Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1882-09-01
The Unstable and indie finite Reformer.

Friday Morning, September !, 1882.
The Unstable and Indefinite Reformer.
Evidently conscious of the sorry figure
it is cutting in the role of disorganlzer
which it has been lately, in its peculiar
way, playing, the Baltimore Sun finds it
necessary every second or third day to stop
to explain its position. Being admonish-
ed by the press Of the State that the only
effect of its platitudinous illusions, if any
effect at all they should have, would be to
create suspicion and distrust in the Dem
ocratic party of the State, and tend to
weaken or disorganize it, the San came
out with a lengthy and verbose disclaimer
of any such intention, and gave assurance
that it was a firm believer in Democratic
principles and earnestly desired to see the
party in the ascendancy. AS every sane
person, who has reached years of reason,
is presumed to contemplate the natural
and necessary consequences of his acts
and declarations, such disclaimer on the
part of the Sun was merely tantamount
to pleading the baby act. It knew, of
course that its labored generaities and I'M
specific suspicious would have no effect
upon the Republican party of the State
except to unite it, and it cannot even
claim that it intended or hoped to create
6issentions in that party. Its whole pur-
pose, then, if it had any purpose, was to
render such Democrats as might read its
weary illusions and be infuen ced thereby.
hostile to the councils of their party and
insensible to the obligation Of its disci
pline. The tendency OF this, of course,
would be, by combating the fundamental
principle upon which all party organiza-
tien rests, 10 bring about discussions and
lack of unity in the Democratic party of
the State. Every sensible man, who is
familiar with the present status of the
two parties in the State, knows that any
considerable amount of discussions among
Democrats will greatly endanger the su
premacy of the party in the State. The
Sun in its disclaimers, which, are semi
apologize in their character, lays stress
on the fact that it has not made any per
sonal or specific charges against any one.
This is precisely what provokes the con-
tempt of all practical men for the Suns
articles. If the Sun had specifically stated
the acts of corruption in the Democratic
party of which it threw out so many omin
Gus innuendoes and high sounding in
sinations, and adduced substantial proof
thereof, and at the same time showed that
such corruption is as great or greater than
that which existed in the Republican
party during its brief NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
of the affairs of this State, Thea it might
find some justification in the eyes of the
people of calm judgment for its extraor
binary course, which it has so suddenly
assumed. But the nature of is attack
upon the Democratic party, and manner
in which it has been pursued, deserves, and
we believe, has received the contempt of
all fair minded and calm judging men.
One day we find it reasoning from the
absurd premise that the primary is some
hideous and concealed power, foreign to,
and necessarily hostile to the people, and
thus endeavoring to arouse odium and
distrust against the fundamental principle
upon which a political party is operated.
The next day we hear it querulously rail
ing at the last Legislature, which enacted
law regulating primary elections, because
1t did not extend the law to the counties
where no unfairness has ever been charged,
and in the next breath childishly exclaim-
ing that the fact that such law was ad-
mitted to be necessary is proof conc usiye
that the primary is a very odions thing
and ought to be avoided and deprecated
by all honorable men. With equal force
the able disputant might have condemned
the whole human family, because laws
Furnishing murder and other crimes had
been found necessary. 1t is just such in
consequential balderdash as this, that the
Sun has been filling its editorial columns
with in the last three or four weeks.
But, in its last ''explanation of our pos
ition," the Sun takes all its naughty say
ings back, by asserting that all it has ever
meant has been that the municipal officers
of Baltimore city and the local judiciary
ought not to be nominated by the regular
political methods. If possible, this last
explanation and retraction renders the
Suns position more ludicrsus than it was
before II this had been what it meant
why on earth did it not say so in such
terms that it could have been understood
If it was only contending for that, and
could have convinced the Democrats of
Baltimore city that it could have prevail
ed upon the Republicans to eliminate the
local affairs from its organized unity of
action alse, then doubtless, many of those
who have seen nothing but unmeaning
verbiage and querulously INSTRUMENTATION
in what it has had to say, would have been
in full accord with it.
The Kansas City Times has been investigat-
ing the political situation in Pennsylvania,