National Republican., 1883-04-06
MARYLAND DEMOCRACY.
A House Divided Against Itself-Trouble
I'm the Party Brings Go Light Some sug-
gestiuns OF Truth.

A House Divided Against Itself-TroublP
in the Party Brings 60 Light Some sug-
gestions OF Truth.
The Hagerstown Mail, very respectable
Maryland democratic paper and the personal
organ of Gov. Hamilton, has no faith in the
party in power in that state. In fact the
Mail is convinced that the management of
affairs by the democrats has been absolutely
dishonest. Thus it speaks of boss rule":
We suppose no state management in the
country was more tyrannical more absolute
and more perfect, more corrupt and demoral4
izing than was our own under its we'll known
boss rule.
There was recognized set with its head
quarters in this city and with extending ramiA
fcations into the counties that welded q
power not surpassed anywhere. This ruling
class made and unmado candidates at will (;
made nominations for the city or ordered them
for the counties. Both branches of the legis-
lature were under its absolute control legs
lation, before il could pass, was tolled, and
healthy legislation seldom passed; the exeeu-
tive patronage was dispensed under its direc-
tion; the press was subsidized; the revenues
of the state squandered or perverted; the
public ofiiCes-the trusts of and for the peo+
ple-were made the property of individuals,
and distributed as spoils of partzans--not as
partizans against the common party enomy,
but as partizans of this or that set against tho
undsciplincd mass of the party; the civil
service of the state in every branch of the
government was prostituted to selfish and
personal aims every officer in the public
service everywhere whether on the canal or
in the tobacco warehouses or on the fishery
force, the cattle scales in every department.
of tho state and city, was required to obey
q 4 II. ~
the primaries and conventions TO secure can
didate5 acceptable to majesty.
Sitting in state at Barnum's, or some other
well appointed quarters TO receive homage
and raise money to support their dignity and
power, they assessed every state oilicoholder,
and also the city and evon the poorly paid
laborers upon the public works. The black
mailing ignominy never had moro thorough
execution, and the order was simple but di-
rect-pay or deliver!
A large portion of this extracted money
went into the counties TO corrupt or carry
primary meetings and conventions, and to
have candidates suited to their purposes and
aims. IL was an autocracy, with all its deep
down practical elements. 1t was proud, ar
rogant, cruel false, hypocritical, and cor
rupt, without the sense of right or justice,
but alone directed by its own dovouring sem
timent of self.
%
Shattered in its power by the session of
1880; still more shattered by the session of
1880, and then shattered by its fears, this set
of bosses is now taking shelter from each
other behind the buttress of reform; and
upon the housctops they proclaim with u
voice strong as a Mohammedan muezzin call
ing the faithful to prayer, themselves reform
ers, even the very chiefest among them, who
in their pride glory and power despised and
rejected every measure of reform. Tho
struggle for better is coming to an end the
set is deposed the band is broken; the 'boss"
is dethroned 1t is only for the people to
push the movement until every segment dis
appears in tho great body of the party and
shall once more become equal members of it
no greater no less than any other. Let the
democratic spirit of rght-of equality-en-
ter anew into them, and there is good will
for all.
After this testimony as to the state man
agement" in general, the Mail asks Mr..
Treasurer Barnes Compton the following per-
tinent questions:
What has become, we ask, of tho 100000
and upwards collected annually from the di-
rect tax levied for the payment of the inter-
est and ultimately the debt itself? Where is
it? The debt of $3,3000O0 contracted in 1865
is not paid or any part of it. There was
almost nothing in long years carried to the
sinking fund from these taxes for the pay
ment of the debt. Where are these taxes so
sacredly dedicated by the constitution and
laws to this single purpose? How is il that
they are not to be found in the treasury? 1t
was the highest duty Of the treasurer to sec
that they were applied to their legal purposes
it was his highest duty to see that they were
not perverted to other objects or squandered
on the numberless employees about tho lcgis-
lature--to the extra pay of members and otli-
cers-to the extravagant printing expenses or
to the subsidy to the press or any other eY-
travagant or othor purpose.
No one can be held responsible but the GUS
todian of the public money for its preserva-
ton. He is there to guard il against the
wrongful acts Of legislatures as well us Others
lie cannot apportion this trust and duty
among governors and legislators. They have
not the custody or charge of the treasure of
the state. The treasurer and none other is
by the constitution to sec to it that II goes to
its dedicated purposes,
We tell the treasurer that the war upon
that question is not over and will not be until
absolute right prevails and the oonstitu-
ton and the laws are obeyed with alacrty
aud zeal. How can the balance sheet be clean
with such u record?
In the place of this testimony, showing as it
does deplorable state of affairs under demo-
cratic rule in Maryland, we have no COM
ments to make. No wonder the people look
to republiCanism for relief.