The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-10-09

honest and expedient the legislation he has
| sought to invoke. The fact is as we'll and as
| generally known in Maryland as the influence
of Tweed was known atAlbany. Equally well
known, too, whatever the ballot boxes may
/ have been made to show to the contrary, is the
| fact that the interest taken in the elections by
| intelligent and honorable Democrats, has gone
| on decreasing from year to year in consequence.
| They have largely ceased to take part in pri-
mary meetings, which they know to be an in
| solent imposture, or to trouble themselves with
| voting for the nominees of conventions which
| are packed and manipulated by trick and fraud.
| The indifference which comes from WEAKNESS,
| and an honest, but mistaken, sense of party
| fealty, have prevented them hitherto from CIV
| ing vent to their disgust, except in the way OF
| private denunciation. But, since the exhib
| ton made at the late Democratic State conven-
ton in Baltimore, not only on the floor OF the
| convention, but through all the disreputable
| scenes and orgies which surrounded 1t, the pa
| thence of the most patient has given way at
| last, and he must be blind to the signs of pub
| lie feeling and opinion who does not see,
| throughout the State, the evidences Of active
and pervading indignation. That the will OF the
majority of the Democratic party was absolute
| ly overriden in that convention in its nonlna-
| tions, and that the convention was deliberately
packed to override it, is felt and resented, am
! sure, to day, by the mass of the Democrats Of
Maryland.
| In such a state of facts what is the remedy
| for the evil? 1t is childish to seek it in the
| spontaneous self-reformation of "ring," which
| must die its political death in the very act of
reforming. Nor can relief come from protest,
denunciation, lamentation and acquiescence.
These have been tried, ad naWSeunt, for years,
| and have only made things worse. 1t cannot
be found in the election OF ticket placed be-
fore the people by the very combinations with
which they are disgusted-tor no candidates,
however personally honorable, can escape the
pledges, the promises, the associations, the
influences, without which their nomination
could not and would not have been made
That corrupt ring deliberately forms and
| dominates ticket, intrigues for it, forces its
nomination and presses its election, without
expecting to make something by its success, is
too absurd to think of-uuless, indeed, the peo-
pie are pastoral enough to believe that the ring
has abdicated its sceptre in a fit of virtue, and
lain down to sinless dreams.
What, then, l repeat, is the remedy? 1t is
idle to talk about "the public mind" being
"now at last awake" If, as heretofore, it does
nothing but awake, it had as we'll remain asleep.
Equally puerile it is to deliver nomies about
the duty of good men to go to the primaries and
send better represen tatIves to the conventions.
Good men will be cheated as often as they GO,
for citizen who has to follow an honest occu-
patton for the bread of his family will never be
a match, in tactics, for trickster, whose whole
thought and business in life is political chicane.
The only relief is to be found at the polls. 1t
is to be found in the determination of men of
integrity and sense to show, at every cost, that
party nomination shall 40 longer be equivalent
to elections that they will permit no ticket
whatever to be put upon them by fraud that
they will not only not vote for unworthy can
didates, but will not be led away by consider
atoms of personal respect for individuals from
abating public nuisance and wiping out a
party disgrace. All over the country men are
rising up to the conviction that it is necessary
fer men to look to something better and wcr-
thier when they vote than party watchwords,
labels and Endorsements Here, in New York,
the Democratic Governor of the State is tri-
umphantly giving to that conviction all the
force of manly precept and noble example,
Even in Massachusetts whole districts of Re-
publicans have honorably manifested their dis
gust at the practices Sf their party by fingng
its nominated tickets to the winds and pouring
their numbers, for the time, into Democratic
majorities. And he is weak indeed who sup
poses that by so doing they dismember or de-
strey their party. 1t has come to this l think
all over the country, and the next Presidential
election will show it that the best way and the
surest to strengthen the hands of party is to
make them clean before the people, though
present defeat and disaster be the only process
of cleansing them. This. at all events, is the
a member of the Democratic party, and as
anxious as any other for its success in national
politics. / thin X q untitled to say this, be-
cause have steadfastly supported it for nearly
twenty years am bound to it by no obligations
but those of conviction, and have served it at
some sacrifice. But care not one jot or little
for its success, except in so far as l think it de
serves success, and although l look forward
with hope and desire to the time-not, trust,
far off-when the vote of Maryland shall swell
Democratic triumph in the nation. l confess
it would only bring me humiliation to know
that Maryland had nothing better to contrib
ute to the political regeneration of the country
than the morals and the practices which
have denounced. 1t is because believe just
such humiliation to be in store for US all, unless
those who see it foreshadowed are prepared to
do something to avertit, that have consented,
as Democrat, to take my share of whatever
party odium may attach to the effort. And for
one, have no hesitation in confessing that if
democracy" in Maryland is to mean hereafter
the corruption and the shame to which the
party has permitted itself to be brought by the
influences which now direct it, no triumph will
strengthen its hold upon my poor allegiance
Nothing, as you will bear me witness, was
further from my Xpection or desire than to
represent our common opinions on this occa-
sion as a candidate for any office. Consdera-
tons personal to myself, the strength of which
first presented them TO you, render 1t at this
time as unwelcome thing as it could well be
to me to add to the responsibilities already up
on me. The condition of my health precludes
me utterly from appearing on the hastings
and, indeed, frsm undertaking any of the la
bors of a canvass. l have, therefore, earnest
ly and anxiously pressed you to name some
| other person in my place. You have been
pleased Notwithstanding, to urge my accept
ance upon grounds which l have not felt at lib
erty to disregard. 1 have never considered ii
the right of citizen, for reasons OF personal
| convenience, to refuse his services to public
movement which he believes important and
| approves, and which those who share his opin-
| ions believe and assure him that his interven-
ton will materially promote.
While, therefore, am sure that you alto
| gether overestimate the value of my co-opera
ton, feel that you are entitled to it for what
| it may be worth. You will not misunderstood
me- am sure, as affecting the slightest insen-
! sibility to the honor you have done me, nor to
| that for which am indebted to the Citizens
and Republican conventions, in their prompt
and cordial acceptance of my nomination
The attorney generalship of Maryland is dis
tinguished place, and has been dignifed ty
some of the greatest intellects which have
| adorned the American bar. could only hope,
at BEST to follow in their footsteps at the farth
est distance, but should have been proud and
| glad, under other circumstances, to have the
| privilege of doing that The personal consid-
erations to which have alluded forbid me,
| however, to associate the present opportunity
without any aspirations of my own.
| It is needless. for me to add, that with the
convictions have expressed, | recognize the
| propriety of your uniting on your ticket repre-
| sentives of both the parties into which the
country is divided. 1t must be conceded, |
think, that you have acted with fair regard
to all things proper to be considered, in select
| ing two of your candidates from the Democrat
| ic ranks. l have, from time to time, differed
in political opinions with both of the gentle
| men to whom you have been pleased to assign
me as a colleague, but am fortunately in antago-
nism in national politics with only one of them
now. The democratic party, however, in its
nominations, has so perpetually invited me to
forget past differences, and has assigned to me
| as associates or leaders, and required me to
| make friends of so many whom it once taught
me to regard as the very mammon of unrigh-
teousness, that it would not became me as a
democrat now to be more exclusive than it is.
If had no better reason for regarding any
antagonsm of opinion between my distinguish
ed friend, Mr.. Harris, and myself, as otherwise
disposed of, should certainly have the right
to regard it as "sent to the rear" by superior
authority in 1857, when the democratic-con-
servative party Of his county invited him to
represent it in the constitutional convention.
At this distance from home, and without any
means whatever of forming judgment of my
own, shall not pretend, even for the purpose
of encouragement. to express any opinion as to
your prospects of success. | am gratfed ia
know with what unfaltering confidence those
who are in better position to judge Look for
ward to the election of your candidates. In
L l. IL