The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-11-15
Votingln the Air.

This expression is meant to apply to votes
cast for candidates that there is no prosper
of electing, and is frequently used to taunt
the prohibiionists by old party men. To
this the prohibitIonists reply that vote
cast for principle is never vote in the air
ing done at the recent election in this coun-
ty that will come pretty near that class oil
voting.
The democ. ats claim their normal major
ty is about so when voters stick TO their
parties closely, but allowing the majority Of
81 which the Commissioners received, ii
viii be seen that 1870 votes were cast for the
democrat ticket that on party grounds be-
long to the republican ranks. That is 100
were cast for the State ticket, and these with
so additional were cast for county officers.
This might properly be termed voting in
the air." the votes not being for principle,
Or for the Iarty they wished to besuccessful
The chronic enmity which has grown up in
The republican party has reached the point
when $50 votes of one faction is cast 10 spite
the other. This is tantamount to dissolution
There is no longer any object in view by
the republican party in Cecil except to In
crease the majority against the republican
ticket. Thai this was prearranged plan
admits of 10 doubt, and 10 disguise in
measure the action large number of The
kni!ers voted the State ticket also. Some
of the democrat leaders had been apprsed
of the arrangement, and were so tickled that
they could not keep the secret but revealed
it 10 their republican friends in advance
The leaders of the knitting party were 10 vote
open tickets and thus confirm their unfalter-
ing fealty to the party, while the rank and
file of the carbonari did the knitting. This
in short was the little game and the way it
was played. This condition OF affairs is
going to continue let whoever be named as
boss or bosses or whether the bosses be
myths or real flesh and blood. This is gen.
uire voting iii the air."
In view of the above facts where is the
use of spending time nominating tickets?
The republicans have nothing out of which
to build in this county while the disintegrat-
ing process of envy and spite will grow by
what it feed upon. The platformes of the
two party State conventions are as like as
two reas. What enc declares for or against,
the other pronounces in favor OF or against.
They both condemn trusts" Both pledge
to economy. Both pledge their party to high
license. Both declare for new and Just
assessment Of property. Both declare their
deyotion to purity of elections. Both pledge
their party TO rights of the colored people.
The wording of the two platforms differs
somewhat but they both pledge 10 do the
same noble deeds. When the principles of
Two parties have become blended as these
platforms show, there is nothing left but
squabble for the offices, and family fights
and knifng ON both sides is the result The
minority party has nothing to win from the
majority with. No exciting question in
political economy to fire patriotism and
draw to its SUPPORT no spoils of office to
tempt the cupidity of any in the stronger
party. The federal offices have helped none
in the State-certainly none in the county
but on the contrary served rather to inten-
sify the feud. That the $50 knfers had
perfect right to use their knives is not ques-
toned. Independence in voting is the hope
Of reform.
There is one question which is agitating
the public mind more than any other at the
present time. That is the liquor question.
There is no uncertain sound IN The declara-
ton of both parties on that. They most
emphatically declare in favor of the saloon,
and to place it on high, firm and arslo-
cratct basis. They have left no shadow Of
doubt on this point.
There are large number of Friends in
this county, especially in the northern part,
and large numbers of the Methodist and
Presby terrain denominations. These relig-
ious societies are pledged by their official
authority against ell manner of license for
the saloon, together with hundreds of others
who are active workers en- the side of tenn
perance and opposed to laws legalizing the
sale of liquors as a beverage All such
votes cast for parties whose platforms de,
clare in favor of the saloon are votes in the
air. If these people, sensible, Intelligent
people will vote together they can carry
any ticket they place in the field from top
to bottom. They can beat the democrat
party and they can beat the republican
party. They can beat the bosses. They
can beat tie whiskey party which lives only
through the life of the two old parties
Two thousand votes polled in Cecil county
by the men opposed to licensing the saloon
will beat both the old parties and whiskey.
1t would send clean men, (clear Of obliga-
ton to, and fear of, the whiskey power), to
the legislature. A vote of two thousand
would put men in every ofice in the county
that could be reelected, and would see to it
that the saloon should not come back, that
the law would be enforced against volators.
A i in the republican party under circum-
stances that are not likely to change are
voting in the air. All who are opposed to
the saloon and are in the democrat party
are voting in the air as to principle, and in
the saloon as to fact. Re Lember, He that
would be free himself must strike the blow"
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