The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-10-30
nr. Harris Record.

press and speakers persist in making upon
what they are pleased to call "the record" of
the Reform candidate for Governor can only
react with damaging effect upon themselves.
Mr.. Harris has been out of politics for nearly
if not quite fifteen years, during the great part
of which time he has voted with the democrat
ic conservative party of the State, and was in
1867 nominated by that party as delegate to
the Constitutional Convention from Baltimore
county. The "record" which Mr.. Whyte and
Mr. Carroll and the rest of the big and little
orators of "the party" lay so much stress upon,
consists in exhuming accounts of election out
RACES and frauds committed in this city, while
Mr.. Swami was Mayor, in the interest Of that
gentleman and of the American party of
which he was facile princeps (he was called, in
deed by his admirers "the Prince of Ameri-
cans') and for which it seems that Mr.. Harris
now is to be held accountable The extent of
Mr.. Harris connection with the outrages in
question, appears to be that at the time they
were committed he was member of the Amer
lean party and elected by it to Congress from
the District, of which the lower wards of this
city then formed part.
The glaring inconsistency of this line Of at
tack does not appear to disturb in the least the
minds or consciences OF those who adopt it,
Mr.. Harris did not commit the outrages nor
had he power to prevent them. He was not
NJ yor OF the city nor the head OF its police
Mr.. Swami was both. Mr.. Harris never justi
fed threats of violence or fraud committed at
the polls. Mr.. Swami did, laying the blame
upon the "infurated Irish of the eighth ward"
(his own words) and setting at defiance the au-
thority of Governor Lgon, when as the chief
executive officer and conservator Of the peace
throughout the State, be attempted to interfere
in the interest of law and order, and for the
protection of citizens and of the ballot box.
Yet Mr.. Swami is now representative Demo.
crat-dividing the honors (and profits) of run
ming ''the party"-with Mr.. Whyte, and enthu-
siastically supported by the very men who can
not understand how Mr.. Wallis for example,
can consent to appear on the same ticket with
"a Know Nothing like Mr.. Harris, or how any
other democrat can vote for him. The same
gentlemen are equally shocked at the idea of
any one calling himself democrat, being will
ing to vote for Col Wilkins, although in 1872,
every mothers son of them voted for Horace
Greeley, the lifelong opponent Of the Demo
cratic party and OF democratic principles, from
the time he made his first reputation as editor
of The Log Cabin, Advocate, whig campaign
paper, down to the day of his death. To de-
bate this question of consistency with such men
is simply impossible. 1t doesn't lie in their
Harris "know- nothing record" when they have
converted Mr.. Swanns into the party shield
and banner of faith.
If Mr.. Whyte and Mr. Carroll mean to say
that no man who has at any time been oppos-
ed to the Democratic party, is fit candidate
for office, they had better disband "the party"
which, at this moment, includes within its ranks
former know-nothings, unconditional Union
men and old wings. Eliminate these elements
from the party and there wouldn't be "origi-
nal democrats" enough left to divide the Offices.
If Mr.. Whyte and Mr. Carroll mean to say
that Mr.. Harris former connection with the
American or Know nothing party is the un-
pardonable sin, which forever disqualiies him
for office and dsenttles him to the support of
any democrat, that is an issue upon which the
Reformers are ready to meet them. There are
thousands of members of the old American
party in the Democratic ranks who will resent
with indignation the attempt to put personal
stigma on Mr.. Harris on that account; and
there are thousands upon thousands of men
who never were Know nothings who will join
them in rebuking this attempt to introduce a
new proscriptive test into the politics of the
State The democratic conservative party
as it styles itself, prides itself, above all else,
upon having abolished as it claims, the iron
clad oaths and disfranchising features found
in the Constitution of 1864.
Does it propose to substitute in practice a
prescription of all former members of the
American party? We had thought the day for
| that sort of bigotry and intolerance had pass
| ed, but it SENS not, from the speeches OF Mess.
y
generally. AS we say, it is an issue which the
| Reformers are glad to have plainly put, and
will squarely meet. Believing as they do, that
honest men are to be found in all parties, and
that no party has monopoly either of public
virtue or patriotism, they rejoice in being BILE
to invite the cooperation of both in support oi
| a ticket com posed of representatives from both
| Mr.. Harris "record" as man, singularly
has not been assailed, probably out of respect
for the feelings of Mr.. Montgomery Blair, al
| though by the same rule, decent consideration
| for the feelings of Gov. Swami and Mr.. Free
man Rasin should have prevented any allu
sion to know nothingism and the election riot;
of 1859. Suppose, however, Mr.. Harris ol
any other gentleman who opposed secession in
1861, should say that he could not consistently
| vote in 1875 for any man who had been Sc
cessionist or Southern sympathizer, wha
| would the ay erage democrat think and say O.
him? And yet is not barely possible that &
sincere Union man may have felt as deeply
"outraged" by the horrors of four long years o
civil war, as anybody, except Governor Swami
can possibly be, by the recollection OF all The
| crimes that were committed wnlle the lattel
was Mayor?
1t is extraordinary, that our Democratic
friends do not see whittier the argument they
use against Mr.. Harris is tending, and how In
evitably it must recoil on their own heads.
Mr.. Harris personal character, it is needless
to say,is unassailable and unassailed. lie pro
cured his nomination by no doubtful means.--
He did not procure it alias in the case o
both his colleagues upon the State ticket, i
came to him unsought and was urged upool
him. Like Mr.. Wallis, he stands before th
people "solicited and not solictous," nomina
ted "as a democrat and nothing else, to prose
cute Reform and nothing else.' His conduc
of the canvass has been beyond reproach. ID
makes no foolish speeches and writes no fool
;ob Letters He requires neither dry nursing o
wet nursing Wherever he goes ,Ia, his manlnss'
moderation, good sense ana tact comman'
and rssPse SsPi P.s gIfuad's, snd r dis
Of fde friends The objection to hin
personally is then reduced to this, that seven
teen teen or eighteen years ago he shared the polit
ical opinion of the Americanparty of that day
and was by it elected to the Congress of th
United States. This "record" we need hardl
saw, Mr.. Harris does not deny, neither does h
] ao, onv anoloov for IT, He begs no man.