The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-02-14
To the Hon. John Walter Smith, Governor
of Maryland.

of Maryland.
baltimore Morning Herald.
You stand at the parting of the
ways. The next few days will be the
most momentous in your life. You
must either call an extra session of
the legislature or you must refuse to
do it. If you call it you will take
your place with the Goebels of Amer
lean politics. From one end of this
country to the other you will be class
ed with those who have for partisan
or personal gain sought to take from
the people their most precious pre-
rogatiye. What does it mean to any
man to be numbered in such com
pany? If you do not know recall the
fate of Judge Maynard, of New York.
He had been man of excellent char
acter, and up to the time of the com
mission of the act which ruined him
he had borne a stainless reputation.
Like you, he was pressed by his polit-
ical friends and associates to do that
which he did. They gave him, as
your advisers are giving you, specious
reasons why it was right for him, I'M
der the circumstances, to do what
they wanted him to do. They told
him that the people of the State of
New York had for years been giving
at every election a large Democratic
inrifxr TNhn fai, OF
portionment of the state allowed the
Republican minority to continue in
control of its government, and to de-
ny to the people that new census and
new appo"tionment to which, by the
constitutior they We're entitled. 1t
was pressei upon him that it was in
his power TO remedy all these wrongs,
and by the commission of what they
represented to be at most technical
offense to secure his party's rights.
He yielded. For the moment his
action passed with not a great deal of
comment, and among his party as
sociates with almost total absence
VI NiltlSioihs CT WITCH VIC 81 CA
citment was over and the people had
time to think soberly Maynard was a
doomed man. From that day until
now his name has been a kissing and
a reproach. Moreover, not only was
he ruined, but his party utterly fail
ed to obtain any of those results for
which he had sacrificed name and
fame.
To call and control constitutional
convention was the great object
which he and his party associates had
in mind. That convention was call
ed. AT the same election at which its
members were chosen he and his par
ty's candidate for Judge of the Court
of Appeals of his state. The 100000
majority by which the people con-
demned his assault upon the sanctity
of their electoral rights carried down
with it his party's candidates for that
convention, and its last state was
worse than it's first.
Is there not lesson here for you,
Governor Smith? Trust not the tempt
ers around you. 1t matters not what
alluring prizes they hold before you.
Whatever may be the result of
special session, if it be called, or what
laws it may enact, one thing is sure
the Governor who is responsible for
such a session held for such purpose
will be thereafter marked man. The
very men who are now urging him to
take so great a responsibility will be
the very men who will refuse the
qualification of any political ambi-
tions he may have, because they will
say and say truly, that his identified
tio-l with the call for this session will
MAKE him too heavy load for his or
any other party to carry.
Governor, do not deceive yourself.
Sometimes, it is true, the bold and