The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-04-03
REPUBLICAN POLITICS.
A PROTEST AGAINST THE CUSTOM
HOUSE DICTATION.
The Recent Action of the State Executive
Committee Sustained.

Inc Recent Action OF the otatc Executive
Committee Sustained.
At meeting held at Raine's Hall.
Baltimore. on the Goth ultimo. of Repub-
leans opposed to the use of official pat
rona"e to fetter choice of candidates, and
to sendinga pledged delegation to the
National Convention, but favoring the
nomination OF Gen. Grant. the following
resolutions, among others, were adopted:
list That we heartily approve the prin-
ciple underlying the third-term objection
viz, that official patronage should not
be used to fctter the choice of candidates.
but we reject as absurd its application to
the candidacy of Gen. Grant, a private
citizen controlling no appointments to
office and standing only upon his own
merits. and we regret exceedingly that
the administration of President Hayes.
which promulgated the famous civil ser
vice order. should have a candidate of its
own and permit that order to he system
! atically and VIGOROUSLY violated i'll his
! behalf.
end That while Gen. Grants charac-
ter for tirmness and persistent devotion
to duty guarantee fearless and efficient
| administration of the laws. and especially
of those giving equal political rights to
all classes of citizens. his generous treat
ment of Southern soldiers and his sue
ceSsful efforts to prevent their prosecu-
| ton in the courts in violation of their
paroles, have secured him the confidence
| and respect of the better element of the
! South, and that these considerations
point him out to-day, not only as the
| strongest candidate that the Republican,
party can name but as the man who can
most ettectually destroy sectionalism and
restore a genuine and hearty union of
| the States.
5rd. That while we thus declare our
| decided preference for Gen. Grant and
our full belief that an overwhelming ma
iority of Maryland Republicans are Of a
! like mind. We recognize the fact that,
tunacr existing laws. we cannot secure a
fair election and our rightful majority III
| this State. and we therefore recommend
| that our State Convention shall only eX-
press the preference of our people and
leave to our delegates to the National
Convention full power to subordinate
that preference, ii need be. to that o,
those States which not only have Re
to make those majoririeS effective.
4th. That we heartily commend the
Governor and those few Democratic legis.
lators who support him for their honor;l-
BILE efforts to redeem their party pledges
! for reform. but We charge the democratic
party with gross violation of its pledges.
especially i'll respect to the registration Of
voters, and declare the registration law
, lust enacted to he a cheat and fraud
upon the people.
9TH. That We deeply regret the defeat
of the bill to prevent fraud at primary
elections, and that any Republican should
assist in that defeat.
9th. That we fully endorse the action
of the State Executive Committee at its
meeting of February 2Sth. last. in de-
claring that the city Executive Commit
tee of Baltimore city has no authority
over Primary Elections called to select
delegates to State conventions: but that
such authority is vested exclusively III
the Executive Committee of the several
legislative districts of Baltimore city, and
in conlering such authority in the tenn
porary absence OF said committees upon
Il Board Of Supervisors composed of
/ Messrs Stoekbridge, Weatherby, Mat
news, Lingenfelder, and Gill.
eth. That in view of the following
facts. VIZ: That the State Executive
Committee. 1t its meeting of January
End last. after full and exhaustive de-
bate. rejected Mr.. Mathews resolutions
authorizing the City Executive Commit
tee to provide for the coming primary
elections In Baltimore City, and directed
the Executive Committee of the several
Legislative Districts Of said city to fix
the time. place and manacr of holding
said elections; that by reason of the non
existence of said district committees and
the assumption of authority by the Chair
man of the City Executive Committee to
act in the premises, the Chairman of the
Stale Central Committee, by his letter of
February 2lth last to the Chairman of
/ the City Executive Committee, as being
in conflict Tith the spirit and intention
of the action of the State Executive
Committee of January 22nd last (Which
action did not fix the date of the election,
, but only decided that the city E,rccutitc
| Comniuffe hnd no jnrlsdicti0n IN tie prem
ises) and recunvened the State Executive
| Committee. in order that it might APP
point some authority to act. in the alb
| Sepee of THO Executive Committees OF
the several Legislative Districts of Balti-
more City; that said Committee convened
on the 2Sth day of February last, and
after another full and exhaustive debate
reafftrmed and ratified. in the most en-
phatic manner, its former decision of
January gand, and appointed a Board of
| Supervisors. composed of Messrs. Stock
| bridge. Wcatherhv. Mathews. Lingen-
fielder and Gill, TO act only i'll the present
emergency, arising out OF the non-exiSt-
| ence of district EXegullVp Committees:
that the record of the proceedings of that
meeting. in the handwriting of Mr.. Ham
! ilt0n. shows conclnsivcly that the resolu-
tions of Mr.. Iingentelder appointing
| said Board of Supervisors. &c., was
adopted: thm Hfrf Il no Ggihoriiy 10 alter
h"t rerord crfrpt in tie CommiHte ~hirh
made it tint III, same is hcretore 5inding
an QN true RePahiieahx until altered 5g
s"id c"mmtfeey in ytW Of these and
other incontrovertibe facts. We are at :,
loss to comprehend the position taken by
the Chairman Of the State Central Com
mittee, in his letter of the 22nd ult, to
/ Messrs, \, Il. Watts and others, wherein
he says, thai tAe Issue helufe the State
! Executive Committee, at its meeting OF
February ,,sth last, was as 70 tie time OF
/ holding the said election and not as to
the jurisdiction Of the Ciiy Executive
! Committee, and that the said Committee
has power, notwithstanding the adverse
decisions of the State Executive Commit
/ tee of January 2and and February 2sth
, last, TO regulate ile said elections:
. 9Th, That under these circumstances.
it is Indispensable that the State Execu-
, tive Committee should reGonvene. and we
therefore respectfully unite with Messrs
! \. r. Watts and Others in their request
heretofore made that the Chairman of
| the State Central Committee will i'm
mediateiy convene the State Executive
Commuters, az if in bis Judgment more
! desirable, the whole State Central COM
mittee, to the end that all doubts and
( divisions may be removed.
9th. That Il copy of the It'll. Sth, 9th.
! resolutions le sent TO the chairman of the