Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-04-29
HopsoN's POSITION.

Hon. Thomas $. Hodson one
of the most prominent Repub-
licans i'm the State, who is we'll
known here, has declared his
intention To vote the DcmoCra-
tic majority ticket i'm Baltimore
next week. In giving his rea-
son for this change of politics
Col. Hodson. who is known To
be a man of great influence,
says:
have been a Republican
from the birth of that party. |
have never in my life voted
any other ticket. In Somerset
county, where lived prior To
taking up my residence in Bal
timore. | was the head of that
party. | sacrificed valuable
friendships, time and money to
be a Republican. Had been
untrue 10 my real sentiments
and become a Democrat il
would have been worth 10 rae "A
great deal of money and inilu-
ence, and there is no honor, as
l am pursuaded To believe. of u
political nature, to which |
could have aspired that the
Democratic party of the East
ern Shore, at least. would not,
il il could, have bestowed upon
me.
He then reviews his exper-
fence with Baltimore Repubh-
cans and continues ms follows /:
The truth is the Republican
party is run stern foremost. Its
corrupt elements are evidently
at the front. They are in charge.
The Objectionable elements,
openly run the party for the
benefit of other people who
keep in the background, who
are not wise. but are more of
knave than fool.
Ignorance and impudence are
the present passports to favor
and Office in our Republican
city government. He who pos
sesses one of these in great
measure and more especially he
who possesses both in great de-
grees may aspire to anything
Third and fourth-class men are
regularly put in first-class
places by this model admins
tration. | have been astonish-
ed beyond measure at the aspir-
alton of the men who are thus
gifted with these TWO qualifica-
tions. Men whose requirements
and reputation would about en-
title them TO be clerk TO IA swill
cart. where no money was to
be handled, actually aspire to
run for Congress, and SO on in
proportion. Where is this to
end! Is any old thing good
enough for any. office: Ii an
idiot did not have too much
sense fortunately to aspire SO
high, we would doubtless have
from these ranks a Republican
aspirant in Maryland for the
next nomination for the Presi.
dency of the United States.
Il am more a Republican to-
day than ever. but when ] see
men, mostly without brains or
character, without a single true
aspiration for the public wei
fare, who believe that a man
who objects TO making all the
money possible out of the
city politics in every possible
way, both for themselves and
their friends, is a fool or a med
theorist: when | see such men
by a series of crimes capture
the organization of the party
and make all the nominations
from men of their own kind
preventing the exercise of any
real choice by the rank and file
of the party, then | do not need
TO be told what is the duty of
myself and of every self-re-
speeding Republican in the city.
The existence of these men is a
greater calamity to the city
than "war, pestilence and fam
inc" They are the enemies of
all mankind, and men cannot
breathly freely nor rest while
these conspirators are known
to be abroad, bent on their evil
work. For the good OF the
party and the people they must
be retired.
THE good government con