The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-12-04
SATURDAY, deer. 4, 1876
"Etern0I Vigilance IS the Price OF
LibertY."


Reform is more easily talked about and wished
Or -sss.--ralSA.A. Il - ,sAy easy for folks
Vho desire reform to sit around their own hearth
tones and imagine that it will come all right
Without their help and advice simply because the
Reform ticket was elected. We assert that the
sringn and the enemies of Reform are only half
whipped now although the Reform ticket was
elected. They really expect to carry off coed
portion Of the spells Of the victory. They are
planning and working for it, They are setting
all sorts Of traps for the purpose Of catching the
unwary. About three-fourths of those in posi-
tons really expect to remain there. They are
doing their level best to carry this point. These
gentlemen do not think it at all unbec0ming in
them to visit the Commissioners and make appli-
cation to be retained And what is more sur
prising is that many Of them can find Reformers
weak enough to sign petitions, write letters or
make recommendations in their behalf. If this
is to be the policy pursued we had better saved
ourselves the fun of defeating the "ring' ticket
and saved these modest gentlemen the supreme
pleasure of soliciting Reform officials to consider
them in the line of Reform suppliants. If these
people are to be continued in positions why elect
the Reform ticket to have it done? We do not
say that this will be done, but we do say that the
The least culpable among those named are the
''ring-worms." Nothing better is to be expected
of them. But better things are demanded at the
hands of all those who claim to be Reformers.-
1t is by getting the aid of these people that ring
men expect to succeed. And it is through them
chiefly that the work is to be done. The shrewd
sring-masters'' who are behind the screen, I'M
seen by the unsuspecting, ere suggesting, plan
ming, manipulating, setting rumOrs aHeat, con-
cocting schemes and doing thousand things to
carry off the game, and they are shrewdly max
ing use of Reformers as the chief executive agents
in the matter. 1t is evident to US that the cleo
ton of the ticket is not all that Reormers are ex-
pected or required to do. The "ring-masters"
may not succeed in their deep laid plans but Re-
formers have no business to aid them in doing it
or to be quiescent while it is being attempted
ALI Reormers should aid in seeing that the little
games of the "ring" are subverted.
Success will not be achieved by alone defeating
the firing" mems game to stay in. 1t is just as
much their duty to see that no unfit men get in
under the guise of Rsformers The County Com
missioners cannot be expected to know one-half
Of those who will make application to them for
positions of trust and profit. To prevent unfit
appointments and put the best possible men in
every position can be accomplished only by the
combined.efforts of those who are most deeply in.
terested in reform. If the most responsible Re
formers in each locality in the county would put
their heads together and select the best men in
the Reform party in their respective communities
and recommend them to the Commissioners for
positions, the appointing power would be relieved
of mach Of its embarrassment in getting the best
men for positions. But ifeverybedy signs every.
body's petition the Commissioners will receive nc
light from those who are expected to give it. II
the responsible Rsformers in every community
will make it their business to inform the Com
missioners of unworthy applicants, they will rem
der Invaluable service. But without the courage
and determination to do this reform cannot be 6
complete success. The appointing power mus
have the aid, the information, the advice and
cordial cooperation of the best Reformers in every
locality in the county TO make the reformation
what we wish it to be. Do not think the Com
uissioners can do If all Evervhadv unust helm
Mr.. W0lliS' argument.
Hon. s. Teackle Wallis is host in the cause
of reform. His pluck, ability and culture render
him dreaded adversary. His integrity to his
convictiens makes him a persistent, inveteratt
worker. When be strikes he strikes hard
When he speaks he says something. Whatever
he does makes an impression and does execution
The man cannot work any other way. The
"ringites' have discovered that with him in the
field against them they have something more to
do than stuff the boxes and count fraudulent
votes. The thing is not over with him when the
columns of votes are added up and the result an.
neunced. The tricks frauds and outrages arc
not allowed to go by with him unnoticsd. A:
our readers are already aware he has commenced
a contest of Mr.. Gwinn's pretended election be.
fore His Excelency, Governor Greene. On
Wednesday of last week argument was heard be.
fore that tribunal, prescribed by the constitution
upon the question of whether he had Jurisdiction
of the matter. 1t is commended by Mr.. Gwinn
and his counsel Col. Charles Marshal, that the
only province the Governor can exercise in the
matter is a ministerial one, that is when he sees
the certified returns in proper form forwarded to
him through the proper channel he has no power
to go behind those returns and make an inquiry
of any kind. Mr.. Wallis argument was written
by himself and read to His Excellency by Hon.
A. B. Hagner. 1t is mastery production. 1t
briefly reviews the whole case and furnishes the
most convincing argument that the Governor
power over the rights Of the parties contestant is
more than ministerial He shows that the Sec
ton of the constitution placing the matter in the
Governors hands uses the same language that is
used in the section in which the Legislature is
made the supreme tribunal OF the ELECTION and
qualifications" of its ewn members. Under that
section the Legislature can summon witnesses and
take their testimony in committee or they can
authorize the testimony to be taken by commits
sion and produced before them in proper shape.
BY analogy the Governor would possess the same
authority and can investigate the frauds and out
RACES perpetrated upon the ballet-box in Balti-
more city on the I'd of November, and decide the
question of whether Mr.. Wallis or Mr.. Gwinn
was elected. This is the chief point in the argu-
nent and seems borne out by law, reason and
common sense. 1t is couched in Mr. Wallis
cauSic style and literary excellence, and is at the
same time logical and conclusive in its reasoning
The "ringites'' feel that every time they are
touched an unpleasant oder arises and conse-
quently they had rather be let alone. But Mr.
Wallis keeps pegging away and he is not going
to stop until the ring is completely demolished
rs We are somewhat surprised that gen
tleman of Col. Charles Marshaps ability and
culture, even though he were a confederate
sol der, in his argument before the Governor
for Mr.. Gwinn, should make reference to the
fact that Mr.. Wallis received 10000 cOlored
votes while Mr.. Gwinn was elected by white
votes, and thereby attempt to influence the
Governors decision. But it is to Gov. Groome's
credit that he at once intimated to Mr.. Mar