Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-08-01

titaxtEe EE4A II sf4F paper EctetAt
communication ff0sn lis admirers urg-
Ing the claims Of your distinguished feI-
iow-citizen, Hon. B. q. Harris, TO a seat
ia tie next House or Representatives.
II IS not wifh any expectation Of maxi
ing those claims more manifest 10 The
voters Of the 9Th district that write,
for they are 80 well-rieognized. that il
would be ssperiluogis labor upon my
part, and uncalIed Tor trouble 70 your
selves, but simply with aview TO give
expression TO The very great rejoicing
that the nomination Of sfOid Ben" would
occasion in this good old democratic
city. II has been quite the fashion TO
write Ms. Harris down In the past, as
an ultra and impraciicable man. because
he spoke out boldly, what most Of his
party, thought and feli. and not daring
TO give expression TO their convictions,
consoled themselves for their lack Of
candor, or courage, by censuring him
who did. 0ne thing Is certainly true
Of Mr.. Harris, as q public man and a
member Of Congress. for one Term only,
and thai il, practicable or not, prudent
or otherwise, be representative thoughts
aud aspirations of his party in Southern
Maryland, more truly and fearlessiy
than any other individual who can be
mentioned, would or could have, done.
I think there are lew, il any, who wsIl
demur 70 this assertion, as statement
Of fact. When he was in Congress.
Southern Maryland had representa-
i've who was known throughout the
length and breadth Of the country, and
IL he should be Teftlrned to the next
House, the fraudulent President and his
swindliHT henchmeu will have, at any
and al times, q foeman ready and viii
ling 60 break lance with the most re-
doubtable and adventurous of the pirai-
Pical gang Of outlaws. Not many years
ago, when this INSCRIPTIONS party had
full sway, and held high carnival over
The outraged laws Of The land, In South
ern Maryland, when d freeman walked
up to the polls TO deposit his vote some
dirty minion was wont TO challenge his
vote, upon the ground OF disloyalty. and
TO test the truth Of the charge, the ques-
ton would be asked by the judges, ibid
YOU vote for one b. T.. Harris for Con-
gress ~ and if the answer was in the
affirmative, the sworn supporters Of the
law would universally reply, "that set
ties it-you can't vote here" This
was the condition Of affairs in Calvert
county and gentleman Of strict vera
city, associated with me. AYERS that he
was refused his vote IN his own native
Calvert, simply because he had voted
for B. G.. Harris, and ergo. was dis
loyal man, and not worthy Of the fran
chisc accorded at this time, TO every ne
gro in the land, twenty-one years of
age, and not in petticoats. When this
query was put to many men in the above
named county, who had more love for
their cause and their answering cham
pion, than they had fear ofbreaking one
OF the commandments, they prefxed
their answer with an oath, and rounded
II of by saying. they had voted for Ben
Harris, and would do so again, If ever
they had an opportunity. II is to be
hoped that the chance Is near al hand
when the wish. then expressed, can be
gratified, and il would be something to
exult over, If those who were debarred
from voting because they had once sup
ported Ben Harris, or Old Ben Gas he is
often and Familiarity called) could see
him take his stand under more suspicious
circumstances in q Democratic House,
and hear him give piece of his mind,
in his own emphatic style, TO those who
had prosecuted and illuminated him
when the power was all on their side.
In this connection, can't well refrain
from mentioning an incident in which
the writer personated Mr.. Harris, who,
as every one knows, has always been a
temperance man, il not at all times and
under all circumstances, temperate
one. The scene was in the old mother
county, not half a mile below the coun-
Nv aims house--the time. as the shades
OF night were falling upon the not too
fertile lands adjacent. / was on my
way to Benedict Leonard Town, tits
original name), and had my attention
drawn 10 two coatless and hatless free
men of st. Mary's who were meeting
me, and seemed to be "tacking" against
a heavy wind and half seas over, one Of
them carrying in bis hand gallon mca-
sure, that might contain pinetop, or be
on its way for some OF that modern nee
tar. when some dozen or SO PAGES
were left between Us, one of the two
nayigators looking up, saw me, and OBJ
served to his friend, "hello Tom,
here's old Ben Harris" and in a mo-
mentmore they had hold ofmy bride rein,
by which they steadied themselves, and
the man with the gallon pot in his hand,
holding il up toward me, said, ''look-a-
here, old boss, ives just got some of the
best whiskey in here you ever tasted,
and We want yon 10 take drink, and
We amt s-gwine to take no for an an
swer." Without any ado about IT,
very naturally and willingly lifted the
measure to my lips, and took, or pre-
tended 70 take. long and lusiy drink
(which il was, II dinna care TO tell.
and handing back the vessel, thanked
them most profusely, and pronounced
the whiskey frst-rate-ihe best had
tasted for whole week or more. AZ
ter a little begging ] was released by
my stalwart captors, one Of them re-
marking as best he could, "good for you
old Ben, / always thought you'd drink
in the dark, and now | knows it." Bid
ding them an aiFeciionate farewell, !
spurred up my somewhat jaded steed,
and until | was out of sight and hearing,
the two descendants Of the followers OF