Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-10-29

Hon. ]. Morrison Harris.

+ sEMS gentleman, who is expected to be
hefed ay and address the people, made
a speech at Princess Anne, in Somerset
county, On the 10th instant, which is thus
noticed by the True Marylander, published
at that place:
tAIrsJ. Morrison Harris was the first speaker
called to the front. He at once launched into
the discussion of the policy and purposes of the
Reform party. He held himself, so far as his
manner was concerned, well in check with
dignity and made his appeal principally to the
Democratic party. He argued that his Ameri-
can or "Know Nothing" record was no bar to
the sufrages that he should receive from the
Democratic party. He instanced Hon. Thomas
Swami, who was Know Nothing, and had
long ago been received with open arms by the
Democratic party and elevated from one posi-
ton to another Of honor and trust, and who
had served the State with profit to it and honor
to himself. Why should not he be taken into
full fellowship and confidence? He dwelt with
the most apparent delight and great self-satis-
faction on his own career and services painting
his history and public services with unctuous
colors that seemed to penetrate with JOY to the
very centre of his immortal soul. During it
all he never once said that Mr.. Swami had come
forward at the time that the despot'S heel was
on our neck; that it was Mr.. Swann's strong
arm, and just DEGREES, that saved us from the
very ilk of himself who would have kept US
until now, as the unfortunate Southern States
have been kept, ground into the dust, ruled by
aliens and Ignorant negroes their resources
and substance consumed and squandered. He
went on to argue that the Democratic party
was corrupt and rotten, needing the strong and
pure influence of such as he (Mr. J. Morrison
Harris) to reform it. He instanced one specific
charge of corruption against the Democratic
party. He took the expense of the last Legis-
lature-that of lS66-of the Republican rule,
and showed that. the expense of that Legisla-
ture was SO, 900. He then took the last Leg
islature of Democratic rule, and showed that it
was held at the expense of Sl9l, 900. 'sThere
stood the figures" said he, ''of these two Leg
islatures, the one Republican and the other
Democratic, beside each other, $40, 600 and
S19l, 900. These dollars came out of the dear
peoples treasury, placed there by taxes wrung
from the sweat of the peoples brow" With
terrible vehemence he dwelt on these figures
and argued that "where there was so much
smoke there must be some fire." Where there
was such a difference in the expenses of two
Legislatures there must have been some great
and fraudulent absorption somewhere, as there
so far in excess of the other. "There was
cause and it lay said he, Sin the corruption
of the present party in power"
During all this time, Mr.. Harris did not once
tell the people that the session of the Legislature
of 1866 tcas but thirty days in duration and that
the session of 1874 ,rds ninety day S long. Had
the session of 1874 been made as expensive by
the Democrats, as the Republicans made the
session of 1866, it would have cost the sum of
S2l0, 900 instead of Sl9l, 900. This Democra-
tic party, which the great and pure Mr.. J.
Morrison Harris wants to reform, saved TO the
people therefore the sum of $4,000.
Ofcourse we cannot presume that Mr. Harris,
man who aspires to be Governor of Maryland,
can be ignorant of the fact that the Legislature
of 1866 lasted only 80 days and that of 1874
lasted 90 days, or three times as long. If he
is thus ignorant and so loosely posted on the
causes of financial disbursements of the State,
of which be wishes TO be Governor he is not the
man to obtain the votes of the people, of this
county, of either party and certainly not of the
Democratic party, TO which he principally adj
dressed his arguments. Il he is not ignorant,
then has he used an unfair, false and disin-
genuous argument to impose on the credulity
of the great mass of voters, who are probably
not well posted in these matters, and any man,
even as politician of the present day, who can
come before the people with an argument that
is based on the most bald-faced misrepresenta-
tions, can not be trusted with the highest exc
cutve trust OF TINS people lie is unworthy OF
it and should have his unho.y pretensions and
Prescriptions utterly crushed at the coming
election. We repeat it, and us emphatically
as we can put it in the English language, that
a man, who can so wilfully misrepreSent, traduce
and defame his fellow-citizens, and who can so
falsely charge corruption upon them as Mr..
Harris did on last Tuesday, is as corrupt and
rotten and wicked as the ashes Of the burnt hot
beds of corruption, Sodom and Gomorrah.
Mr.. Harris might have gained more votes by
his plausible and polite bearing had be confin-
ed himself to arguments based on truth, and
which could be substantiated and had be dwelt
with less pride on his own career, obtained as
it was through the violence and bloodshed of
those days sin the reign Of terror" when he
came to the front and 10 position. The more
he Landed himself and traduced bis opponent
at that time-the Hon. VIM. Pinkney Whyte-
the more the attention and recollection of his
hearers were drawn to those features of those
times which he dared not recount. For ora
torical effort, Mr.. Harris speech was above
criticism. For fair and open, candid and
effective appeal for suffrages, it had better, by
far, never have been raade.h