The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-10-23
A POWERFULLY STRONG LETTER.
Mr.. Edwin F. Abel. The Sun, Baltimore

Mr.. Edwin F. Abel, The Sun, Baltimore
Sir address this letter to you IN yonr
capacity as the responsible head of the A. S.
Abel Company: After more than seven
years of violent and abusive criticism of me
you have at last seen fit to formulate the
grievances in the exploitation of which you
have amazed not only myself, but the great
body of the Democracy of Maryland. In
your issue of the 9th instant you have an edi-
torial leader, entitled The Sun and the
Democratic Party" which for the first time
puts into definite form your reasons for war
upon me, which has now become war upon
the Democratic organization of the State.
You denouece as absolutely untrue" the
charge made in the Frederick Citizen that
you are making a fight against the Demo
cratic party, and | am willing to believe that
you really think You are stating fact, but
you are certainly antagonizing with great bit
terness what nine-tenths of the Democratic
voters in Maryland regard as the party, and
the only EJECT of this antagonism, in the
event of its success, will be to perpetuate
Republican rule, and, therefore, the negation
of Democracy You may diferentate the
Organization from the ''party, and employ
all the resources Of sophistry to illustrate
your point. The fact will remain, however.
The great body of the Democratic voters will
still see in you an enemy and hold you largely
responsible for any defeat that may overtake
the cause of their love and loyalty. The peo-
pie of this State who, following in the foot
steps 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 advocated for more than half
a century. You may try, but you can never
explain this to their satisfaction. You can
never persuade them that you are not joined
with the Republicans to overthrow the Demo
cratic party in Maryland, They do not under
stand your fne-spqn distinctions. They look
only to practical results.
But you have now defined your position 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 respect
Your counts against me are three in number,
with fourth specification for good measure.
You base your opposition to me on my alleged
hostility to what you reverently describe as
s'the trinity of reforms civil service, tariff.
and ballot reform. You charge that have
been the enemy of all three, and you tell. the
people of Maryland that for this reason You
have denounced me and endeavored to cut
short my public career. You admit to be
sure that the questions involved are all three
questions of opinion. You 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 purest men IN the
land have thought and still think ill of civil
service reform, while the very pioneers and
prophets of the Australian ballot in this coun-
try would repudiate with contempt and ridi-
cule as an impudent imposture the Mary land
laws now masquerading as ballot reform.
You are we'll within the truth, therefore in
speaking of them as questions of opinion.
Whether you are within reason and justice in
denying me my right of personal judgment
and conscience is not so clear You say they
are questions Of opinion, and yet you de-
nounce me for having mine. Perhaps you
hold that, languishing in the shadow of youl
disapproval, have not the same privileges as
other men. | can believe it. The matter is
of small consequence, however. Letus come
to serious things.
1t is true that | am opposed to what yor
term ''civil-service reform, as it has beer
developed and illustrated by the machinery O
the commission. voted for the act origi
nally The theory attracted me, and | sub
ordinated my Judgment to my hopes; but the
theory has given place to a condition, and my
experience and observation have convinced
me of my error. am unalterably opposed
except in judicial places, to life tenure o
Office. 1t is incompatible with our free insti
tions | believe that the highest standard
for admission to the civil service should be
honesty and capacity. When appointed, per
sons in public employ should be free from
political assessment, but | am unalterably
opposed to any rule which will prevent the
people at stated and fixed periods from chang
ing their public servants.
1t is true also that | criticised the so called
"Austraiau ballot law as it was presented
to the Maryland Legislature. | was as ear
nestly in favor of Il law which would secure q
free ballot and fair count as you. But
believed that the acl, as drawn, notwithstand
ing the many excellent provisions found IL
all election laws, contained other provision;
which would facilitate the process of coercion
and give undue power for corruption by capi
tai and corporations at the expense OF the
weak, the ignorant, and the defenseless; anc
that it would restrict the influence OF the
Democratic yeomanry of the State, an lnfiu
ence never yet exerted to the peoples injury
but tillS gUeSJlOH WdS lbuS SIHtt dGtcIHiihtN
by a Democratic Legislature.
OF my connection with tariff reform i
seems waste of time to speak. Here is {
mere phrase construed by each one to sui
himself and meaning only what the individual
would have it mean, That / opposed the
Wilson Tariff bill as it left the House in 1885,
| do not dream of denying. ! am too prouC
of the fact to wish to obscure it in the slight
est way. The bill came to the Senate mere
measure of bankruptcy-a bill to create al
annual deficit of SIS, 600, 900 or $50, ,000,00C
in the public treasury | did not understand
tariff reform 10 mean national insolvency
the PARALYSIS of private enterprise, and des
olating money panic throughout the land.
do not so understand it now. The result wa,
that took part in the movement to multiply
| the sources of revenue and to save the coun
try from an otherwise inevitable calamity
Mr.. Cleveland's Secretary of the Treasury
Hon. John G. Carlisle, was formally interro
gated in the premises, and his official reply i
| of record to the effect that an increase of rev
enue was imperatiyely necessary to put th'
| Treasury upon solvent basis. The commit
| tee had this high confirmation of their views
| NAV add also that President Cleveland
although he said some harsh things about tn,
amendment bill at the time of its final passag'
| by Congress, and even permitted it to become
| a law without his signature, had occasion t
modify his estimate afterward. In his las
message to Congress, December 7, 1896, h'
said
81 desire to recur to the statements else
where made concerning the Governments re
ceipts and expenditures for the purpose o
venturing upon some suggestions touching on
present tariff law and It's operation.
'sThis statute took effect on the 28th day o.
| August, 1894. Whatever may be its short
comings as a complete measure of tariff re
| form, it must be conceded that it has opened
the way to freer and greater exchange o
commodities between MS and other countries
and thus furnished wider market for onr pro
duets and manufactures.
~ suppose it will not he denied that under
the present law our people obtain the neces
sares of comfortable existence at cheaper
| rate than formerly. This is a matter o
supre .e importance, since it is the palpable
duty of every Just government to make the
burdens of taxation as light as possible. The
people should not be required TO relinquisl
this privilege of cheaper living except under
the stress of their governments necessity made
plainly manifest.
If, therefore, needed any vindication o.
my course with reference TO the tariff legisla
ton of 1894, | should find it in abundance al
the hands of Mr. Cleveland himself | need
none. however | simply state the facts.
So much for the 'trinity of reforms" My
action in regard to them was dictated by my
best Judgment | have nothing to regret
nothing to excuse.
4 -. Il. hot