The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-10-30
ININAL STAGE OF THE MARY.
~ LAND CONTEST.

The campaign enters its final stage this
week, and both parties will put forth supreme
efforts to encourage their own followers and
to bring to their support voters who may still
be undecided. Owing to the conditions of
the campaign, the proportion of voters who
have not yet fully made up their minds is
probably larger than is generally the case so
late i'll the canvass, and good deal of mis-
sionary work may still be done. Not the sort
of missionary work that is accomplished by
means of bribery and upon which the machine
is credited as relying greatly if not mainly for
success, but that which is directed to the rea-
son and conscience of reasonable and con-
scentious citizens Voters of this class who
still hesitate drawn this way and that by con-
flicting sentiments and considerations, are not
likely to be influenced in their final choice by
partisan harangues or violent defamation.
There will be plenty of this kind of thing this
week, but such voters will make up their ver-
diet quietly for themselves after careful and
conservative weighing of the whole case on its
merits, without regard to party prejudices or
narrow political sympathies.
This is a campaign in which the demands
of patriotic duty make peculiarly strong and
earnest claims upon every intelligent and
public-spirited man. No man who loves his
State and city can afford to close his ears to
to the leadership of prejudice or passion.
The evil results which will surely flow from
the triumph of Gormanism and Rasinism will
inevitably carr with them keen reproach and
regret for all conscientious =. en- who may be
misled into helping to reinstate these danger
Gus and debasing influences.
In addition to the important point that the
election of a democratic Legislature means
the reelection of Mr.. German to the United
States Senate, and means, therefore, direct
blow to the cause of a stable and sound cur
rency, democrats should not forget what the
supremacy of German and Rasin means for
the democratic party itself in this State, 1t
means the indefinite continuation of the polit
zeal absolutsm and despotism which has so
long prevailed in Maryland, the crushing out
of all manhood and honorable independence
inside the party, the establishment of a cold
yet corrupt tyranny under which no man can
hope for preferment or prominence who is not
willing to bend his knee and stife his con-
science. 1t means the revival in fresh strength
and vigor of the shameful era of barter and
sale, jobbery and corruption in Legislatures
and City Councils. the holding up by politi cal
highwaymen ofall public measures from which
it may be possible to force heavy monetary
tariff, the shameless employment of public
places and power for the enrichment of the
nldcUlue anu IuUSe CiOSSIy COllnecteu VIII IL.
1t means IN time the permanent alienation
from the party of its best intellectual and
moral elements, who will inevitably be driven
from it by the disgust which these things will
create. Can true and thoughtful democrats
lend themselves to such consummation !?
Can they permit themselves to be induced to
aid in handing ever their party to those who
have in the past proved themselves so un-
worthy to be its leaders, and who in the future
will more deeply sully its name and stain its
honor? If they can suffer themselves to do
this, they will have only themselves to thank
for the result, and they will have no right
hereafter to complain of what they may have
to bear. IF they vote to renew the German
Rasin tyranny, they will be acting with their
eyes wide open, against reason and expert
ence, and they will deserve and will have to
bear the consequences.
If the German Rasin combination is over
thrown at this election, its fate will be sealed
forever. 1t will fall to pieces, never to be re-
united, and the democratic party, purified of
this source of corruption and relieved of this
incubus, will have before it new hopes and
aspirations and the prospect of honorable SER
vice and splendid public achievement In no
other way can the democratic party be deliv-
cred from its present bondage and enabled to
stand erect once more as its own master, free
to do the will of the people and to do honor
to its great principles and traditions 1t is
the opportunity of lifetime Patriotic dem
ocrats who love their party truly and desire TO
see it great and useful in the future will not
throw this opportunity away.-Baltmore Sun
October %, oct30 lt*