Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-08-19
Mckinley KEDryAIrse A BACKWARD
STEP.


published by authority OF the Maryland
Democratic EdltJ.s AssOciat:on.J
The Republican party won the battle
OF 1895 in Maryland upon lis promises.
Ii must fight the bate OF 1897 upon
its performances. Now l. has a record
IN this State; then il had none
Two years have wrought a vast
change in the situation. When their
personally respectable candidate for
governor went through the State pro-
claiming the gospel OF reform, many
voters believed him aud voted Iof him,
but the sequel has taught the peope at
large what the experienced already
knew, that the cry OF reform" IS al
ways to be taken with suspicion, for ne
hind it usually Turk selfish ambitions
and sinister purposes. 1t i an e-Sy
matter to preach reform, when a patty
has no recent record TO be anaiy[ed,
but il is not so easy TO carry out what is
promised. The performances OF the Re-
publican party during its brief lease OF
power have not merely been d:sappoint-
:ng-they have been characterized by
deception, inconsistenc- hypocrisy and
false pretense.
In no particular docs this criticism
more justly apply than in reference 10
the attitude OF the party on the subject
of civil service reform If the voters OF
Maryland will recall the campaign OF
1895, they will remember how Lowndes,
i'll his schoolboy speeches, prated inces-
sanity of applying the merit system to
State, cCurty and municip-l Offices, and
with what indignation he scorned the
idea that ptblic patronage should be
used for any but public purposes. This
idea, with stale and meaningless plati-
tudes on the subject OF good govern
ment," without once pausing TO show
specifically wherein the State OF Mary
land, under Democratic rule. had been
the victim of bad government, constitut-
ed the burden of the arguments upon
which he sought the suffragcs of his fell
low citizens. While the rejecting vot-
ers, free from bias and prejudice, were
not caught by the deceptive words, yet
sufficient number OF mistaken, but
now repentant, Democrats left their
party to give the great reforner OF Allie
ghany county the opportunity to fulfill
in his administratio what he had so
glibly professed with his lips. The rec
ord is before us, and it can be briefly
analysed from evidence furnished by
both Executive and legislative acts.
The sixth plank of the Cambridge
platform declares: "All public offices
exist Tor the good of the Jeopl. only"
and yet Gov. Lowndes had barely been
inaugurated into his high Office before
ne contradlcted this platform principle
by using the public patronage 10 pro
mote the ambitions OF ms political part
ner, George L. Wellington. This pros
htution of the honors and emoluments
under his control, combined with what
one b. II. Warner, OF Washington. sug-
geSts as a corrupt bargain with Sydney
L. Mudd, then speaker OF the house OF
delegates, was successful in accomplish
ing the Senatorial ambitions OF Mr.
Wellington, who, in his shor service
mas more than once caused the pconIc
oil Maryland To blush for shame that
they should be represented in the high
est legislative body OF the land by such
a parvenu and egotist.
Nor is this the Only evidence of Gov
Lownoes hypocrisy in exempiiicaiion
oil ms Unprecedented theory that ALI
puOic oihceS exist for the good OF the
people only. Another and a more re-
cent Illustration has been given in lis
manipulation OF the patronage attached
10 one OF the State tobacco warehouses
,Dy dispiacing Inspector James |. Nav
lot lriend oil Congressman Judd. and
substituting one OF his own minions in
the person of Gather Wi,;I.
alleged irregularities i'm the MANAGE
Hent oil the warehouse and desire 10
give me state better service were the
causes assigned Tor the sudden chance
the penetrating public readily perceived
in fhn 81.
OF Congressman Mudd and His Exc,I-
iency Tor seat in the United state
Senate. When it is remembered tba,
only a few months before the governor
against the protest of the Leaf Tobacco
Association OF Baltimore. KNOWING ,I,,,
the requirements OF the tobacco tradr
were fully met by the three inspectors
tnen IN Office, created 4 sinccure in The
form OF fourth inspector. This la..lv
progressed desire for retrenchiacrt aud
economy will deceive nobody. and IN,
pubiic generally will regard the disr.is
Sai oil Mr.: Nayior as plan to manipu-
late the State patronage To further his
own Senatorial aspirations.
Bue eclipsing these evidences of nv
poerlsy. IN which The Obligations of pcr-
sonal friendship and the impulses al
personal ambition may be pleaded in
extenuation, was the passage through
the legislature OF 90 of a farcical hiiI
submitting the question of civil service
to vote OF the people at the esec;icT:
next November.
Not many weeks ago at a meeting al
the Republican League of BUSINESS
Men, IN Baltimore, il was declared IN
a manifesto to the people that TIC Re
publican party had fulfilled all the
pledges made in their platform az tSc5
and one OF these promises was that II
would submit civil service act To the
people at the polls" II is true that the
Republican party has omitted a civil
service act TO the vote OF the peoplc. in
the nature OF proposed amendment &c
the constitution, but it is equally trnt
that the proposed amendment is utteri,
worthless as a reform measure. ard
even II favorably voted upon wsu:d L.
absolutely nugatory in appisinr- ;ils
merit system 10 appointments 10 poll;
zeal Offices. Ii is not worth the cx
pense OF publishing the governor
proclamation in regard TO the election
and the passage of the bill through the
legislature IS tainted with tricscrv 2,,v.
one who viii take the trou,sie TO refer 10
the journal OF the house OF delera:ee
and follow the civil service act in IL
tortuous course viii be strtscs with the
fact that Shat body was striving dcs-
perately TO End some way how not TO
do Il" Confronted with the plain de-