Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1883-10-19

As we have heretofore pointed out, this
practice of setting up county tickets by
partisan conventions is one which was
originated about the time the colored pop
ulation was enfranchised, and was adopt
ed by the junto which conspircd together
to appropriate the local offices of profit
and trust by means of the ignorant color
ed voter as the only method of effectinp
their nefarious scheme. They have chung
to this practice and artfully imposed up
on the credulous colored voter that fail
ure on his part to support the ticket they
set up for him. would not only be piece
of base ingratitude to the party that liber-
ated him, but would jeopardize his free
dom and political rigats.
By this false and flimsy deception of the
black mans ignorance has this junto, COM
posed of men not one of whom voted either
to emancipate or enfranchise the blacks
and the majority of whom fought in the
Confederate armies, rotated themselves in
the offices of the county, which, with a
few notable exceptions, have been filled
with grossly incompetent men. Ten years
duration of this bad state Of affairs has
witnessed steady and notable retrogres-
sion in the material interests of the coun-
ty and the well being Of its people, black
and white. Large sums of money have
been annually thrown away on the public
highways, which, instead of improving.
have steadily grown worse under the in
efficient management. The Taxes have
been kept at en- abnormally and unne-
cessarily high figure, while under the ham
mer of the tax-gatherer many poor mans
possessions have been sacrificed.
Many of our best young men, disheart-
ened and disguised at this wretched state
of affairs, have shaken the dust of our once
proud and honorable, but now degraded
and demoralized old county from their
feet and gone to the West and elsewhere
to seek their fortunes. Immigrants from
the East and the North and from beyond
the seas hear OF our desirable lands pause
to consider The question Of settling here.
but being informed of the system of mis-
government that exists here, turn their
backs upon US and pass on to the Vest
The poor negroes themselves un Ter the
demoralizing Influence Of this sta'e of at
fairs have grown poorer and poorer and
more and more aimless and indolent.
Thus has the bad domination in this
county been gradually and surely sapping
the resources of our county and blighting
Its material prospects by alternating our
young men, repelling immigration, stir
ring up strife and discord between en-
ployers and employed and keeping taxes
at an oppressively high rate. After ten
years of this mal-adninistration, the af-
fairs OF the county have reached deplor-
able condition. Here we have bsen con-
stantly rstrograding since the war, while
in almost every county OF the South where
this bad domination has been broken
down the course has been one of continual
progress.
The taxes here are higher than almost
any county in the State, being kept up al
most to the highest war rates. All the
offices of the county, with few exceptions
are loosely and inefficienty administered,
and there is painful suspicion existing
in the minis of the people that there is a
chapter in the financial management of
the county which has not been revealed.
The last statement of the county commits
sioners is not in compliance with law, and
the manner in which the books are made
to balance is to say the least very unsat-
isfactory. There appears to be no account
of the $4,000 which the county is known
to have borrowed about year ago, and
other manifest irregularities are shown
An investigation of the county books will
probably make grave disclosures. Hence
it is that the local election overshadows
in the minds of our Thoughtful citizens all
other political considerations. All true
citizens of the county regardless of politi-
cal convictions. must admit the necessity
of change and all things now point hope
fully to the fact that change is to be
made.
When we look back to the history of
this state OF our local affairs during the
1ooo 10 S1ak - he al
parent that the Democrats of the county
have been in great measure responsible
for it, by themselves taking up the bad
example and nominating for county Off
ces. This has kept the opposition organ
lied, and color has been thereby given to
the false pretense Of the managers that in
electing them to the local Offices the col
ored voters were supporting the Republic
can party.
Now, for the first time, the Democrats
have seen the unwisdom Of their course,
and by abandoning nominations have left
the field open for an independent ticket,
which is already in the field. The names
thus far announced a. independent candi-
dates appear to be exceptionally good
ones, and the success OF this independent
ticket depends, we believe, entirely upon
a full turn out of those who have been
heretofore supporting the local Dcmocra-
tic ticket. Should it be solidly support
ed by that element, there can be little
doubt of its triumphant election. There
are many well meaning colered voters in
the county, who will be glad to unite with
their white friends in electing good
county ticket and thus take the first step
toward breaking down that barrier which
selfish politicians have erected between
them and their white employers and friends
There can be no doubt of the election of
the whole independent ticket, if it is pro-
perly supported by all who have
heretofore opposed the republican faction,
and there can be no doubt that it is their
plain duty to support that independent