The Cecil Whig., 1883-03-24
MARYLAND REPUBLICANS.
MR.. CREsWELL ON THE COMING CAMPAIGN
Chances of Republican Suocess-Party Differences,
Unreliable PaotoIs-Colorei Men in POI
itics--0tler TONES,


Ex-Postmaster General J. \. j. Cres-
we'll was interviewed on Thursday night
on the political situation in Maryland,
by Reporter of the Baltimore SIN,
with the following result:
Question the republicans expect
| to carry Maryland next fall9 If so, upon
what grounds is the expectation based?
Answer.-lf they were to drop all dis
sensions and unite upon good men, and
lay aside all personalities during the can
vas, | believe they could carry a majority
of the counties. Whether they could
carry the Legislature is something have
never counted up. In a fair fight we are
entitled to a ma jority outside of the city
of Baltimore; but to develop our full
strength would require Il thoroughly
united and harmonious party. The grad
ual increase in strength of the Republi-
can party i'll the State is OWING to the
| fact that the Democrats have been So
long in the ascendant that the people are
deslrous to have a change OF administra-
tion. They find fault with the lesisla-
| tion and financial management OF the
| Democrats.
| Q.-Do you think the Democratic dis.
sensions are serious, and will they inure
to the benefit of the Republicans.
Al do not really know whether the
dissensions in the Democratic party are
serious or not. 1t is too early to predict
| the condition in which the Democrats will
so into the next campaign, or the men
! who may tie presented as their candi.
! dates. 1t is possible that some plan may
be devised that will effect compromise
or truce between their diScordant ele.
| nentS. The Democrats of .haryIand
have wonderful capacity for harmonizing
just before an election, and there is no
telling what they will do as the next cleo
tiOn approaches.
| Q-Is the Republican party in Mary
land harmonious, have the federal APP
pointments given satisfact on, and will
| the party present a united front to the
| opposition
A.-The republican party has some
differences among its members which
ought to he healed if possible, and their
conventions should be organized solely
with view to the nomination of the best
men that can be selected for candidates.
The strongest and most acceptable men
ought to be chosen in every county,
due regard Being had also to their capa-
city and fitness to serve the people. If
this is done, and see no reason why it
should not be done, we shall &C into the
next contest thoroughly united and with
| good hopes of success.
Q-What will be the policy Of the Re
publicans with respect to the nominations
tor tine Legislature, the character of the
men to be put up, and upon what issues
How about temperance and local option
A.-ihe people i'll each county and in
the city of Baltimore should be left en-
tirely free to choose their own candi.
| dates, without dictation from anybody.
As yet no one can predict what the pre-
else issues will be. They, will however.
| in my Judgment, be local in their char
| acter, and be directed against the errors
of policy and administration of the Dem
ocratic party. The very moment YOU IN
spire the Republicans with an idea Of
success they become more active and az
gressive. Next fail their battles must
be mainly over State isstieS and State
| candidates. | have but little informa
tion respecting the sentiments ofthe peo-
pie on the subject of intemperance and
| local option. In my own county prohi
bition was established by large major
ity year OF SO ago, and the acpuis seence
appears now to be universal. | do not
know Of any attempt to disturb it.
q. Some of the Democratic papers N
the counties have lately criticised the
colored man as failing to prove himself
| worthy Of the civil and political rights
conferred upon him. What about that
A. They judge the colored man too
severely. The colored people of the
United States have improved rs much as
any people in the world under like disa
bilitieS. | believe that the ballot is an
educator and is working marvellous
changes for the advancement of the col
ored race. lou must remember they
commenced lower down the scale of So
cial life than any other class of people to
whom the ballot was ever given in this
country. There were comparatively few
educated men among them. Now YOU
see general thirst fur knowledge and
advancement. | think it safe to say there
is now ten times as many educated colnred
people as there were on characterization
Day, and they arc everywhere making
immense efforts to elevate their condition
still more. When the emancip alton
question came upon us at the close of the
war there was nothing to be done but to
supplement- freedom with the suffrage.
and thus enable the foimer slave to pro
tect and care Tor himself with the free
mans best weapol, and | am fra nix to |
say that my expectations have been fully !
realized. OF course | anticipated that
they would commit errors. They have
sometimes submitted IT, the denomina !
ton OF bad leadership; they have been
deceived and used by designing men to
accomplish personal and discreditable |
ends in some sections; but. in the main. |
think they have done we'll and made sub |
Stantial progress, and looking now back |
over the nineteen years since voted for .
the thirteenth constitutional amendment
which abolished slavery, | do not hest |
tate to say that il | were called upon to .
reconsider that vote | should cast it as I .
did in 1864
think 1t was the part OF wisdom as
well as humanity to manumit the co
lored man, give him the ballot, with
all other rights of citizenship and then
start him upon the race of life with
no accountability except to his own
conscience, the law aud his God.
have never been ashamed of what did
for the emancipation of the colored race.
1t was only the other night that looked
over the familiar faces of the men who
voted for the thirteenth amendment, and
felt proud that my face appeared
among them.
Gen. CreSwell was shown All article
from a Baltimore newspaper charging
that senator Gorman was preparing :,
bolt against the regular democratic nom-
nations next fall, with view to making
Mr.. Stevenson Archer an independent
candidate for Governor, some friend of
Senator German for comptroller, and Mr..
Creswell himself United States Senator.
Mr.. Creswell, after reading the article,
smiled and said that he had not seen il
before. He furthc.' said that he knew
nothing whatever of Senator Gorman's
views or policy, but that all insinuations
of any combination between Senator Cor
man and himself were wholly without a
shadow of foundation. lie had never
discussed any political questions with
Senator German in his lite. nor does he
remember exchanging more than pass
ing salutation with him during this en-
tire winter, except on one occasion near
the close of the session, when he CCres-
welD stopped the Senator on the street
to congratulate him upon what he con-
ceived to be very able and a,iroit
speech which the Senator has; delivered
the day before on the tariff question ir
the Senate, and which attracted the at +
tention of almost every Maryland man in
Washington at the time The con
versation. " he said. "on that occasion
lasted not exceeding a half minute. Sena-
tor German merely acknowle ledging the
compliment and passing on Mr. Cres-
we'll then resumed The intimation
that any arrangement between Senator