The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-11-06
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LITTER FROM BALTIMORE.
Tuesdays Election Good Candidates and
Fair Voting-A Tendency in the Right
Direction, &c.
BALTIMORE. November I'd. 1886.

BALTIMORE, November I'd, 1886.
Messrs. Editors This is election day for Con
gressmen, not only in Maryland but in most of
the commemorative of the United States. 1t will
therefore be an important day to the people at
large, as they settle the political complexion of
the House for two more years to come from the
period of their taking their seats. The House has
been pretty largely Democratic in sentiment for
some years past, but gradually falling off in ma
jority, whilst the Senate is Republican. The
great effort at this election will be to reduce the
democratic majority so that the House may again
be Republican. If it should be that the Republi-
cans arc successful in gaining their point it will
be quite gain in their favor for the future, as a
Presidential election takes place in the meantime.
From present appearances, however, it seems very
doubtful if such will be the case, as the Demo
cratic majority is too large to reduce it much.
This is pretty much the ground which the
present battle has been fought. The nominees
for the House on both sides are said to be very
able men and will make good members.
1t is coming more and more every year on both
sides to make it point to put forth good candi-
dates without special reference to their politics,
and elect them by an honest vote, so as to purify
the elective franchise. This is what the country
is looking to more than anything else, and l am
glad it is so. The people are getting too honest
to have mere mountebanks getting into Office
Congress especially-as their leaders, elected
through system of fraud as often perpetrated by
a system would strike at the foundation of Repub-
lican liberty and turn institutions into farce
Hence our government is taking more interest in
having honest elections and an honest count than
it ever has dOne declaring the day of Congress
sional elections public holiday and the partial
suspension of business work, so that the people
might have ample opportunity to cast their votes
1t has seen the necessity of such course and I
think it very wise The public at large
too, is impressed with the same fact. It takes
more interest in having honest election than
anything else. As example we see men ap
pointed and empowered by the general government
to see to the polls for this purpose. The people,
too, and smaller municipalities following the
example So also are private individuals, so that
we may now fully calculate that voters are allow
ed to vote their own sentiments and have them
honestly counted. This is great end gained. I
would rather know we had an honest election than
a victory. The mass of the people, too, are com
ing to the same opinion. More will be done here
after towards having an honest election and the
peoples franchise protected. What need we
about mere partzan name. Nearly two out of
three do not know what it is or what Democracy
or Repubicanism means. They often vote be-
cause their fathers did SO before them, they too
often ignorant of its application. 1 have seen
many-honest, hard working, illiterate men-who
could not read. They were of both political sides,
yet very often such persons most active about
election polls. In such cases it has grown more
and more important to have fair elections and not
have the vote of good man killed and franchise
made nullity by some fraud who has not even
the right to put in ballot at all. Of such things
persons of pure intentions become disguised and
often refrain from voting at all, knowing their
vote is Offset BY some worthless fellow who has
been bought perhaps by drink of bad whisky
quarter of dollar. In the same category, to
some extent, are they who are expected to read
long diatrbes of politicians published in the news
papers by candidates for office and others just be-
fore elections. Not one in thousand read such
trash man who has not by other meaas made
up his mind how to vote and who to vote for
should not vote at all. He should go to school
and learn to know the meaning of what be votes
for. This is gotten by patient application and
study. the controlling of a certain force by
ward rounder in the special interest of mere
politician is no evidence of correctness or honesty.
hope, therefore, the time is approaching or come
when every man will vote his sentiments under
standingly without molestation. We shall never
have pure elections until such is the case.
learn that in many parts of the Blue Ridge
mountains fire has broken out and is burning
rapidly, which will continue until We have rain.
large quantity of wood, cut and put up in cords,
has been destroyed: The fire, however, makes a
beautiful show it gradually creeps along the
mountains in many parts.
The gas question between the different ccmpa-
MES continues to excite much attention. The new
Chesapeake is going ahead rapidly, but competi-
ton is hard to endure. 1t lowered gas light
amazingly.
The duck shooting season has commenced and
they are plentiful with good shooting. They are
very fine and comparatively cheap. Many now
indulge in that sport.
Prince Napoleon has been in Baltimore one or
two days and was much pleased as he was also
with Washington city.
Autumn in all her variegated hues and colors
has come upon US. The turning of leaves has
been mostly from natural decay. Nothing could
be more beautiful than the appearance of Green
mount Cemetery.
Our new City Council met yesterday and organ
lied the First Branch with Mr.. George May re-
elected to the presidency. 1t has adjourned over
until Monday.
regret to learn that good deal of diphtheria
is prevailing among children, but generally the
city is healthy.
The new depot of the Maryland Central rail-
road is progressing rapidly. 1t will be fine i'm
provement and very substantial. The difficulty
of getting up and down stairs, when it is finished,
will in n great measure be done awav with