The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-03-20
Wellington VS.. Democracy.

w JO1l Va. 1OL1OC4dCJ.
letter from sykesville Nd. to the EIlicott City
Times, says:
EDITOR TDlEs-stripped of all surplusage the
above is the issue which the voters of Maryland
will soon be called on to settle. At the last two
elections the Democratic ticket was defeated by the
aid given to the Republican party by certain dis
satisfied Democrats. Without such aid, Republican
success was impossible. The fruits of the victory
thus gained over the regular Democratic organi
zaton. with all extraneous matter eimai ed, yield
in the last analysis aresiduum, which for practical
purposes. may be called 'Wellingtonism" In its
partisan sense Wellingtonism means stalwart Re-
publicanism. That is Republcanism of the most
bitter type. 1t means extreme views on the tariff
the issues of the late war; the powers of the
general government as opposed to those reserved to
the several states the people; and, in general
it means the supremacy of the Federalistic or Ham
iltonian idea over that of the Jefersonian Demo-
cratic idea 1t is the antipodes of all that the term
Democracy implies in the sense i'll which that term
is used throughout the Union. In personal sense
it means uncompromising antagonism to the
Democratic party in Maryland, no matter how hon
est the administration of that party may be, no
matter how beneficent the results from its Assem-
deney may prove no matter how wise, pure and
patriotic its candidates may be. 1t means first
principally and always, the election of Republican
candidates throughout the State. 1t means two
Republican U. s Senator's and Il solid Republican
delegation in the House of Representatives. If it
shall have its way, it these things in oppO-
sition to gold Democrats, silver Democrats, indie
pendent Democrats or any other kind of Democrats.
Its object is the defeat and permanent exclusion
from power of the Democratic party at all times in
all places and under all circumstances.
Practically IL means the control MARYLAND
politics by a ring composed of Wellington Sloan
and Mudd 1t means the rule of political despot,
a one-man power far more absolute than ever be-
fore seen in the history of the state. boss more
arbitrary, intolerant and audaclous than any
Democrat has ever dared to be, and a system of
bossism that practically makes Mr.. Wellington the
Republican party and merges the viii of the whole
organization into the individual viii of one man.
If in any past campaign it could be said there was
Democratic ticket in the field because the candi-
date represented the will of boss and not that of
the delegates to the nominating convention, then
with far greater force may it be said of future cam
paigns that there will be no Republican ticket in
the field, but only the ticket of Mr.. Wellington.
The above things being true, the question for the
Democrats of Maryland to decide is whether they
shall be allowed to continue. If there still be
Democrats who carry personal hostility to mem
bers of their party to such extent that they
viii not submit to majority rule, then the outlook
for the future of the Democratic 3 gloomy
indeed.
If Democrats have made Up their minds that they
will only vote for those candidates their ticket
whom they like personally, and moreover that they
will not only for they personally dislike,
will vote for his opponent the Republican ticket
the organization might well be dlsbanded. The
same may be said of platforms defining the position
A., 80 1.,-
minority in any convention claim the right to re-
pudiate the action of the majority, then it were
certainly dignied for selfrespecting citizens
to abstain entirely from participating in such opera
boufe as conventions would thereby become.
What constitutes the Democratic party? A body
of citizens advocating certain political principles
How are those principles formulated and adopted?
By the delegates to Democratic conventions What
is the source of all power as to the organization
principles selection of candidates and platform of a.
party? The will of the party itself WHAT'S the
will of party? The will of a majority of its MEM
bers. a unanimous will has never been required,
and, by the rule of common sense could not be re-
quired From the nature of the case, then, the will
of the majority being the will of the party it fol-
lows that to render that VIII effective, it must be
binding on every member of the party. fit is not
binding on all it is binding on none. Hence it fol-
lows that it is absolutely necessary to the existence
of the party that the action of a majority, not
fraudulently taken should be binding on eyerymem-
Der of the party And this, matter how distaste-
full such action may be to u dissenting member.
Like the action of majority of the court it binds
the dissenting judges. Whenever a party member
finds that he cannot conscentously abide by the
nominations or platform fairly made by majority
of fairly chosen delegates, it is not only his right
but his duty to repudiate such nominees and plat
form. But he cannot do and remain a member
of his party. That is reductio ad absurdum. As
honorable man he must repudiate his party, and as
an honorable man he is equally bound to relinqush
the party name he relinquished the party allegi
ence. He cannot hold to the one and renounce the
other. No other course is open to him in the high
court of conscience, and to that court he has ap-
pealed from the action of his party
Applying these principles to the issue, Yelling
tonism vs. Democracy, the honest Democrat who
does not like the candidates or platform of his
party must decide whether not he prefers Repub-
lican principles Republican officials and Republic
can methods generally, to those of his own party.
If he decides in the affirmative he can then con-
sistently oppose his former friends and take his
place as an honest man III the ranks of the enemy
and adopt their name as he has espoused their
cause. On the other hand if on reflection, he con-
cludes that although he personally would have
it would be wrong to aid directly indirectly in
fastening Wellingtonism on the State of Mary
land-ifsuch be the conclusion he arrives at then
he cannot consistently refuse to support the Demo-
cratic ticket no matter how distasteful its person
mel or platform may be to him. This may seem an
unnecessary hardship to expect a man to endure.
reply is that the course of honor and conscience
is rarely that of selfindulgenee He is unfortun
ate man indeed who, protesting patriotism and ex
allied motive his guides of life yet is not willing
to make any sacrifice whatever for their sake. The
question for the truly honest Democrat to ask HIM
self in the case just referred to is not Is it pleasant
to vote for the hate and the platform object
to?-but rs right, will it be better for the peo
pie and the party belong tor"
Then let him abide by the answer: and at the
next election Wellingtonism will meet the Water
loo it is preparing for Democracy and at the grand
roundup of states, the "Old Line bugle, fife and
drum" will again be heard in their place at the
head of the procession under the Old Hickory ban
ner, and such welcome will be given the return
ing prodigal as is only kept for the one who was
dead and is alive; who was lost, and is found
SykesUiHe March 2, 1897. LocoFoCo.