The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-10-23

l have, of course, assumed the existence of
that political combination. Am | right, or
am l wrong? have never met or heard of
any man who fatty denied its existence,
but in view of the effrontery with which
some of the orators and editors of the Dem
ocratic party have ventured to pooh pooh it,
l confess that am tempted daily to repeat
the memorable question addressed by Gov.
Lyon to Mayor Swami: els there no such
/ thing as fact % Is there nothing SO glar-
/ ing, SO public, so Notwithstanding so
| perpetually sinking to the nostrils of the
people-as to enttle a man to assume that
he knows that it exists? Mr.. Carroll can
not possibly deny the Rings existence.
should, indeed, " SANDER" him if | sup
posed him capable of doing so. He may, and
no doubt does, think better of the Ring :"
| than other people do. Its friendliness to
him may cover, to his eyes, a multitude Of
sins. He may possibly believe that Mr..
| Pinckney Whyte is a Christian statesman,
and never used patronage for his own pro-
motion OF that of his allies. He may think
that Mr.. Bannon and German are seeking
to be lifted from the lobby into the Senate
for purposes of the most unselfish patriot
ism, and nothing else. He may think that
Mr.. Whyte helped Mr.. John w. Davis to
be Treasurer, and Mr.. Davis helped Mr..
! Whyte to be Senator, simply because each
thought the promotion of the other to be
necessary to the salvation of the country
and the Democratic party. He may think
that Mr.. German was chosen to be the
President of the Canal Company, and Mr..
Hines promoted to the Speakership of the
House, and thence to the command of the
"Oyster Navy" and Mr.. Woolford, nomi-
mated, over and over to the Comptroller
ship, altogether by the kindly and unsolic-
tied interference Of a benignant Providence.
All this he may believe, for the belief of
some men in their friends is unbounded.
But, still he knows that the Ring exists.
He knows that the worthy persons have
named "worked " together, and are COM
monty to be found together when a L" slate"
is to be made up and the scent of Office is
in the air One takes one part. another
takes another part of the machinery in
charge, but they all take hand. One does
the morality and another the immortality;
one sees that the sentiments are lovely,
while another looks after the ballot-boxes
and the "boys;'' and sets the traps, and
another covers them up, but there they all
are, on the spot, each at his post, and each
| fnr &c CHI of hn hat &c
caught. Mr.. Carroll cannot suppose all
| this to be accident. He cannot believe that
all these people and their associates in the
clerks offices in Baltimore "happen in,"
las our Yankee friends say) at all the con-
ventions that are going and all the caucuses
that are held without ever thinking they
shall meet each other there, and that when
they act together, and get each other offices
and fat things, it is no set purpose and
with no common design, but purely as
matter of "natural selection" Mr. Car
roll cannot have been at Annapolis as long
as he has and be fooled with that sort Of
nonsense. He knows who the Ring are,
and what they do, and all about them, quite
as we'll as his neighbors, unless he willfully
shuts his eyes to what is as plain to others
as the daylight.
And Mr.. Carroll can no more be ignor-
ant of the Lobby than he is of the Ring.
He cannot help knowing its existence and
its baseness. That his instincts permit
him to look upon it with any feeling but
disgust, 1 will not do him the injustice of
supposing possible. But no matter how
much he may despise it, he knows it and
it's working power, as well as he knows the
State House. He knows whom the Demo-
Gratis of Washington county pointed at
when they proposed to make lobbying a
criminal offence, just as we'll as he knows
whom they intended to reach by their COM
ments on the prostitution of patronage.
Does he not know, quite as we'll as he
knows either that the whole Ring and the
porters, in the Baltimore Convention? If
they did not support him, whom did they
support? If they did not secure his nomi-
nation, who did secure it? Has he per-
suaded himself that the people of Maryland
spontaneously rushed to the primary ballot
boxes and sent delegates, by reclamation,
to the local and State conventions to vote
for him, out of pure reverence for the hon.
orable name he bears and admiration of his
abilities and personal qualities? Does he
not know that his nomination was started
at Annapolis, after the election of Gov.
Groome, and by the members of the Ring ?
Could he avoid knowing that they were his
champions; that they planned the campaign
for his nomination and looked after the
details; that they "fixed" the tickets for
the primaries, and canvassed the conven-
ton for him, and finally secured him the
majority of it's votes, leaving Gov. Groome
in the lurch9 Why, at the very meeting at
Annapolis October 2nd) at which Mr.. Car,
roll discussed my Islanders, " Gov. Groome
stated publicly in his speech, Immediately
following Mr.. CAROLS, not only that Mr..
Carroll was supported by a Ring" but
that Mr.. Hamilton was also (which is some
thing new, and the worthy Governor
seemed to think that it was sad misfor-
, tune, instead of an honor to himself, that
he had no "Ring" to help him at all
Why did not Mr.. Carroll rise then and
there and tell the Governor he was "vilify,
ing" him? Mr. Carroll was at Barnum's
, Hotel while the intrigues were going on il
t the rooms, the corners and passages, by
which the work of the Convention wa:
practically finished before its sessions be
, gan. He knows how the Ring toiled anG
S moiled for him-the wicked ones openly
!, and after the manner of the ungodly; the
S good ones quietly, and with their prayers
} and mantraps. He knows how the lobby
E "worked for him like beavers" as the,
: pleasantly express it, and how they smoked
4 and drank and sweated, and button holet
and discoursed the delegates, to secure hi
triumph and perpetuate our free institu
n tons. I was myself not present, but a
0 those who were, including the reporters
describe so glowingly the dignity and affa