Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-08-03
THE CITIZENS DUTY.


ceived full measure of consideration. Ii
the remarkable crisis which has arisen il
consequence of the efforts of a few men Il
dominate party policy, it will not be out o
place To consider the duty of the citizen. /
has been demonstrated time and again, IL
all ages Of the world, that republics canno
endure except by the public spirit Of III
people. II is not enough TO ally Oneself
with party and follow the banner of party
leaders. Blind allegiance TO patty is, indeed
the very condition Of popular corruption
which gives TO INSCRIPTIONS party leaders
the opportunity for peculation, and finally
brings shame upon the citizen and disaster
upon the country. The average citizen does
not mean TO do wrong-at heart he is in
tensely patriotic. But the duties of citizen.
ship are irksome, If rigidly performed, and
it is q relief to have some one who is willing
and anxious TO relieve us o: the care of pub
lie affairs. And 80 ii happens that, in the
intervals of political campaigns, the citi-
zen sleeps while the professional politician
prowls and lays his plans.
The citizen awakes with start by and
by. He becomes suddenly aware that some
one is robbing him. His rights are diminish
ed, his prosperity is affected, his interests are
suffering. He discovers that the man whom
he placed in charge of affairs is not living up
to bis promises. But after all it is the natu-
raj and inevitable consequence of his own
inattention. Unless the masters eye be upon
him, the servant will dawdle or steal, and
this is truer in politics than in any other av-
ocation of life.
1t is doubtful If any people ever had
more rude awakening than the Democrats
of this country--and particularly Of Mary.
land-have had, and the situation is, as to
them, full Of danger and difficulty, and their
responsibility is greater than at any other
time in the history of the party.
There is absolutely no doubt as to the
sentiment of the party upon the tariff ques-
ton. If the party platform was susceptible
of antagonlstic constructions-which we
deny-there is no uncertainty as the con.
struction put upon it by the macs OF the
party, by the popular common sense If
there was doubt at the first as TO what that
construction was, there can be none now.
The attempt to pervert plain words into an
excuse for doing that which they were never
intended to justify, has brought out the COM
mon judgment in tones which defy misun-
derstandng.
The effort to force the party into posi-
ton which its traditions and its recent man
ly utterances alike repudiate, continues this
question as vital one, and forces it upon
the attention. II Is clearly within the power
OF the people to settle it at the coming cleo
ton, and they will be responsible if it should
miscarry. The recent convention in the
first congressional district of Maryland
shows plainly enough what may be expect
ed elsewhere unless the people take their
affairs into their own hands. That conven.
ton did not represent the sentiment of the
district, because ii was manipulated from
the outside. 1t is probable that il did not
come quite up to the hopes and expecta-
tons of the gentlemen Of the Senate who
wished a specific Endorsement of their
course, but the local manipulators saw that
the "llmits of endurance had been reached"
and for very fear enunciated an Endorsement
of the last Democratic platform.
Now what happened at Ocean City will
happen at Hagerstown If the same infiu
ences are permitted to control the sixth dis
trict convention. The SENTINEL has no
candidate to advocate as the nominee of
that convention. We know of no one who
is seeking that nomination. But we believe
that there is reason To hope for Democrat
ic victory in the district if the people are
permitted to select their own standard bear
er. 1t seems to us tina: this is the most ia
vorable opportunity for them to do 3d.
They are not hampered by the claims and
aspirations Of "favorite sons" and they are
profoundly interested in the result of the
election. The chance is offered for the as
semblng of an ideal convention, and If
such an one assemblies its influence will be
felt for years to come. Let the people turn
out at the district primaries and send their
best men to the county conventions, and let
the county conventions in turn send to the
haBerstoWh CouNentiou tue oeSt tneu ot bhe
counties-men of sound judgment, sound
Democracy, unpledged, untrammeled, IN
purchasable The deliberations Of such q
body of men should produce the best re-
sults--harmeny and zealand with these
animating the Democracy success should
follow.
And this condition the people can accom-
plish, and since they can accomplish it, 1t is
their duty to do 80. 1t will require some
effort, some self-sacrifice, we admit, but
these are the accomplishments of every
laudable purpose, and every man owes them
to the community in which he dwels. The
promised reward should make them wei
come.