The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-11-03
ADDRESS
OF THE
Democratic State
Central Committee
TO THE
PEOPLE OF MARYLAND.
FELLow-CITIZENs /:

met us at the beginning has deepened into
a well-assured confidence of triumph as the
contest draws to close
The popular manifestations of approval
of the work of our Convention in all Sec
tons of the State have left nothing to be
desired.
Our candidates have been received every
where with an enthusiasm never surpassed.
Their acknowledged high character and
thoroughly established qualifications their
experience in public aflairs-their famil-
larlty with the needs and resources of the
State and their recognized intellectual vigor,
supplemented by the inspiring circumstances
under which they were nominated have
given to the campaign spirit and force
seldom witnessed.
Our organization both in the City of
Baltimore and in the counties is complete
The work ofregistration has been conducted
with thor0ughness and care fractional
differences in our ranks have disappeared.
Our local tickets are made up everywhere
VI iilNh VI NlidlttNiCl anu
one of the most gratifying features of the
campaign is the heartiness and good feeling
with which the friends of the defeated cam
didates .Or nomination are supporting the
ticket. Indeed, greater harmony and earn
estness have never been seen, and we feel
that from the reports that come to us, from
one end of the State to the other, of the
spirit and enthusiasm of the Democracy
and the cordial union Of all elements of the
party we can say to you with emphasis
that the day of our political deliverance is
near at hand
Results have abundantly proved the
wisdom, sagacity and patriotism of our
Convention in deciding to conduct this
campaign upon state issues alone.
The introduction into our Platform as tests
of party allegiance OF questions of national
administration and policy vas believed by
the Convention to be as unnecessary as it
was unwise. 1t was felt that in this mo-
mentous struggle for good State government
in Democratic hands upon correct and
sound business principles We were en-
titled TO have and assuredly would receive
the support of the great majority of the
intelligent white men of the State and that
10 obstacles should be put i'll the way of
those who from interest, inclination, former
associations, State pride or any other reason
might be disposed to helpus in re-acquiring
our lost political supremacy III Maryland.
1t was known that our people are divided
at this time en- the question of Imperialism
and the policy of foreign conquest and for
chile annexation" once so vigorously de-
preciated and denounced by President
Mckinley as policy too shocking to be
thought OF, " and which in his special
message to Congress Of April IL, 1s9s, he
solemnly declared would "by our Code Of
Moraiiiy be criminal dggteSSjo0.'
1t was not easy to perceive what influence
could be exeIted by the State government
of Maryland or the local government Of her
counties upon the question of the war now
being waged by President Mckinley against
the PHILIPPINES, and accordingly ii was by
all of us thought most impolitic and by
some of us even unpatriOtic to attempt to
array the Democratic party of the State
against his administration upon subject
whose decision could not be affected in any
degree by the result OF our contest.
1t was apparent, too, that by such Il dec
laratiOn we might lay ourselves and our
party open to the charge which would as
suredly have been vehemently made that
in opposing the prosecution of the war
whilst it was actually going on, we would
be virtually and substantially giving aid
and comfort to the enemy and that thus we
might drive to the side of the Republi-
cans many voters who otherwise would be
glad to side with us.
1t did not occur to our Convention that
the Republicans would be smitten with Il
faulty so extraordinary as to lead them 10
complain of us and attack us because with
patriotic torbearance we did not denounce
the President and his policy and thus seek
to embarrass and weaken his administra-
ton.
Nor did we imagine that our adversaries
in their desperation and alarm over the
"apathy" of their party in this State
would seek to avert their impending disas-
ter by importing into our midst imprisoned
spell-bindels from other States TO tell us of
our political depravity; to prate Of their
monopoly of civic honesty" virtue and
morality and to urge our people to de-
sert us because while we did not commend
tie Presidents constantly changing policy,
we had carefully retrained from assailing it.
Indeed. nothing that has occurred during
the campaign has helped our cause so much
as these gratuitous insults heaped by inn
ported strangers upon our honor, integrity
and patriotism, If we do not resent them
with the warmth which they naturally
arouse, it is because we feel that they have
had no effect but to consolidate our own
ranks more compactly and to bring to our
support multitudes who might otherwise
have been Indifferent, or even hostile to us.
Marylanders are proverbially hospitable,
We receive and entertain strangers gladly
and give them of our best, but il is a sore
trial to our patience and f0rbearance to keep
silent when gentlemen from abroad who do
not know our situation come here and as
sumo, in the loitiness of their superior vir-
tue, to instruct us as to our duty, lecture
us upon our 'immoralities" and indie
cencyn and Tebuke us for our lack of patri-
otism and public spirit.
If we had denounced President McKin-
ley's war and called on our people to mark
their emphatic disapproval Of it, we could
understand the propriety of repelling our
attack, and of depicting the beauties of the
benevolent assimilation Of the Phillip.
nos in all the glowing rhetoric of Secretary
Davis, Senator Thurston and Governor
Roosevelt, but as we had purposely abstained
from making such an issue we can only
treat the injection of it by the enemy as an
effort to divert attention from the real is
sues in order to arouse the dropping spirits
of their rank and file, and, if possible, to
secure some recruits.
So, too, with the money question.
nnV Sto4a oot,Doi,,t, hos ,,ofb,n,, 10 Il,