The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-08-22
Letter from the Second District,

Mr. EDIToR: The alarm has been sound
ed throughout the entire Democratic encamp-
ment, to warn her members of the impending
danger of immediate dissolution of the party
organization. 1t is said that great chieftain
once wept becar Sc there were not other worlds
for him to conquer; but we never read that
on that account he made war upon himself
The Democratic party seems TO think that
the Republican foe is no longer worthy other
notice. She is Mt present, Thy her acts,) en-
deavoring to divide the party into two frag-
ments-the one to be known as the "Conser-
vative Democrat" the other Democrat"
thereby making issue with her own political
power, while some of her partisans are fan
ming the discordant elements into one gene
raj political conflagration, which must neces.
sarily end in the total destruction of the Dem
ocralic party in Hartford.
The present system of nominating candi-
dates for Office Though the motive may have
been pure,) works badly for the interest of the
party, by increasing the number of aspirants
to Office, while at the same time it generates
a spirit of rivalry, which grows into enmity,
and ends in hostility to each other who are
running for the same Office Under the pres
ent arrangement the candidates for County
Commissioner, can not be advantageousy Sc
lectcd, from the fact that the office is one of
labor and not of profit to the occupants, and
those who would most likely make the best
officers are not willing to spend their time
and money canvassing the aotOle county for
nominations, especially when they may have
five OF six chances to lose for one to win.
Again, it is system subject to be polluted
and outraged by ring candidates. 1t is only
necessary for the leaders of faction to con-
vince their members that in harmony and
union there is power, and that in dissension
and discord there is weakness, and they will
very soon agree among themselves who shall
be their candidates; while at the same time
will endeavor to get ten or more candidates,
out side of the ring, (soicit them if they can,
hire them if they must to run for the same
Office, thereby scattering the outside element
into so many fractions the largest of which
will be less in number than the ring, and thus
secure to themselves the entire ticket of nomi-
nation. 1t farther induces persons to present
themselves as candidates for nomination who
have no local claims to the office, whose Elec-
ton Districts are not entitled by turn to have
the office for which they are running. 1t has
been the custom of the party to divide the
sheriffalty among the various districts, when
the district entitled would agree upon a re-
preventative, if not then to the next district
in order, &c. To-day we have nine candi-
dates in three districts, neither of said dis
tricts are entitled to the office until the other
three districts have been served; and two OF
the latter, viz Marshalrs and Halls Cross
Roads, have not elected Democratic candi-
date for sheriff for over forty years, they hav.
| ing been deprived by disagreement in their
delegation or by the election of n candidate
in the opposite political party. Now there
are but four candidates for the Shcrifralty in
the three latter districts, two of them are in
| Marshalpc while there four in the district
in which the present Sheriff was elected
Should one of those candidates last referred
to obtain the nomination, Qhough theil
moral characters and political standing are
quite equal with any of the other candidates,
have we an assurance that the friends ofthost
who arc defeated will all join to secure the
election of said candidate? Again. it is cur
rently reported that there are rings or com
binations already formed, the very existence
of which, under this present system, will tend
directly to disorganiZe and probably defeat
the party on the day of the final election
Well may "Ivuros" sound the alarm, with q
hope that the reverberations may be heard on
every hill and throughout every valley by
every true Democrat in the county, inviting
them to come with their sacrifice TO be offer.
ed on the political altar for the welfare of the
Democratic party. Too well does the honest
canvasser of o-day know that there are seed
of dissension terminating, and springng ur
all over our county, superinduced partly by
the influence of the power that organized tho
present plan of nomination. To-day the pro-
gramme proves to be a political farce, and
our enemies are laughing at our discomfi
| ture.
Let us remember the experience of last falls
campaign and its result, wherein the people
of Hartford rebuked in silence the acts ofthose
who foisted an obnoxious candidate on the
party for election. Let our follies cease with
our youth, and not be of that number who
are ignorant in spite of experience, who after
having seen the consequences of thousand
errors continue still to blunder. Let the
people declare at the primary election in the
selection of members of the Executive Com
mittee whether they are in favor of reform
alton of the present plan of selecting candi-
dates, and if they are, let the committee thus
elected Immediately organize and adopt and
put in execution such plan as they may adopt.
OBSERVER.