Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-10-15
Let us Rally.

in harmony and unity to hold the prestige
of their old time majorities. In the sixth
district, which has been heretofore tacitly
conceded to the Republicans, the Demo-
cratic hosts have for once presented an
united and solid front against the common
foe and the result promises to be that Col
Baughman, the Democratic nominee, will
succeed Mr.. McComas, Republican, as the
Representative from that district Heroic
exertions are being put forward in the
sixth to redeem the district, in order that
the State may present solid Democratic
delegation in the next Congress.
In this state of affairs it behooves US of
the fifth, which has until recently been re-
garded as the other Republican district of
the State, to be on the alert; lest while the
sixth shall be welcomed into the Democra-
tic household with all the eclat of the
prodigal son, returned, we shall incur the
just censure of having slept at our posts
and let the enemy creep in and break the
much desired unity of our State delega-
ton.
There is no doubt at all that the fifth
will retain her place and prestige in the
Democratic column, if every Democrat
does his duty. The district is now clear
ly Democratic, and if every Democratic
voter goes to the polls on the 2nd of Nov
ember and casts his ballot for Mr.. Comp
ton, there is no doubt at all that our dis
trict will again return her talented Repre-
sentative with still greater prestige and
influence to the halls of Congress. Dem
ocratic apathy alone can defeat US, but
that can and will without doubt, if it
exists to any extent in the district on the
day of election.
But we do not believe that any discreet
Democrat, who recognizes the great i'm
portance of the approaching election and
the issues involved, can remain apathetic
or fail to put himself on record at the polls.
The Democratic administration is now an
assured success and the confidence of the
country in the wisdom and integrity of
those now at the reins of government is
There is no doubt that the Democrats have
come to stay and that their lease of Fed
eral power will be of long Duration
Every indication points uuerringly to that
conclusion and it requires no sage or pro-
phet at this time to make such predic
tion. 1t is of the highest importance for
the complete success OF Democratic policy
that our majority in the next Congress
should be as large as possible-increased
rather than diminished. Hence no true
Democrat who values the importance Of
\ Democratic supremacy can afford to stay
way from the polls at such time.
1t is true the Republicans of the district
have not made an especially strong nomi-
nation and that the action of their con-
vention indicates an apathy born of for
lorn hope among their leaders in the up
per cousties who own the "barrels; yet
it is at the same time very manifest that
the deposed corporators in these peninsu-
lar counties in which the colored voter
constitutes the stock in trade, are going
to make another desperate effort to get
their little ''mess of pottage' so unexpect-
edly wrested from them last fall, back a.
gain; and that with this ulterior end in
view, they are going to make desperate
preliminary skirmish in the Congressional
election of this fall. With this purpose
they are deluding the ignorance of the
colored voters with the absurd nonsense
of the Democrats being responsible for the
low price of tobacco, and the effect of that
false preaching is already apparent among
that element 1t is not improbable too,
that, when the Republicans of the State
find that they are beaten in the sixth dis
trict, they may make concentrated effort
TO retrieve the fifth.
Every view of the situation points un-
equivocally to the necessity of vigilant ac-
tivity on the part of the Democrats of the
fifth district. Whether we look at the
just censure from our brethren Of the State
which we should incur by negligently let
ting our district pass under Republican
control and thus destroying the plan of a
united State delegation; or the utter ex-
clusion of our district from all recognition
in the future distribution of Federal and
State patronage which such result would
entail or at the great Injustice we should
do our able standard bearer and willing
servant, Hon. Barnes Compton, by allow
ing him thus to be defeated; or at the
jeopardy in which we should place our
supremacy in local affairs-the fruit OF
our hard earned victory of last fall-and
the danger we should incur of again SUBJ
mitting ourselves to the CALLING yoke of
the local misrule by allowing our local
majority of fast fall to be entirely revers-
ed: whatever view we take Of it we are
pointed to the same irresistible conclusion,
that it is the plain, unequivocal, impera-
tive duty of every man in this district, ,and
especially in this county, claiming the
name of Democrat, to 60 to the polls on
the second of November, and cast his bal
lot for our Congressional nominee.
1t would not be just tor US to express a
doubt that the little Spartan band of tried
and true Democrats in Charles. who have
so often and so gallantly rallied around
the old standard when we were leading
the forlorn hope, will any one Of them
prove laggard now when all the fruits
of our past hard fought battles and final
victory are at stake. We know they will
not do it knowingly; and that any luke
warmness or absenteeisn which might exist
among them at this time would be due to
failure to recognize the possibility or far