Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-10-28
The Sham Republicans.

The following extract from which we
copy from the Maryland Independent of
last week, a sensible letter written by
Mr. Basil d. Mullen, an intelligent colored
man Of Hill Top district, contains many
very plain and we'll stated truths, and
should be read TO all well meaning color
ed men. 1t shows that Mr.. Mullen be-
gins now to realize that there is more
truth than poetry in what We said some
time Ago, with regard II the manner in
which the coiored voters are used in
blind slavery to the interests of few ex
confederatcs, who only became Republi-
cans when the colo-ed man had obtained
his right to vote, and it was found that
he could be fooled into serving anybody
whs would pretend to be a Republican.
,'Mr. Editor :--Wjll you permit, me small space
in your valuable pape., once more TO say IA few
words to my colo-ed friends of Charles coun.v.
and Hill Top District in particular. in regard
to the so-called Republican Convention held in
Port Tobacco on 9th instant. That Conven-
ton was called to. nominate candidates for the
several officers to be filled this fall, &c, and as
a delegate to that Convention | went for the
purpose of nominating the very best men in the
Republican party, men Who were true Republi-
cans and had been with the party in every time
of need, but to my dismay the Convention turn
ed out to be mere sham. II did no, nominate
candidates for the Republican party, W ich sen,
them there TO represent their sentiment, but
simply, to endorse the candidates already select
nv he Staf tral for
Charles county; they (,he so-called Republican
State Central Committee) had their ticket
| cut and dried, with such men as csudda ,es as
they wanted and these same were forced upon
the Republican party for their suffrage this fall
They did no. consult the colored voters nor
did they care a curse about them or their wishes
so they get their votes as they want them, to
nominate their ex-Confederate Democratic
friends as they have always done heretofore
And am astonished indeed that the colorsd
delegates to that sham Convention, with such
majority as they had to be thus ruled By the
ringsters. Why it is disgrace 10 The coored
voters of this county. Ii we are 10 vote Tor
Democrats let is vote the honest Democratic
| ticket, and not for ex-copfederate Democrats
who simply join our party for the sake OF Office.
This sham business has been going on long
enough, and it is time to put stop to it, We
| are not slaves of the Ring, to do their bidding
was done in the caucus held by the colored
delegates to the sham convention in Port To-
bacco.
1t that caucus the colored delegates decided
by an overwhelming ma jerity to claim two
members on the State Central Committee for
Charles county, and myself and Hillary Wade
were the two decided upon, but W hen the ring
bosses heard of that determination, wishing
still, to their own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT to control
that committee, they set to work to defeat our
action, and BY way and means well known to
them did so. Knowing | was the cause of the
movement and they could not rule me, they
caused my defeat and the election of Wade.
But Mr.. Editor as | must be brief will drop
that subject for the present, and say few
words to the voters of bill Top district, as the
Ring which has always ignored them yeaaf-
ter year has again done the same thing.
And the question arises what are the voters
of Hill Top district to do? are they to do the
bidding of their master the Ring2 or shall they
declare their independence by voting for the
best men whether they be on the true Demo-
cratic ticket or not2 or shall they decline to vote
at all. We have petitioned-we have remon-
straied-we havt supplicated-we have almost
Frustrated ourselves before them, and have i'm
plored their consideration, but all in vain.
1t is only now for us to say what we'll do
on the 9th of November next. Whether we are
free and Independent citizens, or whether We
have mas er-the Ring. Why, sir, this Ring
went so far as to draw the coored line in the
sham convention, on the 9th instant, by not
letting the white delegates vote for the colored
delegates. When they, the Ring candidates
wanted to be on the State Central Committee,
both white and colored delegates had to vote
for them, but when it came to the election of
colored delegate for the same Committee, one
of the bosses arose and offered a resolution
that the colored delegates vote for their own
mani While the white delegate was not SER
mttsd to vote for the colored delegate at-all
This is disgrace to the celored voters of
Charles county, and it shows that the so-called
white Republican friends of the coored people