The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-09-16
RUFFIANISM AGAIN.

"The same influences which made the
at work, set in motion by the same men for
the same object. The old devilish rebel
spirit of fraud and violence and murder is
again awake" encouraged and protected
by the legally constituted guardians of life
and property. Terrorism is to be resorted
to again to save an imperiled party, and
the knife, the pistol and the bludgeon to
be the only outcome of Democratic logic.
Unless prevented By force, scoundrelsm is
again to run rampant, and ruffianism to
rule triumphant on the ruins Of peoples
privileges. The same fraudulent means by
which John Lee Carroll was made the Gov
ernor of the State of Maryland are again
to be employed to perpetuate the power of
Ring representing all that is most debased
and debauched in politics and utterly I'm
worthy and corrupt in morals. The COM
monest rights of American freemen, rights
guaranteed by the laws of the land to every
man, are to be trampled down by the iron
heel of despotism in it's frantic effort to
retain control. For what other explana
ton is admissible of the scenes enacted in
Baltimore City, on the evening Of the Sth
instant, an account of which we publish in
another column? And what prospect do
those scenes hold forth to the honest, law
abiding citizens of the State! If they will
vote the Democratic ticket at the ensuing
election they will be protected. In at
tempting to vote any other they must take
their lives in their hands. That is the
prospect, pure and simple. And yet that
prospect is only the natural result of a
system instituted by men holding the high
places of authority, and of the advice of
journals recognized as the leading ones of
the Democratic party in this State. cor
ganize regiments of minute men," the lat
ter have cried and are crying. minute
men" for what? To further insult an
already outraged people, To scatter to
the winds the last faint trace of justice
To deprive our citizens of their few re-
naming privileges, privileges which even
the most damnable violence has hitherto
allowed to remain intact To hold the
poisoned chalice again and again to our
lips? To beat out the little life there is
left in the body of political right, and to
stab the corpse? "Minute men, to do all
this? And such "minute menu Demo-
cratic roughs and "peelers, ward ruffians
pardoned convicts, bar room loafers, all the
scum and filth of the lowest haunts of vice
raked together and pushed forward as the
opponents and the champions of American
privileges. "Doc'' Slaterism the chaplet
that adorns the brow of right! Bannonism
the mantle that covers purity! Gormanism
the laurel that crowns the triumph of truth.
Hollow mockery. Let us have the cypress
the emblem of death.
But we can tell these Democratic editors
and leaders that there is limit even to
patience. The people of the counties may
bear ''yet little while longer" but the
time will come, and that shortly, when, in
a no uncertain tone, they will say, and, by
no uncertain means, will prove that Balt-
more rutfianism must "down.'' They
know their rights, "and knowing dare
maintain" The Republican and Reform
citizens of the State concede to every man
of the opposition the right to cast at each
election one ballot, and but one. They
claim the same right for themselves, and
they propose to exercise that right in
November peaceably if they can, .torcibly
if they must" Democratic advisers and
Democratic followers may as well take
warning and prepare themselves for the
consequences of any attempt to impair the
enjoyment Of that right.