Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1885-10-23
An Idle Boa st.

The idle boast made by DR.. Lancaster
to the effect that he would come away
from Harris's Lot district with $50 ma jor
| ity at his back, which was referred to in
the local columns of the TINES, reminded
the writer of certain very emphatic decla
rations which were made by the doctor tc
himself on the occasion Of his first meeting
with the doctor alter lie adj 'urnmcnt ot
the last Legislature. II occurred on the
upward bound B. & p. train, some time
in the month If MAY or June 1884 The
doc or, having boarded The rain 1T one
of the way stations, met us with the EN-
phatic sa utation that the TlMrs had in
lured him to the extent of over $500 in bis
professional business.
Upon an astoHished inquiry as to no "
we had thus interfered with his business
interests, he referred to paragraph which
appeared in the TIMES about the time Of
the adjournment of the Legislature. max
ing reference to his vote upon the bill tc
prohibit intermarriage between the white
and negro races, and said, that that was
what had done the mischief The follow
ing is the paragraph to which he had ref
erence:
"When the bill to prohibit intermar.
rage between the white and negro races
vas before the Senate, DR.. Lancaster was
one of the four Senators that opposed it
In the House of Delegates W. Dec. Mitch
ell and Souherland voted in the negative
The bill, however, passed by large ma
jority."
| He said that when he returned home
he found his people up in arms against
him on account of his vote upon that
measure and so great was the feeling a.
gainst him that he had already sustained
great Injury by a marked punishment Of
his medical practice and he feared much
more serious results to follow. We there.
upon asked him if We had not been cor
rect in the statement of the fact as to his
vote, which we had obtained from the
Senate journal, and reminded him tina.
the TIMES had made no comment at all
upon the matter He admitted that we
had correctly reported him and had no,
sought to influence public opinion by
comment, but said that the matter would
not have been so generally known il II
had not appeared in the TINES.
Now it has occurred to US that if the
doctor was correct in his statements ai
that time as to the effect upon public
opinion in his neighborhood, which wa.
indeed very natural and reasonable to be
expected; that either the good people Of
his home district must be the most for
giving and easily placa'ed people in the
world, transient and unstable in their re.
sentiment beyond any precedent; or else
he is in error in now counting upon ma.
jority so much in excess of his regular
party strength.
| Now as far as the doctors voe upon
that question is concerned, we believe il
is absolutely indefensible. The reason we
did not comment on it at the time was
first, because some facts are So cogent in
themselves as to render comment unnec.
essary; and second, because We thought
that the most fitting time to direct the
popular mind to the improper official acts
of public servant, is when he comes be
fore the people for reelection. We had
no purpose then, as we have no purpose
now to iDjure the doctors business pros.
poets; but when public servant asks the
Endorsement implied in reelection al
the hands of the people, it is proper tina,
the people should have the fullest possible
knowledge of his public record and judge
him accordingly.
In thus putting himself on record as in
favor of intermarriage between the races
the doctor has stepped very far in advance
of his party. In some of the most solidly
Republican States of the Union they have
laws upon their statute books, put there
and kept there By Republicans, of exactly
the same character as that against which
the doctor has recorded his vote. 1t APP
pears to be generally credited by an intel.
ligent public opinion throughout the civil
lied world that there is Kind of natural
law against the amalgamation of races
which our State Senator has put himself
on record as favering The coIored peo-
pie themselves do not expect or desire
such state of affairs and it is well
known fact that the opposition to this bill
was not in the interest of the colored peo-
pie. As an evidence of how far in advanc.
of his party DR.. Lancaster places himself
by that vote. it is only necessary TO refer
to the fact that out of 10 Republican Sen.
ators in the Legislature of 1884, only
joined the doctor in this vote.
Every voter who now gives his ballo
to DR.. Lancaster for reelection to the Stat.
Senate unequivocally records himself a.
endorsing his vote upon the measure re