The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-10-02

ster and the fact of his positive promise to
nominate three negroes for the Legislature
and the action of the negroes in selecting
three of their best men for the places be-
came known, the Sun and the "News'
manifested the most eager zeal in urging
their gratuitous advice upon the Repub
licans as to the personnel of their ticket.
This soon ripened into persuasion, argu
mentative pleading and humble entreaty.
At first they contented themselves with
sagely suggesting that the Republicans
ought to be especially careful not to put
Objectionable persons on their legislative
ticket, at this especial slime, when the
final effort is to be made to smash the
great "Gorman Machine, shrewdly sug-
gesting that, after that was accomplished,
there would be no necessity for so much
circumspection in avoiding popular pref
udices.
As the day of holding the convention
came closer, and the difficulty of Mr.
Malster extricating himself from the po-
sition he had assumed became more mani
fest, the independent press put aside
its generalization and came out in plain
English against the ''nigger in the wood
pile - The Sun of September had
the following frank statement of the case
1t would be piece of political folly of the
first magnitude to ignore the force of existing
sentiment in regard TO the selection of colored
candidates for important state offices. The
time hos not yet d7TiUed lchen that mag be
done cith safety TO the party doing IL. The
argument that it is absolutely necessary in
order to placate and keep the colored voters
in line is without substantial foundation. The
great body Of colored voters consider the
success of the Republican party more impor
tant than the assertion of a right which may
involve political disaster. Their Sympdthtes
and Irejudices are all a1TGyed on the side Of
That party, and they can be counted on TO sup
port 1t solidly on election day. The reports
of disaffection among them have been assid
uously circulated by the same agencies which
have circulated these reports in past cam
paigns with the design of forcing the Repub
licans to perpetrate serious blunder. TO
defend Mr. Gorman's legislGtiUe ticket and to
DTeuent Mr. GOrmdn's reelection to the Sen
ute. the Republican Legislature ticket should
be free from anything likely to excite popular
prejudice or to offend popular sentiment.
On the same day the ''News' delivered
itself in the same tenor, as follows
The great task before the Republican party
of Maryland at the present moment is to Sc
cure control of the legislature. In this under
taking, they toU hare to encounter the oppo-
sition Of one of the Shrelcdest political man
aud determination greater than he has had
occasion to employ in any former contest.
This undertaking is no child's play, and the
party cannot afford, at this j,tnct,ue, to assume
any unnecessary burden.
To inject the race issue into the question of
tie selection Of a legislature aohich as to name
Gormdns successor would be peculiarly i'll
considered move. The Republicans have a
great deal Of working capital in the shape Of
Democratic anti German feeling in Baltimore
and in every county in the state. Who knows
how many of these Democrats may decide to
swallow German if the Republicans put up
Legislative ticket with eolored men on il?
The negroes can better afford to let this thing
go than endanger the success of the whole
Republican ticket.
The reasons thus urged upon the Balti-
more Republicans by their new found al
lies for their fragrant breach of faith with
their colored brethren were the same upon
which the Republicans attempted, wholly
unsuccessfully, to justify themselves
HOW ITLOOKS TO THE COLORED
BRETHREN.
To the intelligent colored voters, of
whom there are number in Baltimore,
this outrageous breach of faith and delib
crate violation of pledges solemnly made
to them appears only in the light of a mean
deception, a sore humiliation and griev-
GUS wrong They had, in compliance
with the condition imposed upon them,
unanimously selected three of their best
qualified and most honorable men-men