The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-12-15
For the Democratic Advocate
The Trio of Political Parsons.


In the catechism published in the ADvo-
CATE two weeks ago answers were sought
from the three leaders of the political parsons.
Rev. John Edwards considers himself as one
of them, and rightly so, for he and Revs. }.
r. gladden. and Charles A. Reid were meant.
In the reply published in the ADVOCATE Mr..
Edwards signs his name, but his reply in the
Sentinel is unsigned by him.
1t is not my purpose to take issue with Mr.
Edwards. | only desire to state the answers
plainly, as the interrogatories and answers
were not published at the same time. He
states, in substance, that
He and Messrs. gladden. and Reid wrote the
address which was published in the Sentinel
and then circulated i'll circular form; that
they are all three Republicans; that they
heard and applauded Il. Stocket Matthews
speech Matthews is the most bitter and foul
mouthed stump speaker in Marylandl; that
they expected to aid the Republican ticket
when they wrote and published the address;
that they went to the depot to hear the cleo
ton news on the night of the municipal cleo
ton in Baltimore; that they were at the Re-
publican headquarters in Westminster on the
night of Nov 6, and that they detected no
whskey, though it is said the headquarters
had to be closed on account of the inebriation
of some.
The fifth question, as to whether they did
not write the address for partisan purposes
and get Democrats to sign it to give it nom
partisan appearance, Mr.. Edwards does not
answer. He simply asserts that the question
is impertinence and reflection upon the in
telligence of those Democrats who signed it.
That is a begging of the question. Mr. Ed
wards knows that the fifth interrogatory con-
veyed truth he does not want to acknowledge.
He knows that had he gladden. and Reid told
those Democrats who signed it that it was in
tended to defeat the Democratic party, that
they, or the most of them at least, would not
have signed it, and the non partisan charac-
ter Of the appeal would have been DESTROYED.
Those Democrats who considered it at all,
supposed it was in the interest of temperance
NOT partisan political document They
are not politicians like the trio. and were not
familiar with partisan tactics. They prefer
to teach Christianity from the pulpit, and not
to lose the respect of the community and to
destroy their usefulness by driving from them
all those of opposite politics.
In his article in the Sentinel Q suppose he
wrote it), read almost exclusively by Repub.
licans, he is more bold and partisan in his
utterances and more reckless. He there
speaks OF the Democratic party as being a
whiskey party-or rather an alliance between
Democracy and whiskey. He does this in the
face of the fact, which he well knew when he
wrote it, that fourteen counties have local
option laws granted by Democratic legisla-
lures; that "a Democratic legislature granted
the people of Carroll the right to vote upon a
local option law in 1880. He says that the
trio never cut their tickets except when Dem
ocrats by mistake or oversight nominate a
temperance man. They voted for one Dem
ocrat this year, they say, and he must have
bppO the only ms
cording to the answer. This is a direct
SANDER, for which there can be no excuse
1t cannot be ignorance, for the trio is too
wise to err. Yet the fact is that the Demo
cratic candidate for Senator was Just as tenn
perate man as was the Republican candi-
date. 1t is fact that two, at least, of the
Democratic candidates for the Legislature are
just as good abstainers as Edwards, Reid and
gladden.. 1t is a fact that the Democratic
candidates for county commissioners neither
chew, smoke nor drink, and the trio cannot
claim as much for themselves. But enough
of comparison.
doubtful if he knows much of politics. He
has gotten into bad company, and is as bitter
a Halter of Democrats as another of the trio
who wanted a few years ago, as alleged, GER
tain people buried with their faces down and
denied resurrection. Mr.. Edwards is an Eng
lishman, and if he knew anything about the
politics of this country, he would be Demo
crat in principle. 1t was the Democratic
party that fought Know n othingism and con-
quered it. Had the Know Nothing party tri-
umphed, he would not to-day have had the
right to vote at all.
In conclusion, will state that the recent
acts, utterances and writings of the trio show
them to be very uncharitable, very biased,
very Incorporate with their tongues and pens,
and that these acts, utterances and writings
have been harmful to the cause of Temperance
and religion.
New WINDSOR, Dec. u, 1888.
The receiver of the Southern Pennsylvania
Mutual Relief Association has resolved to in
stitute proceedings against directors of the
concern who are alleged to have appropri-
ated at least $25, 1000 without legal warrant.
All that the receiver has been able to collect
is about S16, 900, in view of which small amount
and the alleged profitable business of the di-
rectors, the creditors have requested him to
enter snit.
A man representing himself as postoffice
inspector has succeeded in neutrality-suspicious.
and banks in several Western and Pacific
States He has been arrested. and the au-
thorities of four States want him.
Several ports of the Hovas have been de-
stroyed by the French feet in Madagascar
waters.