The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-12-28
THE RESULT TIN CARROLL.

The Democrats of Carroll county sue
ceeded in scoring majority of twenty-eight
votes in favor of their Senatorial candidate
DIR. J. W. Herring at the special election
held in that county on Saturday last
This result, leaves the relative strength
of the two parties just as it was before the
death of Senator Bennett, the Republican:
having twelve and the Democrats fourteen
Senators, enabling the latter to organize
that body.
What the policy of the Democrats will
be, remains to be seen, yet it is scarcely tt
be supposed that it will be purely an OBJ
structive one. Senators Bruce and Michael
both are by repute committed to most Of
the reform legislation proposed by the Re
publicans, and very little can be accom-
plished by antagonizing Governor Lowndes
appointments.
Still, the situation in the Senate must
give rise to considerable speculation, and
the promise of needed reforms is not hal
so assuring, as it would be, were the Re-
publicans in absolute control of both
branches of the Legislature
1t is only natural that the Democrats
should derive some comfort from the result
of Saturdays work in Carroll.
As to the cause of the defeat of the Re
publicans, there is much diversity of opn-
ion, yet not all Republicans will agree with
the Baltimore Im0ican. that it is due to
the unwise course of Chairman Wellington
in his pursuit of a seat in the L. S. Senate.
"No other plausible reason" thinks the
.lme,icda 'can be assigned
''The Republicans of Carroll were flushed
with the splendid victory so recently
achieved in the State, while their oppo-
nents were correspondingly depressed.
Their hopes were bounding, while the
Democrats were in the slough Of despair,
when Mr.. Wellington came to the rescue of
the latter by an intersection of his personal
and selfish ambition into the struggle The
Democrats had propheseu that the first use
to which the Republicans would put the
victory would he an unsecmlv rush for the
spoils, and Chairman Wellington more
than fulfilled their prophecy. He was. UNI
fortunately, the ostcnsible representative
of the party, and he decided to override
everything, even to the overthrow of law
which had the sanctity of nearly CEN
fury observance in it's favor
The numerical difference between the
parties in Carroll was slight, and this mad
rush of the Republican chairman to reap
for himself a reward, the bestowal of which
should have been entrusted to the ripe
wisdom of the party, disguised doubtful
voters and restored party lines. The Re
publicans ought to have won Carroll county
by at least one hundred majority, and
would have done so but for this selfish and
senseless attempt to divide the party on a
matter of spoils and set at defiance the
grave respect for law, which is one of the
most commendable characteristics of the
people of Maryland.
Mr.. Wellington's usefulness as chairman
of the Republican committee is evidently at
an end. He was luckily in being at the
head of the committee when tidal wave
swept over the state. Whether he was
carried along like chip on the bounding
wave or materially contributed by his
efforts to its momentum matters not. If
he really contributed to the victory, he
lacked the first essential of successful man
agement-the knowledge to turn it to
advantage after it was won. His idea of
the State campaign appears to have been
that it was Wellington against the
field; while the general impression has
been, and is, that it was an impersonal
campaign, in which all the better impulses
of politics were arrayed against that which
was impolitic and corrupt.
The result in Carroll county is rcbuke
of Mr. Wellington. 1t is notification
that his ideas of politics are not acceptable,
and he should resign the craftsmanship of
the Republican committee"
The WIG is prepared to admit, that
Mr.. Wellington's lly-considered scramble
for seat in the L. S Senate is not calculated
to inspire the people OF the State, with any
special confidence in the assumed political
virtue or individual superiority of Re-
publicans over Democrats, as shown in the
indecent haste with which the Chairman
of the State Central Committee rushes to
the front in hot pursuit of Senatorial
honors, regardless of law, custom and
precedent.
Still we think the Baltimore Amclican
comedies to Mr.. Wellington more import
ance than he deserves, in charging that he
alone is the primary or sole cause of Re
publican defeat in Carroll.