The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-10-23
A Fair Example Of Republican Reforms. y
A STATESMAN WITH AN UN-
SAVORY RECORD.
A Picture for Purists to Look Upon

A Picture for Purists to Look Upon.
Published by authority of the Maryland Demo-
cratic Editors Association.
The chief plea advanced in behalf of
retaining the Republican Party in power
this year is that the election of its candi-
dates will insure an escape from an era
of corruption, and from ''the discredit-
able elevation of political brigands and
vsgabonds' that must inevitably succeed
the triumph of the Democratic Party at
the polls The avowals OF immediate re
form and promises of better things that
distinguished the ante election utterances
of the Republicans two years ago are again
in use, and the restless Independent vote,
without the aid Of which Republican sue
cess in any instance is out of the question,
is again besought to ally itself with the
army of ''reform Or the Republican
Party of Maryland
The blatant professions of clean politics
and moral ideas that interlard Republican
harangues this year shows the desperation
with which the leaders of the party view
the situation. In the straits TO which the
vicious careers of Mudd, Malster, Tuck,
.Dave" Sloan, 'Ben'' Hiss, fBen
Andrews, and other Republican bosses and
the abject incapacity of Lowndes has
brought them, the members of the party,
with an audacity which would be intoler-
able were it not almost pathetic attempt to
faunt their stained career of power before
the voters, and, in the face Of facts, to
convince them that their malodorous rule
has been throughout, in spirit and in deed,
precisely what the most radical purst and
:'eood government devOtee could desire.
This course is being pursued with some
spirit, by reason of the assistance 1t re-
ceives from the bitterly preiudiced so called
independent press of Baltimore city,
which has cloaked the trickery and inetfi :
cheney of the Republicans with the same
satisfaction that it displays in malignlng
and misrepresenting the Democracy. The
Republican press and Republican speakers
have the effrontery to insist that the past
two wears stand as monument to party
integrity and moral worth, and that the
resumption of power by the Democrats
means civic suicide 1t is on account OF
the PRONUNCIATION of this species of pleas
antry that it is interesting to note just
what some of the conspicuous results OF
''good government, as administered by
the Republican Party, really are.
Since the recent discontinue of Well
ington, the chief figure among those
brought into prominence by the "millen-
ium of 1895, - is that of the upright states
man and immaculate leader, Sydney f..
Mudd, Congressman, Speaker of the House
of Delegates, and aspirant for the United
States Senate. Mr. Mudd is one Of those
who take quite as much satisfaction in the
great reform triumph Of two years ago as
the most Jealous Independent who helped
to make it possible, 1t is easy to account
for the vigor with which he has thrown
himself into the campaign and the junction
with which he eulogizes the principle that
inspires the demand for clean politics,
healthful methods, decent candidates, and
fair primaries-which, Of course, have
been the dominant features of his party 5
rule 1t has been stated that the 'Devl
can quote Scripture to serve his purpose,
and the phrase instinctively suggests itself
at the spectacle of Mudd, politician
whose corrupt and venal practices, and one
whose utter indifference and contempt tol
the opinion of the better voting element
ESQ long as his purpose is served) has rem
dered him reproach to his party and
State The spectacle of such man, fairly
out Heroding Herod in denunciation ot
political trickery and debauchery as, with
out exception the most impressive instance
of unblushing hypocrisy that has defaced
the political annals of Maryland.
IF Mr. Mudd songs of praise to the
Great Spirit of "Reform' were actuateC
by any sense of gratitude, their expression
would not be so incongruous, but those
who know the man intimately will vouch
for his entire innocence of such emotion.
1t is a sensation that is entirely foreign tC
his nature
And yet, he has reason to feel genuinely
grateful to the impulse which swung tht
Republicans into the saddle two years ago
That great upheaval changed his fortunes
materially, and from a mere country
politician--in not especially good odor
even in his own county-he was elevated
via the Speakership of the House of Dele
gates, to Congress, and his present emi
nence of party leadership, to say nothing
of the honor that was his of having con
ferred the United States Senatorship upor
George l.. Wellington.
In the campaign for the Republican
nomination for Congress in 1894 Nude
was decisively overthrowE by Mr. Charles
4. Coffin whose Identification with South
ern Maryland Republicanism has consti
tuted one of its few creditabe features
and whose Congressional career not only
reflected honor on his party, but his State
His discontinue at this rebuke wa'
keen, and, until the nominations for the
last General Assembly were made, h'
underwent an enforced retirement tha
affords an effective back gieund for hi
present effulgence. When Nhe Charlie.
county Republican legislative ticket wa
nominated, Mudd succeeded in beins
named for the House, and during th'
fight worked like beaver to repair hi,
political fortunes.
As soon as it became evident that thu
Republicans were to control the House o.
Delegates, Mudd began his campaign fol
the Speakership The attainment of thii
end was not accompanied by many diff
culties, and its accomplishment was easy
for shrewd resourceful, insnuating poll
tician of highly practical caliber With {
legislative body composed, for the greater
part, of entirely inexperienced and, ii
many instances, utterly incompetent men,
a master of cajolery, like Mudd, with the
backing of the Southern Maryland mem
bers, whose support was obtained by prom
ises of good committee places, could easily
dominate the caucus-a meeting III which
no other aspirant was even accorded seri-
ans consideration and which with win.