Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-10-22
"Hard Tines in Politics.

These are essentially "hard times with
the late inpublican bosses of Charles coun-
ty. They feel sensibly the loss of their
"mess OF pottage" wrested from them 10y
the local revolution of last fall. With IA
view of sottening times up little with
themselves they are now trying the little
game of imposing upon tie creduity and
Ignorance of the colored voters 10y making
them believe that the present low price of
our farm products and consequent scarci-
ty of money is due to Democratic rule.-
Under this, added to their other false pre-
lenses, they entertain the hope of getting
in again. They are going to exert them
selves to the full and make the most of
the hard times racket in the pending
congressional contest, hoping thereby to
put themselves in the way of getting
snug'y back into the county offices again.
But in this they show their weakness
and the forlorn state of their deferred
hopes. The colored voter, credulous as
he is, will not be deluded by such cheap
deception. He has intelligence enough to
know that an economical and business
like administration of public affairs, such
as the Democrats have given the people in
the county and at the seat of government
will serve to dissipate hard times" rather
than bring them on. He has been deceiy-
Cd nftap Inv tha.a l,nScao orl hos la
come so thoroughly convinced Of their
selfshness and deceit. that lie naturally
regards them with suspicion and their
stories with disrust.
The TINES has heretofore referred more
than once to this cheap deception and ex-
posed its utter ia 'sity and lack of founda-
ton. We have shown that the low price
of tobacco is due entirely to falling off
in the foreign demand and that this can
by no possibility be due to the home gov
eminent. 1t is really due to the hard
times" which exist in the European coun-
tries which consume our tobacco. This
causes the poor export demand for our
product and brings the hard times home
to the people who grow tobacco exclusive
ly for the foreign market, as is done here
in Southern Maryland.
But as matter of fact the business
prospect in this country is better at pre-
sent than it has been for many years past.
All the great mercantile authorities concur
in this good report and the feeling of the
business community toward the admins
tration of the government was never better
and more confident than at present. Every
indication points to better prices for Ger,
eals next year and it is more than praba-
BILE that the production of to|acco will so
adjust itself 20 the demand as to bring bet
ter remuneration to the tobacco grower.
Al reliable opinions concur and every
indication shows that this country is now
at the dawn of an era of great business
prosperity. and hence the absurdity of in
voking hard times" as campaign issue
at this time. But these bosses are relying
on the tact that "a wink is az good as
nod to a blind horse They have found
that principle to sustain them So of en- that
they naturally rely upoa it again.
But they are mistaken. Their day is
over. They cannot materialize the collar
ed voter any more. Their magnetism has
come in contact with a neutralzing force
and has thus been deprived of its power.
The intelligence and conscience OF this
county has risen up against them and
they have gone down, never again to be
resurrected. Every friend of local self
COVE nment and honesty IN public office,
whether he be white or back, knows that
the greatest calamity that could betall this
would be the reinstatement of
the former misrule This would indeed
be "hard times" in big doses and to avoid
such direful result every true friend Of
the material interests of the comfy will
do his utmost.