Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1879-08-28
GAS OTHERS SEE U.s."
THE MAINLAND DEMOCRACY.

ocratic." The convention which met OF
Thursdaysupplies suggestive comment
airy on the fact BY speaking in the name
Of the Democratic Conservative party,
as distinguished from Democracy pure
and simple, and by demanding radical
| reEorsTi in the Democratic sdansnI.trssiou
of State affairs. Onc-fhird Of the plat
form constitutes an srraignmen. Of the
legislation and government for which
the Democratic party is alone response
BILE. Under other circumstances the
resolutions in question might be set aside
as the truisms with which responsibility
asserts itself when required TO formulate
the party's creed. But in Maryland
they sannot be 90 interpreted. The re-
iteration sf sneiOa. DaRims u at ONee
the polite spd the judiciOus DeIhcd Of
impsting to the dominent section Of the
party sins Of commission and omission
which could not. be specifically alleged
without endangering the party's har-
mony Thus read the case of the Demo
craticConserVative convention against the
Democratic Legislature aud the army Of
Democratic office holders deserves TO be
pu. On record. EEtravAganee prevails
everywhese. Taxation is oppressive
and its proceeds are squandered,
10 a great extent upon unnecessary ofh-
ces and officers who do not earn their
salaries. The public service is prosti-
tuted to base partisan ends. And the
vicious system operates in all branches
Of government, State, county and mum
icipal. Moreover, the legislature makes
no attempt to remove the abuses or to
satisfy other public wants. Justice is
dispensed with an uncertain hand, tard
ily and wastefully Elections are neither
free nor pure. If these accusations
enunated from the Republican minority,
they would be attributed to partisan
malignity They cannot be so disposed
of. Conservative Democrats are the
accusers. and the accused are the Dem
ocrats who have contrived to acquire and
to keep the supremacy which is now
quietly assailed.
Mr.. Hamilton, whom the convention
nominated for the Governorship, declares
that There il unrest, there is diseon-
tent" The unrest and discomfort which
obtained expression in the platform be
stands upon are not now heard for the
FIRST time. Decent Democrats have
again and again protested against the
tendencies that rule in State and local
affairs. Like the early opponents Of
T~mmany, however, they have protested
apologstioally. ~ith bAtsd breath --d i.'
the end have been found helping the
men they despised. Confident Of their
ability to work the machine in their own
rav. che dominant class have grown
more and more audacious. State affairs
have gone from bad to worse. The in
lection had extended to counties anc
municipalities, whose Taxpayers are IL
many instances learning .ha. they arr
helpless in the hands Of thieves. A
last, the complaints have become aHdl
bic. Quito recently, representative
gathering in one Of the eountie
brought to light some Of the detail
, of the waste which local taxation is re
quired to sustain, and . disposition wa
manifested to undertake a non-partisa
; movement with the view Of bring'n
d the politicians who are at the bottoI
Of the mischief to their senses Mary
l.nd-~i.k ell Ee.pest Be il ssid-is
drswsy. sssy- going State :asa i.s psspl
: with evidence Of sxtravAganss and ges
sral Standardization On every side
are not yet vide enough awake to crap
pie with their Democratic masters. The
are not sure that it is not better t
submit to Democratic thievery and mis-
rule than endanger the national interest
of the party by depriving it of Mary
lands support. Only on this ground i
it possible to understand why the bette
class of the party allow themselves to b,
made the tools of its worst elements, O
why an independent movement does no
give adequate expression 10 the unres
and discomfort which the Democrat,
nominee could not wholly disregard
Evidently, however, the feeling deepens
The ingeniously constructed indictmen
which the convention embodied in it,
resolutions, is tribute to the strea 9Th
of this feeling and a warning to the part,
whose continuance in power it will grad
ually endsnger. The causes that are
operating are identical in their nature
with the causes that led to the indepen-
dent movement in Mississippi, and to a
growing spirit Of independence wherever
Democratic ascendencv is az absolute =.