The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-08-22
Our Late Convention.

Our Late Convention.
1t is certainly to be regr cited that the con-
vention which recently assembled to nomi-
nate Democratic candidate for Congress in
this district was unable to accomplish its
purpose. 1t is right that we should review
the circumstances and determine to what ex-
tent, if at all, the delegates from this county
were responsible for the deadlock, and to de-
eide what is the proper course for US to pur-
sue in the next movement.
We may start with the assumption that
while it is true that offices are created and
filled for the benefit of the public and not of
the individual, still it is equally true that in
selecting its candidates for those offices
it is right as well as polite that party
should weigh fairly the just claims of all the
various sections over which it extends. To
strengthen the party organization as whole
the best way is to perfect and strengthen the
organization in each ofthe parts. 1t is not
good politics to neglect and to weaken the or.
ganization in some of the parts and then to
expect the entire organization to be as strong
as it could be.
Now, we entered the late convention with
certain claims which we presented to that
convention, not only as Il matter of right and
justice to our county but as a question of
party policy. 1t is fact which no one will
attempt to question that during the past ten
years Hartford county has not received from
the Democratic party State or federal office
or appointment, with the single exception OF
the Eastern Hay Scales in Baltimore. Dur
ing the same period Carroll county has had
the Congressman for four years, has now the
Attorney General, has now and has always
had several Of the most important State APP
pointments. Baltimore county has had the
Congressman for the past six years, besides
a full share of the best State appointments.
Cecil county has had The Governor and now
has the U. s. Senator. With these claims
Hartford county presented candidate with,
apparently, perfect unanimity. Occupying
this position what was the duty of our dele
gates? What could they have done, or ought
they to have done otherwise than they did?
However just and fair our claims seemed to
us, it was in the power of the convention to
have ignored them; it was in the power of
the convention to name the candidate with
out consulting US, and if they had done so
we would have accepted the result without
complaint and voted for the nominee as we
have always done. But why should our del.
egates have been expected by their votes to
ignore the very claims which they were
insisting were just and fair? During the
convention it was possible for our delegates
by their votes to have nominated either DR..
Shaw from Carroll, or Mr.. Talbot, from Bal
timore county, or Mr.. Constable, from Cecil.
We have no wish to depreciate the merits of
either of these gentlemen, and if the conven-
ton, outside of our county, had nominated
either, the party here would have supported
the nominee to man. But what was the
duty of our delegates in the premises?
Should they, representing county which
had been ignored for the past ten years, assist
in placing additional honors upon the over
load which Carroll and Cecil are already car.
rying? Under other circumstances it would
probably have been natural and agreeable for
our delegates to have gone for Baltimore
county man, and certainly the mere fact that
man has served in Congress acceptably for
six years is no reason why he should not be
renominated and reelected. But in this case
Baltimore county presented the name of
candidate who was handicapped by the well
known fact that while his majority, in his oDn
county, in 1878 was 2,047, in 1880 it was only
1,1s6 and in 1882 only 800. Is it fair to ex-
pect us to abandon just demand in order to
nominate candidate who seems to be rapid.
lycarrying his own county over TO the oppo.
sition?
No doubt call will soon be issued for
other primaries and other county conven-
tons to send delegates to another district
convention. In the meantime we have the
experiences fthe last one to think over and
profit by, If upon sober second-thought
Hartford county determines to present the
name of another candidate she will have an
opportunity TO do SO. But whatever name
she presents we will enter the next conven-
ton with precisely the same claims for IA
vorable recognition as in the last We will
not have, as We have not had, any factious
opposition to the wishes of the majority, hut
We will insist that the claims of our county
shall not be ignored.