The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-10-29
GORMAN TO THE SUN.
HE WRITES AN ABLE LET
TER OFFERING TO
RETIRE..

SINCERE IN IT'S PROFESSION TO
SEE TIE DEMOCRATIC PAR
TY SuCGEsSFuL-TLE
Sun IN \ HOLE.
MIR. EDWIN F.. AEELL- The San,
BniIimorr-Sir-I address this letter
to yon in your capacity rs the rrspcn,
sible head Of the 4. $. Ahcll Company.
After more than seven Years OF violent
and abusive criticism of me vou have
at last seen fit to formulate the gii'v-
ances in the exploitation of which you
have amazed not only myself, but the
great body OF the Democracy OF Mary
land. In your issue of the 9th instant
YOU have an cditoria. leader, entitled
''Thc Sun and the Democratic party"
which for the first time puts into def
mite form your reasons for Il war upon
me, which has now become 4 war upon
the Democratic organization of the
State. You dcnounce as ''absolntely
untrue" the charge made in the Fred
cricIl citizen that you are making 4
fight against the Democratic party,
and | am willing to believe that you
really think yon are stating fact, but
you certainly antagonizing with great
bitterness what nine-lenths ofthc Dem
ocratic voters in Maryland regard as
the party. and the only effect of this
antagonism, in the event of its success,
will be to pcrpctuate Republican rule,
and. therefore, the negation of Democ-.
racy. You may dttercntiate the "or-
ganization' from the ''party" and en-
ploy all the resources Of sophistry to
illustrate your point. The fact will
remain, however. The great body of
the Democracy will still see in you an
enemy and still hold you largely re-
sponsible for any defeat that may over
take the cause of their love and loyal
ty. The people Of this State who, TO-
lowing in the footsteps of their fathers,
have supported your newspaper, made
it rich and prosperous and invested it
with authority and influence will still
wonder that YOU. out of mere enmity
to me, should devote the strength which
they gave you to the defeat of the cause
which they hold sacred, and which, as
you claim, your newspaper has advo
Gated for more than half Il century.
You may try, but you can never eN-
plain this to their satisfaction. You
can never persuade them that you are
not joined with the Republicans to
overthrow the Democratic party in
Maryland. They do not understand
your fine spun distinctions. They look
Only to practical results
But YOU have now defined your posi-
tion as regards myself, and if fail to
recognize 10y atty to the Democratic
party in your attempt to destroy the
Democratic organization, | can at
least follow what you say in that re-
spcct Your counts against me- are
three in number, with a fourth specifi-
cation for good measure. You base
your opposition to me on my alleged
hostility to what you revercntly de-
scribe as ''thc trinity Of reform civil
service, tariff and ballot reform. You
charge that | have been the enemy Of
al. three, and you tell the people of
Maryland that for this reason you have
denounced me and cndcavorcd to cut
short my public career. You admit,
to be sure, that the questions involved
are all three questions ofopinion. on
could hardly do less. for your present
allies, the Republicans, have always
antagonized What You are pleased to
call tariff reform. and it is notorious
that thousands of the best and purcst
men in the land have thought and still
think i'll of civil service, while the very
pioneers and prophets Of the Australian
ballot i'll this country would repudiate
with contempt and rilicule as an i'm
pudent imposture the Maryland laws
now masqucrading as ballot reform.
\ on are we'll within the truth, there
fore, in speaking Of them as questions
of iini,n. Whether YOU are within
reason and Justice III denying me my
right OF personal Judgment and consci-
encc is not SO clear. Ion say they are
questions Of opinions. and yet YOU de-
nouncc me for having mine. Perhaps
You hold that, languiShing in the sIlad-
ow Of your diSapproval, have not tie
same privileges rs other men. can
believe it. The matter is of small con-
sequence, however. Let us. come to
serious things.
1t is true that AIN opposed to what
YOU term "civil service reform" as il
has been developed and illustrated by
the machinery of the commission
voted for the act originally. The the
ory attracted me. and | suborlinatcd
my Judgment 10 my hopes; but the
theory has given place to Il condition.
and my experience and observation
have convinced me Of my error am
unatcrahly opposed, except in judicial
places, to life tenure of office. 1t is
Incompatible with our free institutions.