The Washington weekly post., 1899-11-08
Maryland Returns to the Fold.

The return OF Maryland to the Demo
cratic fOl1 was not wholly unexpected
Those who have watched events in that
Stale since Magwumpery and party
ireachery. acting in combination. delivered
the Democracy into the hands OF the
enemy were quite prepared TO hear that
the recalcitrants. disgusted with their ex-
perience OF the Past three or four years
had abandoned The false leadership which
led theDl-asiray and resumed their life
long ~ Temporarily interrupted political
relations. Impartial observers OF Maryland
affairs have failed 10 perceive any public
advantage as Tie result OF Republican
ascendancy. Notwithstanding all the Bit
ter anti-Gorrnan talk of two or three
years ago, and the vivid and alluring
promises OF the millennium tc follow his
DOWNFALL The intelligent voters OF the
State have failei TO realize upon those
halcyon predictions and have naturally
asked themselves why they should main
tain an alliance at once illogical and
fruitless~The siIrple fact about Maryland
is that II is really a Democratic State
and that the Democratic party, under
anything like nCImsl conditions, is sure
OF domination. The conditions have not
been normal since lsS5.-Ths intrigues Of
Cleveland againS- German, together with
the besotted credClity of Cleveland's adu-
lators in Maryland, achieved the defeat
OF the party wluCh had rescued Cleveland
from obscurity But the Maryland Democ-
racy have mad their lesson. They have re-
allied the futilily of their dereliction and
have become Democrats once more.
OF course, the persecution of Admiral
Schley by the Navy Department has cut
a more or less important figure in this
result 1t is only natural, considering the
profound Resentment and disgust Of the
people az Large, that Maryland, Schley's
native State, should take special notice of
the scandal, The President was warned on
this point months ago, and those who
warned him Wer, in a position TO know
whereof they spoke. We can believe with
our any effort whatsoever that a very
cQns;dera BILE Republican element has been
arena ted -oy this ciscreditable and -odious
~
past twelve months as disgrace TO the
administration, and We are not surprised
TO find il regarded in the same light in
Maryland.
The determining cause of this result,
however, Is really the failure Of the Re-
publican party. after two or three years
Of unhampered control, to convince the
thoughtful voters Of the State that any
legitimate public interest is likely to be
promoted by prolongation OF the exist
ing arrangement. Democrats who have
voted the Republican ticket in the hope
of curing imagined or alleged evils have
concluded that their apostasy has not
been justified. They can see no substan-
tial benefit to themselves or TO the State
at large as result of Republican rule,
and, very naturally, they have returned
10 the party OF their real preference. This
result was TO nave been expected. The
alignments of 1896 and 1897 were essentially
grotesque They were the product of a
false and treacherous equation. No good
mas come OF them-or could have come of
them-and. logically. they have been repu-
dated. Maryland is again in her proper
and legitimate sttitude-we say legiti-
mate, because her Republicanism has al
ways been an unreal thing, not the fruit
of an honest revolution, but the conse-
quence of a dishonest and odious con-
spiracy.