The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-09-22

out increased taxation for State pur-
poses. On the contrary, by economy
in other expenditures, n reduction in
the interest on the public debt, and
careful outstanding of the investments
of the State, taxes can be reduced.H
On the rights of capital and labor
to organize for their protection he
said that legislation that would re-
tard progress in the development of
enterprises or unduly restrict the
rights of our fellow citizens to ad-
vance their own interests, would not
meet with his approval.
With regard to the farming CON-
munity he spoke as follows:
1.-THE agricultural interests of the
State is the foundation stone OF our
prosperity, and should be relieved SO
far as can be of its onerouS burdens.
To this end an in favor of Al better
road system throughout the State;
the strictest economy in the eXpendi-
ture of the States money, enabling
us to decrease the tax rate, and any
and all other proper legislation that
has tendency to lift the burdens and
improve their condition"
Col. Smith concluded his speech as
follows:
'As l said in the beginning, l re-
peat, that the questions at issue III
this election have nothing whatever
to do with the National problems,
which in another year you will be
called upon to consider.
Three fourths of the taxpayers of
the State, and a very large share of
the intelligence and character of our
people, are to be found in the ranks
of the party which we represent today.
Shall il be said that they have supine-
ly reiipquished their hold upon the
control and power which are rightful-
ly theirs, and handed over their best
interests to party, the very founda-
ton of whose power, and a very large
portion of whose constituents are
antagonistic not only to the material
interests of our people, but to the
peace and security of their social life.
Thanking you, gentlemen, for the
courtesy with which you have dis
charged the duty imposed upon you
by the convention, l now leave the
final settlement of ali these questions
to the individual voter, who alone
must determine what is best for the
State of Maryland and the people
within her borders"
Hon. Isidor Rayner, the Democratic
candidate for Attorney General, read
his letter of acceptance. He declared
that he had not been an aspirant for
the nomination which had been tend
cred him, and the campaign would be
one in which personal abuse and I'M
justifable attacks upon our opponents
will find no place. He was not suffi
cient of partisan, he said, to approve
of everything that is wrong in his
own party and condemn everything
that is right upon the side of his OPP
ponents. He was willing, he declared,
to give credit to every Republican
officisl who has honestly and faith
fully administered his office, adding:
1.-The question before the people is
not, however, confined to individual
cases, because it is to be supposed
that the Governor of State, or any
other high official, will honorably full
fill the duties of his place; he is
selected for that purpose; every Dem
ocratic Governor in the State has done
SO, and it is a superficial view of the
situation to expect the people of Mary
land to keep the Republican party in
power simply because some of its lead
ing representatives In office have cred
itably administered their functions in
accordance with constitutional and
statutory requirements. We invite
the people to the survey of q broader
field. We expect to show them, with
great Difference to the leaders of the
Republican party and the individuals
who compose it, that the party itself
is unfit for continued ascepdancy in
our midst, and that it would be a
positive injury to every county and a
detrment to the highest interests of
Maryland that its rule should be
further prolonged. This is the ground
upon which we stand, and upon which
we shall challenge discussion"
He arraigned Republican admins
tration of our affairs in the following
scathing words:
SIT is question of good government,
of law and order and of the obnoxious
influence that the Republican party
has welded against the welfare of our
best citizenship in every section of the
State in which it has gained foot
hold. In the counties the situation
is deplorable. The people of Balti-
more have no idea of the degrading
influences to which the counties have
been subjected under Republican
y =.
large measure been filled by persons
utterly unqualified intelligently to
conduct them, and this is largely due
to the fact that the Republican party
has been unable to find adequate ma
terial in it's own ranks from which
proper selections could be made.
Four years more of Republican rule
would mean an era of lawlessness and
of crime absolutely disastrous to the
interests of the State. We are pre-
cisely in the same political situa-
ton of every other Southern State
our business interests, our commercial
standing and the welfare of our peo-
pie demanding that law and order
shall resume their wonted sway, and
that we shall no longer be dominated
by political elements who have not the
slightest concern in our progress and
advancement and who in a large por-
ton of the State are led by adven-
turers who do not even reside among
the people whom they pillage and OPP
press.
Mr.. Rayner boldly declared that
the legislative career of the Republi-
can party, with some rare exceptions,
has been ''confessedly corrupt" that
Legislation has been marketed, and
that the scenes enacted at the capitol
in the presence and with the partici-
patton of the Speakers of both houses
of the General Assembly, have been
as revolving as any that ever disgraced
the annals of legislative body" and
promised that the fullest light
should be reflected on this subject.
He continued:
1.-THE Republican platform has been
framed with the evident design of
evading the actual issues before the
people, Of copcealing the truth from
view and from presenting feigned is
sues that have no bearing or relevancy
upon the grave problem that con-
fronts US. The subject of President
McKinley's Administration and of his
foreign policy is one that is of no i'm
portance in this campaign, but will
be discussed at the proper time; what
we are concerned with now is the
local government of Maryland, and
its rescue from the degradation and
disgrace of a political environment
that is retarding the progress of Bal
timore and causing reign of terror in
almost every Republican county of
the State"