The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-05-11
RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
ANOTHER UNDEMOCRATIC RING
USURPATlON. A FUNCTUS OF
FICIO CHAIRMAN OF DEFUNCT
CONVENTION RESTORED TO
LIFE.

The fight of the honest Democratic
masses against ''the mochine' is general all
along the line in this State, and the I'M
precedented acts resortcd to by Mr.. German
on power, show they do not underestimate
the strength of the popular opposition to
them.
To load up the party machinery in the
interest of the German ''ring' was the
undouhted purpose of the recent appoint
ment of the steering committee of eleven,
of which the "boss' in this county is
member and the effect of which will be
to prevent any Democrat becoming dele
gate to the State Convention unless he
wears the German yoke, and if from Cecil
is stamped with big &C"
To load up the party machinery in Cecil
in the interest of the Combine" is the
unmistakable object of piece OF party
tactics perpetrated this week in Elkton in
the resurrection to power of the fuaciHs
oficio chairman of deceased county con-
vention.
The County Central Committee of the
Democratic party in Cecil county, fixes the
dates for the primaries, prescribes the quail
ificaton of the voters at the primaries, and
appoints the judges therefor.
1t will be readily seen, what an import
ant piece of machinery this committee is in
party politics. II it is controlled by one
man, and he the ''boss" of a combine, it
can be made worth hundreds of votes for it
or him at primary election.
The last County Democratic Convention
which met in Elkton in 1893, through its
chairman, Dr. Joseph V.Wallace, appointed
this committee, naming as its members,
Messrs. Daniel Bratton, Manly bremen
and Hester Hess.
This committee, which since Mr.. Brat.
toms death, stands one vote Mr.. bremen
for the Combine, " to one vote Mr.. Hess
against it, is now sought to be captured for
the Combine" by the appointment of Mr..
George 5. Wooley, a warm supporter of
the "Boss" to Mr.. Bratton's place. and
DIR. Wallace has been over-persuaded to
test the temper of the party in the county
by an unwarranted and indefensible usurp-
alton of the power to make this appoint
ment.
Mr.. Bratton and Mr.. Bremen were
considered friends of the Boss" and his
combine, and until the death of Mr.. Bratton
the "Boss" felt himself safe so far as this
important committee was concerned.
Mr.. Hess, it is true, was opposed to the
combine, " but two can every time beat
one. and thus matters rested up to the time
of Mr. Brattons unfortunate death.
But this unexpected event deprived the
Combine" of its absolute ownership of the
County Committee, and robbed it of the
power to use the committee for its own
purposes in the matter of fixing a date for
the primaries and in appointing the judges
for them.
1t became necessary therefore if these
prerogatives Of the committee were to be
used for the benefit of the combine and
its candidates, and to the disadvantage of
every other candidate, that some scheme
should be devised by which the advantage
lost to the Combine" by the death of Mr..
Bratton should be regained
Hence this undemocratic and obnoxious
usurpaton of power by the resurrected
chairman Of dead convention, the object
of which is to put the party machinery in
the hands of one man, to be used by him
to force the combine candidates upon
the Democratic voters of the county,
whether they like it or not
That the resurrection e act is usurpa-
ton clear and simple no intelligent man
can or will deny.
What authority has DIR. Wallace because
he happens to be the ex -oilicio chairman of
a convention that met and adjourned two
years ago, to step forward now and appoint
Mr.. Woolley to a place on the county
committee
Clearly none.
He had no more authority to make that
appointment than any man who happens
to have been chairman of a county conven-
ton that met and adjourned four, six, or
eight years ago.
When the convention of which Dr..
Wallace was chairman, adjourned in 1893
it adjourned sine die. 1t was then dispersed
and cedsed 10 IRE as a convention having
primary and plenary political power
How can it be that political life and
power survive in the chairman, and not in
the convention itself, from which the
chairman's power is derived
The chairman is but the creature of the
convention. His breath as chairman expires
when an adjournment sine die is made.
1t is true that the convention may dele
gate to its chairman authority to be exer-
cised after the convention itself adjourns.
But there is no evidence in this case of
any such delegation of authority. The
convention empowered its chairman to
appoint County Committee, and perhaps
he could make such appointments by virtue
of that authority after the convention had
adjourned although that is not altogether