The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-09-26
The Independent Voter VS.. the
Manipulated Ticket.

Cecil county. And this condition
may be very properly regarded as a
favorable sign of the times, because
no more perniclous doctrine ever
disgraced our politics, than the old
partizan maxim, that the worst
man on our side, is better than the
| best man on the other side. The
complete sacrifice of the ri CHIT OF in
div1dual preference in the selection
and character of candidates which
this maxim implies, the absolute sur
render of private judgment which it
is the tendency of all majority
organizations to demand OF their
members, have been the prolific
sources of most of the evils of our
political system. The subservience
of individuals to the domination of
party managers constitutes the
slave,y Of party and is repugnant to
every honest individual conviction.
We have experienced in Cecil
county many of the evils entailed
| by this subservience to the regu-
larity OF party nominations, until
the Democratic party in this State
has become a machine" of which
the voters are regarded by the
managers of it, as merely necessary
parts of the machine" itself, en-
titled to no opinions or preferences
as to candidates and expected to
hold none.
No candid man will gainsay the
truth of this statement, and the in
dependence of sentiment which every
good citizen will welcome, is but the
intelligent recognition OF the neces.
sity of the people acting for them
selves, when it comes to elect1ug PUB
lie officers, howe0er much faetiOnal
leaders may anticipate and foreStaH
them IN making nominations.
No candid Democrat in Cecil
county will deny that the Demo-
cratic ticket recently submitted to
the voters OF the county, is from top
to bottom, primarily, and absolutely
a factional one, and represents only
a minority OF the Democratic party
in the county. That the candidates on
that ticket have been selected through
the individual acts and influence OF
the leaders OF the faction which it
represents. That it was planned and
arranged by local bosses and
leaders with a view to maintain by
force of individual obligation their
own faotional ascendency, and as
such can only appeal for support to
those who are factional Democrats,
but whose number under the well
come growth of independent politi-
cal sentiment in the county, is rapidly
lessening.
1t is this sentiment only, which
keeps in check political corruption
and debauchery, and compels all
political parties to a decent respect
for public opinion, and secures for
all the people better candidates. No
party can afford to risk Indifferent
nominations any longer. The fac
tional leaders of Cecil county
Democracy will discover these truths
in the number OF scratched Demo-
cratic tickets voted this Fall.
And the reason why is plain
enough.
The new Democratic "bosses"
have defied the best sentiment OF
their party, and have shaped a
ticket for purely personal ends by
methods most obnoxious.
In 1886 a few young % Demo
Gratis located in Elkton chatting
under the rule of the old leaders of
their party, protested to believe that
the conditions then existing in the
Democratic ranks was growing I'M
palatable to the most intelligent
sentiment OF it. Besides they were
subordinate as leaders, and with a
quixotic determination to resist the
further domination of one or two
well established local managers, they
formed a combination offensive and
defensive. In Democratic county
convention in that year which hap
pened to lack majority in favor of
either OF the two contesting leaders
of the Cecil Democracy, they made
a bold political move, by reading
out of the party management their
uncongenial elders, and setting up
sort of cooperative political shop on
their own account. They tacitly
promised their Democratic followers
to correct existing abuses and to
do tie clean thing IN local politics.
With the prestige which good per-
sonal regulations in some instances
inspired, they quickly collected a
large personal following in their
party, and in 1887 succeeded in car
rying a majority Of the districts of
the county, leaving with their party
opponents however, a majority of
the Democratic voters of it. But
political wisdom did not then nor has
it since cried aloud in the streets
wherein these young leaders dwell.
No sooner were they invested with
the responsibility of the manage
ment of a nominating convention in
1887, than they repeated the alleged
follies of their predecessors in leader
ship, and at which they had ex-
pressed such virtuous indignation,
- 4i,a.,,-of,,a- o:ttaI