The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-11-18
Same Old Excuse.

Annually the Sentinel charges Republican
defeats to use of money by Democrats. The
Waterloo of last week is aseribed to the use
of money And for the first time the Sentinel
admits that the Republicans also used money,
but of course the Democrats had the larger
amount Here is what the Sentinel said upon
the subject last Saturday
There is one thing. however, that cannot be
brought too prominently to the attention OF the
people and that is the fact that money was freely
used IN efforts TO corrupt voters While the Sentl-
mel cannot acquit some members OF Its own party
of the guilt OF this most vicious and reprehensible
practice it is convinced that it was much more
freely pursued by the opposition fragrant cases
of bribery are matters of common report. A rePu-
table white man who votes IN Westminster ulstIlct
stated, voluntarily, to the editor OF the senuneI
that he had been offered five dollars TO vote the
Democratic ticket, hut, being stauneh Republican,
had spurned the bride 1t is crediby reported that
certain colord men, who refralned from Votlhgt
were induced to do so by the potent influence OF
Democratic money
The treasurers of the Democratic and Re
publican committees have the best informa-
ton on the size of the campaign fund, and If
the Sentinel will interview them it will learn,
perhaps, that one committee had about 81. 80
and the other SLIGO, and surely this difference
could not warrant the Scntinelin charging that
one party is more guilty Of the "reprehensi-
Bile practice" of corrupting voters than the
other
The Sentinel says, in the extract quoted,
that it cannot acquit some members OF its
own party of using money to corrupt voters
In other words it has personal knowledge that
some Republicans did use money to corrupt
voters. That being true, in the interest of
honest elections it should expose them. And
as the grand jury is in session, why not lay
the information it possesses before that body
so that the guilty may be punished. If the
Sentinel is sincere in its Characterization OF
the use of money to corrupt voters as repre-
hensible, ? and has the knowledge that some
of its own party are guilty, 1t is in duty bound
in the interest of pure and fair elections, IN
The interest of manhood, to use It's best en-
deavors to correct the evil of bribery at cleo
tons by having those Republicans It knows
were engaged in it punished.
But after all was not the Sentinel ''only
talking ~ 1t felt called upon 10 explain
deserved defeat Of its party, aad not wanting
to state some facts it believed, hit upon the
bribery dodge If the Republicans had been
successful in the state and in Carroll does
anyone believe that the Sentinel would have
uttered word about the use of money! OF
course not. No matter how much the result
had been affected by the bribery Of voters
that journal would have passed over the fact
and ascribed it to the splendid record made
by the Republicans in the last four years.
As ond reason for Republican defeat in
Carroll does noe the Sentinel believe that il
was poor leadership aud party management
by Sharrer, Schaeffer and LAWYER. The Sen
tiaet is credited with this belief, and if it holds
to it, it ought to have frankly stated il in order
that better management be secured in the
future, aud not use the stale excuse Of bribery
of voters.
The Sentinel in another part Of the article
did hina at bad leadership aud management
in the remark Of "a prominent and we'll
known CITIZEN which il quoted and en-
dorsed, that dropping old aud true friends
of the party and striving to gain new ones,
had much to do with Tuesday reverse
This is supposed to refer to the nominations
for Chief Judge and States Attorney, as one
of the nominees claimed 10 be Democrat
and the other had but recently allied himself
with the party, and the Scatinsi evidently
means that the nominations we're not good IN
a party sense, and that il was bad leadership
to have made them. Still, the Sentinel should
be more explicit. Reform 10 party manage
ment cannot be effected by limiting at incom-
potency. The meaning is too obscure for the
rank and fle Of the party TO grasp il and
change leadership. IF the leadership Is bad,
Republican voters should be plainly inloriaed |
of it. II is a duty the party organ owes TO
the party If Sharrer, SehaelfeF aud Lawyer
are incompetent and the party needs a chair |
man Of the County Central Committee Of the
skill and ability Of the Democratic chairman,
say SO. Don't get of that stale joke any
more that the Democrats used more money
than the Republicans.