The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-09-26
REPUBL1cANIsM sKEFcHED.
Baltimore, Before tile Taxpayers
Association of that City.

The cry of reform, gotten up by Republicans is
again heard in Baltimore and an effort is being
made TO enlist certain organizations to unite to
make Peoples Ticket" When the matter was
brought before the Taxpayers Association on
Thursday night OF last Week-60 of the 1910 members
| being present-Col. J. Thomas Scharf opposed car
rying the organization into partisan politics, and
tore the mask Of reform from the leaders OF the
movement He spoke in part as follows:
"All of us must admit that the next President must
be either Republican or a Democrat, and the de-
feat of the Democratic nominees in this City or
State the next election means defeat for Demo
crat President l think, therefore, the Democratic
members of this association have intelligence
enough to understand the animus of the so-called
reform or independent movement, the premonitions
ofwhich confined to the author of these resolu-
tons who hat commifion to injure the Democratic
| party at all seasons and in all places.
In 1875. the year preceding the presidential cleo
] ton, we had reform movement and we have had
one every four years after, the years which pre-
cede presidential election. The managers of the
Republican party, who sit in the custom house and
| in the postofice are always ready to Join forces
with discontinued and disappointed Democrats and
march under the banner Of reform for the simple
reason that they have no other means of preaching
| the walls of the Democratic stronghold They are
cunning enough to start the refOrmatory paroxysms
on the eve of presidential election, for they can
then hope to secure the electoral vote Of the State
in the case of success before the reaction sets in.
Already the Republicans have the Custom House,
the Postofiice and the Federal Courts. The Custom
House and Postoffice are used to consolidate a Re
| publican political ring corrupt as any in the
country. More unprincipled ballot box stufling
| than done this year and every year by the Re-
publican ring and bosses" in this city could not
| be found. The "Ins" have swindled the "Outs" in
the most shameful way, and a small, corrupt
minority controls all the better elements of the
party IfRepublicans cheat each other would they
hesitate to cheat the Democrats.
| The Federal Courts are now used TO Overawe the
Democrats at the polls. The Custom House, Post
| Office Federal Supervisors and unlimited United
States Deputy Marshas to control the elections give
the Republicans power enough already. They
know that fthey could wrest the control of affairs
from the Democrats by whatever corrupt or violent
means they would be approved at Washington and
applauded by the stalwarts throughout the length
and breadth of the land. Now suppose, in addition
to all this power the Republicans under the guise
of Reform, should carry this State there would be
Republican State Ring in unchecked power
County Republican rings would have the State
| Treasury to back them, and they would not be
sparng in the public money to keep their hold on
office and Maryland from being in the rank States
| of lowest taxation would soon have a State tax
equal 10 that of Republican States four times greater
than ours. Then they would get control of the
Baltimore police force. We should have Negro
policemen, as well as Federal supervisors ant
deputy marshas, to control the elections of Balti
more There would be the club of the negro police
man, and the bludgeon OF the United States deputy
marshal and if they pass the Force Bill" at cal
| hay nf he limited from Fort Nc
Henry to ENSURE fair elections in this city, an(
thus a Republican ring would soon be in control o
Baltimore city, as well of the State of Maryland
The taxpayers OF this city would rue such day il
dust and ashes. Our State and city would be class
ed as certain Republican" and would be used as
rivet to fastcn a Republican majority on th'
National Government.
Wherever you find the Republican party il
power in any State there you find extrayagant ex
penditure, if not abominable corruption. Maryland
has a large State debt placed US by our ancestors
for developing the railroads and the canals that
have built up our commerce. yet under Democratic
rule the facts show that Maryland is the most eco
nomical state in proportion 10 wealth and popula
ton in the Union It stands third or fourth the
call of the States in the matter Of low taxes. Tina
mere fact disposes of four-ffths of the Republican
| campaign invective end whole columns of spaciou;
figures. Facts will snow that in the city of Balti
taxation is lower than i'll any city of the frs
class, Boston alone excepted l challenge all tn
Republican speakers to point out either corruption
extravaganza or incompetency in municipal o
State administration. Today our city stock, paying
only 80 per cent interest, is worth 81 on each hun
dred dollars above par, and considered as an in
vestment in all respects equal to the bonds of thu
United States. Is this the result of extravaganza
No, it Is the result of good government. The proc
OF competency.
But Mr.. President Notwithstanding these facts
| our Republican friends with the addition of few
Office seeking Democrats, have an impression tina
the political machinery of the Democratic party /
out Of joint, and that they have mission to set
right OF course we can only estimate the value o
their promises for the future by taking into consider
alton their practices in the past. When they wer
in power i'll Maryland how did they manage mat
tiers? The record is plain but sad one and SHOULD
be a solemn warning never again to entrust then
with power They trampled upon every right AM
withheld every privilege that the people needed t
make them prosperous and happy. They sowe
corruption on every side, increased the burthens 0
taxation in the name ofspurious loyalty, persecut
ed the white freemen of the State filling their dun
geons with captives and driving hundreds of cit
zens into exile.
When the Republican party seized the city in lsd
the finances of Baltimore were i'll good condition
and when the end of their rule in 1867 the cit
was on the verge of bankruptcy.
l do not propose to refer now to the various way
in which the city treasury was plundered by tn
Republican party then in power in this city, but
will startle our tax payers when l assert, withou
the fear of successful contradiction that the Reput
licans during the period they held control of gu
municipal affairs made away with ss,3l4, lil76 Owe
r and above the ordinary revenues of the city.
| / will deal with a few items a sample of Reput
lican rascalty. Let us take the Street Commi:
sioners' Department in the Republican days of 1856
a We find that in that year the department expende
s132 OGS.3l-about $4,000 more than was appropria
cd Yet with all this expenditure not foot o
street pavement was laid in new streets not
> school house, engine house or police station bull
About the sum total of visible Improvements
show for all this money the erection of "seve
street lamps In this connection it may be well
note that in this department during the same yea
X over $4,000 paid out warrants to which III
!. Complroller's signature was not attached-an ope
q violation of an explicit law. OF course such e.
travagance and reeklessness soon exhausted II
S treasury and resort had TO makeshifts TO rais
= money for the hungry Republican thieves who sti
It clamored for more How they raised it single il
cident will show clause was stealthily tacke
"a to the foot of repeal ordinance, where it wcul
escape notice, authorizing the sale of 5000 shar
L Idlseu " oJOuJ vi q W. IAhllioa
extra dividend stock held by the city. To take ii
edge off the iniquity it specified that this none
was to pay bounties Well, the stock realized s6j6
= $50; SG20OOO went to the soldiers end bount
81 jumpers and-here the figures are missing; $751;
of that money is missing; no trace of it can be oun
Al in all the records and do not believe any of gu
N Democratic department clerks can find dollar
8 that money unless certain Republican ex-oflical
who have been and are still masquerading as R
}, formers, become suddenly conscience stricken an
IS disgerge.
1t Mr.. President the nature of these people has N
changed. They are still among us, paving tn
earth and believing like the bull of Besham in II
Il interest of Reform. What they did in the yea
1s6l67 they will do again, If they have the oppo
tunity.
We have also heard much from these jabberwoeI
about the purity of elections. 1t is not necessary
y allude again TO the frauds perpetrated by Il
70 Custom House and Postofice gangs Of late years
= they are familiar to ALL But let study the histo
OF elections in this city under Republican domin