The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-09-21
The Defeat Of Hon. Charles B. Roberts.

a surprise to almost everyone. Mr.. RO
berts had served his constituents, his State,
and the country at large, with zeal and
a fidelity which commended him to all,
and assured, it was supposed, his renomi-
nation 1t was known that other gentle
men in the district aspired to the place
which he occupied, but their aspirations
were legitimate and nothing unusual, and
gave neither him nor his friends any con-
Germ. He forbore to take any active part
in the selection of the delegates to the
convention and left the matter entirely in
the hands of his friends and Of the cleo
tors generally in the several counties of
the district He is above the tricks and
wiles of scheming partizans and did not
condescend to practice their arts. He did
not 90 about the district and buttonhole
and importune men for their support. He
did not turn the spiggots or open the
sluices in order to purchase mems favor
by debauching them. He preferred to
rest his claims upon his merits and the
value of his public services, which have
been freely acknowledged, not only by the
better element of his own party, but of the
opposition also; not only by his immediate
constituents but by men in other and re-
mote parts of the Union. at is not Of
ten" said Hon. Joseph G. S. Blackburn
to the writer, ''that it falls to the lot of so
young a man to take so high and useful a
position in Congress as your representative
has done. lie is acknowledged to be one
of the most honorable, heightened and eff
cient representatives in the House.
''The loss of Hon. Charles b. Roberts
from the House." said Speaker Randall,
recently, "would be national calamity"
And why did Mr.. Randall say this? Be-
cause he was n witness of DIR. Roberts
valuable services to the country. Because
he was cognizant Of the fact that Mr..
Roberts, as Chairman of the Committee
on Claims, had set his face like flint against
all fraudulent and unfair claims against
the Treasury, and he knew him to be in
Hexibly honest and unswervingly just.
Not only so, he knew him to be one of
the most clear-headed and industrious bus
mess men in Congress. His time has not
been spent in the gambling dens or drink
ing saloons around the Capitol, where so
many hours are frittered away by the I'M
wary aud the unworthy, but it has been
given to the promotion of the best inter-
ests of his constituents and of the country
at large, in the committee room or in the
House when his arduous duties in COM
mittee did not call him out of it. This is
not our language, nor the language of OBJ
sequious hatterers, but voluntary testimo-
NAL to the worth and merit of the Repre-
sentative of the End congressional district
Of Maryland, of men who are themselves
among the foremost in the land. This is
the man who has been turned down at the
very acme of his usefulness by the mystic
rious processes of convention, conven-
ton which in the earlier stages of its ses-
sion gave signs, through a portion of its
members at least, of coming to his aid,
and who, it Is believed, would have done
so, but for certain telegraphic dispatches
which brought extrinsic aid from Hartford,
to strengthen and support the upliited
arm of opposition which gave token of
weakening, and caused hasty midnight
visit from Cecil, on a similar Grand This
is the result of convention, presumed to
have met to carry out the popular will.
Who, after this, viii have the hardihood
to deny that primaries and conventions are
no longer the opponents of popular senti-
ment. They are rather the opponents and
the instruments of adroit, logged and sell
fish manipulators, who care not whit for
public sentiment if they can but subserve
their own ends, no matter how much at
variance with the popular will those ends
may be, relying$npOn the strength of party
fealty to carry them safely and saese=cfnl.
ly through. The Democracy of Carroll
feels mortified and Inundated by the ac-
ton of that convention, and we make no
doubt that the same feeling pervades the
better element of the party throughout the
district. But, let us try to make the most
of this impotent and untoward conclusion,
and do the best we can, under the cireum-
stances, hoping even against hope that we
may be able to preserve the honor and in
tegrity of the party still, and that the in
terests of the district and of the State may
yet be subserved in spite of adverse infiu-
ences and Of most unpromising outlook
We cannot more ftly or appropriately
close these reflections than By inserting
here, the subjoined extract from the ad-
dress of DR.. +. T. Shaw, President of the
Convention, on taking the Chair. After
returning thanks to the Convention for the
honor of being called to preside over its
deliberations, Dr. Shaw said
"We have met to select candidate to re. |
present the second congressional district in |
the national House of Representatives and /
trust that in the discharge OF this important
duty You viii not let personal considerations |
determine your choice, but that you will per /
NIT proper regard for the intelligence as /
well as the material interests of those for I
whom you are acting have due weight in your /
councils. Rememberthat the office is greater 4
than the man and that no man is greater than 4
his country. Applause Study closely the /
requirements OF the position you seek to FIJI 4
and then choose the one best qualified to fill .
1t. 1t behooyes you, too, at time like the
present, when corruption, ike canker, is
gnawing at the yitals of the nation, to let hon
esty direct you in your search for proper
candidate. Applause. If you preserve
this course the people of the district will most
heartily ratify your choice; but if, relying up.
on partisan prejudice and past majorities, you
attempt to force an improper man upon your
party, You will undoubtedly imperil its sue
cess. Your mistake will be the enemy's OPP
portunity. In such an event the cry of dis
satisfaction proceeding from our own ranks
that tr-sll fn1Iatsy alnea aHs