Montgomery County sentinel., 1890-08-22
THE SENTINEDS DEMOCRACY.

An article in the SENTINEL fortnight
ago seems 10 have, unwittingly, excited
the hostility of some of Senator Germans
closest friends, who have INDUCED in good
deal of consultation and put their heads to-
gether to counteract the effect OF the home
lhrusts the article contained. Most of the
papers of the State which follow him have
treated our criticism with silence but one
or two of them have seen fit TO cry out quite
Justify and TO bluster quite valiantly. They
have been careful to avoid the real point of
our article, which was denial of Mr.. Cor
mans claim to the leadership of the Demo-
cratic party. They simply admonish US
that this is no time for pickering; that Sen
ator German is not an issue just now; and
that with harmony in our ranks we have
chance to redeem the Sixth District from the
Republicans. We are not aware that we
have been guilty Of pickering. We have
striven as earnestly as any paper in West
ern Maryland to secure that condition of
public sentiment which would lead to sue
cess, if success be possible. We have no
more use for Mr.. McComas and his ways
than has our neighbor, the advocate, and all
that he represents is quite as hateful to US
as it can be to that enlightened journal.
The trouble with our neighbor is that he
d ,es not see things as clearly as he might,
that he fails to distinguish between one
man and great party, and that he cannot
understand that he and his brother editors
who agree with him have themselves made
Senator German an issue by their senseless
adulation of him. Every one knows that
Senator German is to day fighting the cam
paign OF 1891, that he is striving to secure
the vantage ground that will enable him to
control at least the legislative nominations
a year hence, and all this praise of him with
which the Maryland county press is bur-
dened week after week is intended to preju-
dice public opinion in his favor, and make
that contest an easy one. Hence the effort
was made to divert attention altogether from
local affairs for the time being. 1t is all very
adroit from the standpoint of machine poll
tics. But, because we happen to differ with
our editorial brethren in our estimate of Mr..
German and our views of the citizens duty
and frankly declare our opinion that he is
not entitled to the elevated position that his
friends claim for him, are we to be told that
weare "firing into the ranks Of our friends ?"
Would it not be quite as just, quite as logi-
cal, in those who oppose Mr.. German to
declare that unless this praise of him ceases
they will desert the party, as 1t is in those
who admire him above all else to assert that
criticism of him will lead to party ruin ?
We do not say so, however; neither Mr..
Gormans shortcomings nor his defenders
tantrums can shake our loyalty or force
IRON us a threat of desertion. Does the Ad.
zoeate really mean to say that Mr.. German is
50 great, and the Democratic party so small
that a word against him will disntegrate
the party2 If we honestly think that his
continued domination in MARYLAND will be
hurtlul, have we not right, when we see
him and his friends taking advantage of a
ton the Justice of his arrogant claims? Is
it true that the Democratic party can
not live without Mr.. German? The sooner
we know that the better. Itis "ill.timed to
talk in this way" we are told. Is it not
quite as ill-timed to begin Mr.. Germans s
Senatorial contest SO far ahead of the State
election. The truth of the matter is that
Mr.. Germans friends are quite taken aback
"a A.. A.. = i,.;..- ...:.,. a. i.
audacity TO question his supremacy. That
is treason in MARYLAND. and has been for