The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-08-08
An Address to Democrats.

Hon. Barnes Compton, chairman of the
Democratic State Central Committee, has is
sued an address TO the Democratic voters Of
the State defining the issues Of tue coming
campaign. 1t was prepared by committee,
consisting of Hon. Henry D. Farnandis, of
Hartford, VIM. /. Hill, of Prince Georges, and
COL Albert Richie, of Baltimore city.
The address calls attention TO the recognition
denied the minority in the House of Represents
tyes; to the strangling OF debate by an arbitrary
rule OF the majority; to the enactment OF vicious
laws with indecent haste, and to the danger OF the
abrogation of the right of the American people to
local self-government.
Continuing, the address says: while peace
reigns within our borders, the people groan under
a burden OF taxation greater than that which sup
piled the woeful necessities of the civil war; while
languishes; while in the broad land farms are
mortgaged and crops are pledged before they ripen
to the harvest, and i-begotten unnecessary sur
ed, under the guse OF PATRIOTISM TO purchase and
reward the mercenaries OF the Republican party.
This party in 1888 bought the suffrages OF the peo
pie in "blocks of five" with money extracted from
mOnop0lies fostered by tariff privileges"
The Republican majority IN the House Is arragn;
seating Republican contestants in order that SUI
premacy Of the dominant party may be perpetual
munities of the citizens of the United States.
Having thus acquired political power" continues
the address, this party proposes to repeat the
history of 'carpetbag rule In the Southern States
by the passage of law operating only by the pc
ttion of private citizens. which supervises State
registration dominates State elections, proSecutes
State officials in Federal courts and surrounds the
polls with the military. We deprecate and con-
denim this course of political action and partisan
legislation as calculated to unSettle business, to
produce sectional strife and to rekindle anmosi-
ties and prejudices which are dying out"
Democracy" against the assaults of the Republi-
can party is pointed out as the issue OF to-day.
I'VE are confronted" says the address, by Wig
binders him in the pursuit of his object. To con-
troll the machinery Of the peoples government to
the use and interest Of his party is the one pur-
rights it is necessary to respect. To oppose this
well-discipllned force, supplied with those NUM-
tons OF Republican warfare so effectually used in
the last presidential campaign, it is important that
every means should be taken to perfect the organ
ization Of the Democratic mo party throughout the
election may determine in the future history of the
country mere local and personal considerations
should give place to broader and more liberal
conception Of the duty of citizenship, and indvd-
ties.n
The Republican administration is arraigned for
its increased tariff taxation for monopoly interests
its concession to subsidized railroad corporations
and alien ownership of public lands, its extrava-
gance, its partisan and corrupt administration of
the civil service, its usurpatiOn Of the rights re-
served to the States and people, its perpetuation
of policy which has piled up colossal wealth in
the hands Of favored few and its despotism Of
Capitalization. Grave are the subjects of tax
concludes the report important as all these re-
forms are to the people, above them in this con-
test towers one great issue. 1t involves the right
of the citizen to the untrammeled exercise Of the
elective franchise and the superiority Of the civil
over the military power. The question Isl Shall
we remain free citizens Of our beloved State, loyal
TO our federal government or shall we become the
helpless subjects Of central deSpOtism? In a
word, the issue in this campaign goes to the very
foundation of free governmental is Republican
ism versus Democracy.