Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-09-28
SPEECH OF Hon. r. M. McLANE.


speech before the nominating convention in
Baltimore last week. He used no notes, and
his address was entirely extempore, style
for which he is so celebrated His words
are well worthy the attention of every Dem
ocrat in this county, and we take great
pleasure in laying them before our readers.
"Mr. President and Gentlemen Of tile Con-
0entiOn:
Naturally the first thing have to say is
to make TO you my grateful thanks for the
honor your nomination confcrs upon me-
Although appreciate it fully had no as
piration, / had no inclination which i'm
PEELED me TO desire 1t or TO seek it-none
whatever. Whatever political ambition |
may have had has been in another direction,
and has been more than fully satisfied by
the sutfrages of the people of this State
Nevertheless am fully sensible of the obi
CATION imposed upon me by my past life in
the Democratic party, and there is no SER
vice, none whatever, that the party could
| call upon me TO perform that would not
cheerfully perform at any sacrifice. APP
plause. do not think 1t to be in good
taste in accepting your nomination to qualify
my acceptance in the least degree by refer
ence TO any personal inconvenience that it
may occasion me, and only refer to it that
may be at liberty to say that l accept the
call as duty, and as duty l mean to per-
form it. Applause.
"Of course / cannot fail TO note certain
incidents-let me call them, if you please,
| incdents-of discomfort or of disturbance
| in the Democratic party. l cannot fail to
note them because they have been pre-
scented To my attention In every conceivable
form, in private current life, in the most
formal manner that public men could select to
make known TO the Democracy Of the State
the existence of disagreeable incidents cal
culated to weaken the party, if not to secure
its defeat; but in noting them | wish you,
Mr.. President, TO understand that note them
only as considerations to excite me to the
fullest possible performance of my duty.
In SO far as these incidents have reference
to rivalries between public men of the State
they ought not, and, as far as | am con-
cerned, they do not excite my regret. What
ought to be the effect of rivalry and contest
between public menu Ii they be honorable
rivalries, they ought to stimulate them to
greater exertion; If they be selfish and pas
sionate rivalry, personal in their character,
they are discreditable TO the rivals, and can
not do injury TO the Democatic party.
Il refer to them again only for the pur-
, pose OF bringing TO your attention the fact
7 L
suggested TO me by my political brethen,
nor am unmindlul of the use that is made
by my political opponents. They are am
munilion given to charge the weapons OF
; the enemy, and il is because they constitute
ammunition given to charge the weapons
OF the enemy that feel at liberty to refer
20 them, and to invoke you, as my political
: brethren, TO exert your influence with the
: brethren themselves to cease this wrangling
, and 10 take the word of an honorable gen
tleman who becomes your candidate tina,
be has no other interest in the world in the
: oandidaiure than the welfare Of the State Of
2 Maryland OF the Democratic party. Zap
\ p,A1se What higher motive could / have
!. IN accepting your nomination than to con
q tribute in my best degree, and according
e 10 the ability which | may have, to thu
e welfare OF the State and of the Democrats
: p4Ttys More than forty years ago, side b,
SIDE with the honorable president of thi
: convention, | enlisted in the service q
that party, aud there has never been da
in those forty years that | have expert
l. e1ced anything but satisfaction and sue
1, cess
Dr As candidate, canno. recall defeat i
70 the ranks Of the Democracy. Ii has bee
my good fortune to be associated with tina
&c party in its day of triumph and victory
at when Maryland and the entire country ie
d. their obligations to the party which secure
r their welfare. Applause.l Therefore l AZ
:, cept this nomination with no misgiyin9
IL because if defeat and disaster should com
xt l feel that in the company of that party
mt can bear disaster and defeat, if | carry i
W banner honorably to the front and vindcal
its policy.
III "But although am thus ready TO encoul
OF ter the full measure of responsibility whC
IN belongs to the nomination, | beseech 20
,o Democrats, not to linger on the way; b
Nv seech you not only not to linger on q
way, but to press forward, and to give n
all the support in your power in plantin
o. that banner on the outer walls; and aboN
I'd all things, and for your own sakes, do NJ
lie commit the yet greater fault Of wanderir
away and taking service in the ranks of Il
az enemy, because there you add to the fir
ly crime greater one; and yet that is Il
at natural result of u resolution TO linger
or the way.
"Why should | not deal as frankly wit
n this as the OCCASION requires? These grief
nd these difficulties that have been spoken c
n with what do they associate themselve:
h. Not with the policy of the party, becau
3 upon that we are all agreed; it must nece
OF sarily be upon details. Well now, in a
frankness, fellow Democrats, what matte
the dl1erence oil details
as who is so presumptuous as to suppo
it himself right and all the rest wrong? Ii
ev good faith we mean to have government
~ policy of progress and reform, if in goo
rn faith we apply ourselves to that, what ma
OF tiers it that we should differ upon isolate
I'D points here and there? Such differences a
,o not only inevitable, but are Indispensable
elicit the truth ITSELF
:, "Here upon this platform find the hone
'u' able gentleman, the predecessor of Govern
M Hamilton, and in commencing Govern
nit Hamilton as u reform Governor | must
"a, the same to Governor Carroll | am hap
' 10 say that throughout my life have h
the unwavering friendship of Gov. Ham
ton, and from the very first To this day Il
ng shadow has passed between us, but u C,
ich dial, warm political brotherhood has CIV
me existed, and no effort OF mine was spar
-. TO elect him Governor of Maryland. So
'io was in case of Governor Carroll. 1t
q, happened that returned TO the service
ick the State the same year that he was elect
Governor, II never embarrassed me to diff
with him, not the slightest, | recognz
'on his full right 10 recommend to me, as
8, member Of the Legislature, all such me-
- ures as he thought worthy of my consider
;,h ton. That was his constitutional rig
But it was my right to have my own OPT
''a' ion as to what he had recommended, a
| voted as my judgement dictated"
McLane said no man who is entitled to I
hia respect Of the intelligent people of tho ST.
he could afford To do less, and no man in
a, out of the party had RICH: to complain
"' such independent action and thought.
ma, referred TO reforms which had been &C
dye summated in past State administrator
He and gave due credit to those Of the preso
H., one He "did not propose to enumer
o'' them. These had been presented to
egs people ON the husking over and over ag;
dd aduseum in two successive campaig
What we have done is subject to the v
snt, dict Of the people, and we promise to
IN all that is possible in the same directit
- What more can you askY The pledg
ior make is that so far as in me lies | will
ing deavor TO carry forward the policy of
BON form, economy and of honest administ
vas ton. [Applause.l And more than thai