The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-07-11
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air. Md, July IL. 1890.
TO THE DEMoCRATICvO VOTERS OF MARY
LAND.

The approaching campaign is national entirely
Every principle involved is national No State
interest will be affected except III national sense
Purely State matters, therefore, will have no place
in the 1t is not our purpose In drawing the
attention of the Democratic voters of the State TO
this matter to assert that reforms are needed at
home. While conceding this. we assert that the
last legislature accomplished much NO General
Assembly for quarter OF century hau 20 ih ay
difficult problems and measures to deal With; Inc
surprise is that so much good was accomplished
when it is remembered that SO many conIlc &c ing
spirit of concession and harmony. and the merg-
ing of the individual into the representative Deter
ta + % n nave 0een and prudence are
exercised, the Democratic party can De harhohlZeo
and solidifed upon all state affairs. ,.,
The Democratic party is now confronted with a
national contest The issues involved are para
mount to State matters. If there be contrary
op MON, it will be conceded that the one must be
m t now while the other cannot be before lS9l.-
yen were the interests equal. ana ooth had 10 De
d talt with now patrlotsm wquiu ueld f c9LceS
success While holding to the doctrine OF nome rule,
also recognize that we are part or the national
Democracy While State laws more closely AFFECT
u.s. still it would be selfish and unpatriotlc Tor us
tosubordnate national to State interests. Defeat in
Maryland might subject the whole country to con-
evils To check or reverse the arbitrary, uncon-
sttutional and wild career of the Republican party
in Congress, needs earnest and persistent work.
The party will not relInquish power willingly The
rather, it will have to be driven out by an unms-
The stake in the coming contest is the right of
the people TO elect their own representatives, free
from federal interference; taxation for revenue
of the public money; a sound and stable currency;
reform in the civil service These are the matters
upon which the contest of 1890 Is to be waged.-
They affect the whole people, and the Importance
of the contest cannot be oyerestimated.
The Republican party in Congress has framed,
and the House has passed, a federal election law.
contrary to the Constitution. and which Is designed
to take away from the people the right to elect un
party has always boosted that this was "a govern
ment of the people. by the people, and for the PEG
ment. 'n II impiies lack Of patriotism lack Of
honesty, upon the part of the people, and assumes
superior virtues for federal over State oinclas-
The promoters of the scheme, who forced 1t through
the House under the caucus lash have not lost
faith in the people. They have realized that their
acts have aG tb 5 tss to
power, in spite of public sentiment. The Consti-
tuition never intended that Congress shoald assume
any such power where the States had acted. The
primary right to order and direct congressional
elections is lodged with the States, the power of
Congress is only secondary-a power to act should
the States refuse neglect to provide for the elrc
ton of representatives. No such contingency has
arisen. and it is usurpation, GENERALIZATION and
revolutionary, for Congress to assume to interfere
with the rights of the states.
Not content to rely for further lease of power
upon such measure. the census enumerators were |
enjOined to secreSy, in order allow opportunity to
juggle the returns OF population in order to sup
press Democratic representation IN Congress and
lection by skillful manipulation of statistics
Such bill is only what might have been expected
nearly three months in order to pack the House |
with uneleeted members, to make sure of safe |
majority to carry through partisan measures: that
afterward clothed the speaker with a power more |!
autocratic than ever before welded in legislative
body in this country, and that has passed bills |
with less than quorum contrary TO the Constltu- |
lion. No Speaker of the House had ever been given
such power as was conferred upon Thomas b. Reed,
and he used it to the fullest extent in suppressng
the minority and forcing his schemes through |
No Congress that ever sat has been SO PARTISAN SO
minority SO indifferent to public sentiment, and |
been so lavish of expenditure.
The House has passed most lnlquitouS tarifl Dill
that raises taxes to point unknown in the history
of the country The people, without party dlstlnc.
ton, have demanded revision of the tariff and
reduction of taxation. and are given a law that |
will greatly increase their burdens, and make them
a further prey to trusts and monopolies. The Nc
81 to So. This is the average but this increase |
does not disclose the inequalities and the unequal
burdens for the rates are higher upon necessities
and lower upon luXuries. BY the bill, trusts and
monopolles are better entrenched, while the peo-
pie are placed at further acknowledgements |
ton being shut out from abroad by high wall OF |
taxation, and shut out at home by combination,
born Of greed and avarice, which the high wall |
makes possible.
The expenditure of public money has been with
out a precedent in time Of peace. Money has been |
squandered in unnecessary publ buildings; on |
Insignificant creeks and streams in the River and |
Harbor BILL in the increase of number and pay of |
federal employees; in coast defence and in various
ways The most shameful extravaganza has been |
in the matter OF pensions. Not only has the civil |
list been heavily loaded. but millions have been |
wrongfully voted for pensions to the soldiers of the
late war. The demand for theSe appropriations
came not from the patriotic soldiers They con- |
tended for the preservation OF the Union and |
principle. But the demagogues to bride the soldier
VOTE have placed the camp follower, the substitute
the deserter and the patriotic soldier on footing
and voted pensions to all. The pension appropria-
tons last year were OOO for this year they
will foot up 000 ond for next year they are
likely to reach S200,000!0O0.
Civil service reform under Republican rule is a |
M
days of Grantism, when nepotism regned, and |
work of questionable character. Harrison has |
located in the federal service, as far as he could
all his relatives to the third and fourth degree, and
while protesting to favor civil service reform, he
permits the law to be openly and shamefuly vloat
ed. and himself was party to it In postponing put
ting the railway mail service under civil service
rules until nearly every Democrat was replaced by
a Republican.
The Democratic party, upon the matter of civil
service reform, is conservative. 1t would not build
up partisan civil service, nor civil service ar
istocracy All offices that give direction and in
depreciation to the policy and principles of a
party should be at the disposal of the party i'll
mere subordinates should not be subjected to
change with every change in politics. The people
are more concerned about the competency OF the
public service than in the political opinions of
Before establishing civil service reform upon these
lines however, we would fill The minor places from
among all parties according TO the ratio they bear
to each other.
In conclusion. let us urge upon the Democrats of
Maryland to prepare for the coming contest. Turn
aside from personal ambition, turn from State
matters. which are not urgent to the contempla-
ton of the great issues now confronting us. and
prepare to do our duty as unselsh. patriotic ctl-
Zens, to the whole country. Let the primaries be
above suspicion, and conventions give expression
to the will of the people. With able candidates.
considering the issues involved, Maryland should
send solid delegation of Democrats to the Fifty
second Congress-