Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-08-27
reform within the. raray.

ton of nearly the W hole, Demoeratic press
of the State againststhe nfhnipufatfohs4 of
corrupt rings, having their centre in Bal
timorescity, and fog theirparpose the con
troll of the party in certain interests, has
demonstrated fully that papers may be
partisan in the sense of advocating the
success of a particular party and yet at
the same time independent in the high
est sense of the word. 1t is saying that
whilst welded indissolubly to the princi
pies of that party and advocating its sue
cess, the press is sufficiently courageous
! to lay bare and denounce- corruption and
wrong within its own household as well
as elsewhere. To this tone of denuncia
ton some of our contemporaries take ex
ception, honestly believing, doubtless,
that now that the nominations have been
made and generally acquiesced in, discus
sion is inopportune and mischievous-I
calculated to fan into flames the embers
| of discord which should be entirely smoth-
cred. There is much force in this view,
but we cannot give entire adhesion to it.
The great need of the nation is reform in
the administration of public affairs.
Abuses and corruptionss startling in their
magnitude, are being ss.ly developed al
most evcrywhere, and the Democratic par
ty has pledged itself to stdofm this condi-
ton of things and is APPEALING to the
i good men of all classes i, come forward
| and assist it in its effort to drive from
power the Republican party, which tor
the last fifteen years has permitted, if not
fostered, this wickedness. This being the
appeal made to the Nation, with what
grace can we in this State back it up IN
less we give some evidence Of sincerity
and carnestness on our own part7 1t is
alleged and believed by greatly the larger
portion of the press, that an improper
condition of affairs does exist within our
party lines. and therefore it becomes a
duty due alike waits own INDEPENDENCE,
and % party intcgrss'..- f1dIssnn-T
ton of the people should be aroused a.
gainst the scheming men who have thus
brought reproach on our household. There
is nothing inconsistent in doing this and
yet at the same time advocating the sue
cess ofthe party. The settlement of these.
perhaps, less momentous points ought not
necessarily to divert us from the more inn
portant issues at stake. As means of
securing the triumph of vital principles
and policies, whilst not misled by wrongs,
we should use not merely mild criticisms,
but positive and emphatic denunciations.
We may well profit by the example set
US by our brethren of the State of New
York. There our party, under the lead
of Gov. Tilden, has boldly grappled with
fraud and corruption within as well as
without the party, and the honest masses
OF the people of all ranks and political
sentiments are rallying to his support with
such earnestness and heartiness that the
electoral vote OF the Empire State is al
ready secured to US in 1876. For, as we
said before, this is the great object which
should never be lost sight Of Our i'm
pending State election is but a prelimina
nv skirmish before the great battle of the
/ Presidential election which is to be fought
along the whole line, and which is to set
] tie the fate of the country for perhaps the
next decade Now is the time to reorgan-
ize and place none but true and trusted
men in the front, whilst buWmers and
mercenaries should be sent to the rear. IF
we do not accomplish this work ourselves
now before the battle commences it will
assuredly be done for Us by--ciefeatss
But the discussion of these matters, we
hold, are most appropriate and polite at
the present time for another reason. 1t is
true the nominations for state officers have
1been made, but the legislative tickets hav.
yet to be formed, aad this + Of, far more
importance to the, people than Governors
or Comptrollers. We should recollect
that it is through legislative bodies that
the most unblushing frauds ARE easiest
perpetrated-tbrough them money is APP
propriated and taxes are levied, and it is
money that lobbyists and schemers are af-
ter 1t is in the'Legislature therefore that
the people are most interested. There is
now in the State Treasury, upappFopriat-
ed, the sum of 1886, 900 received from the
B. & 0. r. r.; and it may be safely assumed
tina. this inviting sum has attracted the
attention of the political cormorants, who
have already concocted schemes to obtain
a greater portion of it. This amount
which can be so easily converted into
a corruption fund, ought to be. sufficient
to make the people exercise more than Or
binary care in the selection of their nomi-
nees Profting by the experience of the
past two months, they ought to know that
supineness is ruin. AS "a sentinel, it is
the duty of the press to fell them this and
warn them of their danger, and point out
that the only road to safety and security
is to nominate good and true, men who
are disconnected with rings orcliques and
will lend their aid fearlessly to the pro-
motion of reform within the party,
Mr. Raster of the Chicago Stats Zeitung
announces that that paper win support Gen.
Grant on hard-money platform against any
candidate on rag-money platform. If there
are two hard-money candidates they will sup