citizens And-mark the sig
niiicance lit is not a little singular, that
whilst the simple, but grand old Constitution
OF 1851, as well as that OF 1864, both contain
express provisions against any increase in the
salaries of the Judges, during their contnu-
ance in Office, the falsely so-called democrat
ic Constitution of 1867, flor the ratification
OF which impious sacrifice of democratic poll
cy, many democrats, myself among the num-
Der, proudly refused to vote) not only largely
increases The number Of Jtdges as aceH as Their
salaries also, but sleekly allows the Legislature
to still further increase The latter TO any amount,
but neUer TO diminish them Another beautiful
specimen OF democracy Improved, ," in Mary
land, and enough TO cause every democyat Of
the old school, to hide his head for shame
LOOK, too, at the prodigous strides our Coun-
y expenditures are taking i-Treading in the
footsteps of their illustrious ~ exemplnrs in
the Stale Government, our county officials
seem bent on out-stripping, even them, in
'helr reckless squandering of the peoples
money, by piling up, mountain high, increas-
cd taxation on the backs of an already over
taxed people-Look at i'll On a careful exami-
nation OF the Levy Lists'--now in the Office
OF the county Commissioners, Figures wont
lie), | find, that for the three years immediate
ly preceding the restoration Of the democratic
party TO power in the County, the ordinary,
annual, expenditures of the County, averaged
S22, l80.67, whilst for the last three years,
just past, these expenditures have reached an
annual everage of $50, 527 65S and for several
years, exceeded $50, 900, year-all exclusive
Of bounties to soldiers.
So that this large increase in the County
expenditures is also justly due to tho so-ca He'd
democratic party. Very democratic indeedi)
But the beauty of it all is, who filled the
Offices in the meantime Did democrats fill
them All, that is another thing entirely l.
To-be-sure, those gentlemen were always pro-
vided with the best back seats in the conrrega-
ton, but when any of the little elderships and
offices were to be given out, these were almost
invariably, bestowed upon men, who, all
their lives, had been warning against the
democratic party and assisting in every posi-
saw the Offices gliering in the distance, adroit-
ly sidled themselves into the coming ranks,
and, with their eyes intently fixed on the
spOiis, were loudest in proclaiming themselves
democrats and in singing hozannas to the
democratic party But if democrat Of the
old school should manage-evcr so submis-
sively-to squeeze in, these newborn, latter day
brethren, at once, begin to look upon him rs,
rather, an intruder, and soon find some way
of squeezing him out. And yet, the party is
made to bear all the blame for the sins com
mitted by these Evolves in sleeps clothing"
And so it will ever be fellow-citizens, until
these artfully managed County Conventions
are broken up, and the people left to choose
their own County Officials, without dictation
from any quarter; and which, SO far as am
concerned, they will now have an opportunity
of doing. And here pledge myself, if elect
ed, to cooperate with any party in the Legis-
lature, to break down the present outrageous
system of taxation, in the County as well as
State.
Very respectfully.
CHRISTOPHER W. LANSDALE.