Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-01-22
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OAKvrEEE. Jas. 10. 1850.

OAKvILEEs Jas. 10 1851.
.Messrs. Editors while reading the
report Of the contested election case in
your issue Of The 1st instant. | was sur
prised 10 End that MI submissions Of wit
nesses initiating against Mr.. Mattingly
had been excluded, and much of The
rest so warped ss to give II an entirely
different meaning. In fact. do not
think that more unfsir or psriisaR repnKs
could have been Published. Deeming
your professions OF fair dealing sincere,
We are forced tobelieve that yourreporter
vas interested in the case, and resorted
to this petty subterfuge 10 give his shall
low case some show Of q foundation.
In reviewing, you have some Of the
witnesses testifying that tickets were
taken from colored voters By Judge Mill
burn, whea their admissions show that
no force or threats were used. The
tickets were simply given tc Milburn,
and be gave them others in return.
One OF them testified that he wrote
MsttIngly's name on thirty or more re-
publican tickets for colored men Of their
request. You forgot to say that he also
testified that he did not displace Graves
but Holmes from the ticket, as the col
ored men wished 10 vote Tor Graves,
who was a republican, and opposed
| Holmes because he had been demo-
crat. One witness testified that Judge
M;lburn showed him several tickets
which he Milburn said he had captured
al the polls. He thought one or two
of them had Mattingly's name on them.
Your report conveyed the idea that bis
name was on all Of them.
Concerning those witnesses, who say
that standing around the polls canvass
ing for votes by party leaders, rs intim-
idstion or unlawful interference, little
need be said. Il has been a custom
Judge ever since elections were held,
end will be until the end OF time.
Democratic leaders do il, and IL lawful
for them, why not for others They
can threaten 10 sell mems property, re-
] fuse 10 allow them 10 work their land if
they do note their ticket-tear up mems
tickets, when they do not suit. and give
them others. Yet ali this is lawful.
But republicans must do and say moth
ing Colored men are afraid of them |!
Can they say what they fears Have
any threats been made No one heard
OF any. And those men when pressed
TO name some who were thus intimida-
ted, found their list very limited, not
more than two or three, ! think, forci-
bly, reminding US of the young iox-
hunter of On adjoining county and his
seven foxes, which little cross-exam-
ination dwindled 10 an idea that one had
crossed the field.
All reasonable aud fair-mInded men
consider the last election a fair express
sion Of The popular win, and this attempt
to override the will Of the people viii
bear its legitimate fruit. The people
are not fools II many OF them are Ignor-
ant, and there Is love OF fair play that
will not brook such tricks. The Amer
lean idea is NOS TO ask IL man j. poor
or rich, not TO ask concerning mans
parentage, but 10 know IL he Is honest,
faithful and capable. And any other
standard by which 20 Judge man is
but fossil cut from the barbaric rock
Of feudalism.
We occasionally hear an opinion ex-
pressed that colored men have little or
no interest in public affairs-that man
who receives most OF the democratic
votes is endorsed by those whose inter-
est il most involved. Now I would
like for some Of those men to explain
that idea. A mans life, liberty and
character are certainly dear to him.
Property is bot IN accessory, the pos
session Of which Of course Is desirable,
but il BY no means gives any man the
right TO control the actions Of another
against his will. have been taught to
believe that he who earns only his food
and raiment in any honest manner, be
he white or colorpd, is infinitely more
to be respected and has the public in
terest more at heart than he who squan-
deFs the hard earnings of some ances-
Tor in grog-shops and gambling-helIs.
And in conclusion, Messrs. Editors,
win say, that It sounds absurd 10 hear
such men prating about colored men
having no interest in public affairs,
their ignorance and the hberaIitY ofthe
whites in educating colose children,
when little scrutiny will reveal the
fact that these very men owe what ed
ucation they have to the labor Of the
colored race. And after we deduct
what the class Of whites, whom some
Of our would-be political leaders affect
10 despise and deem UNFIT for any posi-
ton OF profit and trust, we can safely
credit the balance Of the wealth, pro-
gress end material interest OF this coun-
~ TO the colored mans labor.