The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-10-30
CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGW.

sentiments.
CLOSE OF THE CA5NPAIGN.
The campaign is now rapidly draw
ing to close and both parties have
completed all the necessary details. |
Everything is now in readiness for
the election, which will take place
next Tuesday. The canvass has not
been without incident, but so far as
Hartford county is concerned, with
some few exceptions, both democrats
and republicans have contented them
selves with only holding few large
meetings. Every endeavor, however,
has been made to try to make the
voters realize the important duty
that is lodged in their hands by the
Constitution of the State, as this
falls election is perhaps one Of the
most important that has been held
since the adoption ofthe Constitution
in 1867. The state canvass has at
tracted the attention of the people of
the United States, and Maryland has
been given undue prominence, large
ly from the fact that national issues
have been injected into the campaign
by the efforts of President Roose-
welt. Each party has now done the
best that it could and the final de-
cision rests with the voters.
From the time that the two tickets
were placed in the field, The Kgis
has endeavored, in a consistent
manner, to aid the democratic cause
and has urged the support of the
ticket from top to bottom. Wehave
endeavored to meet each question as
it has come up, and this is our last
appeal. In a sovereign state every
Individual should concede to his
fellow man the right of free thought
and free action, wherever our state
or national institutions are concern
ed. The safety of our government
lies in this wise cocession, and no
one should attempt to bring about
influences that will force any voter
to swerve from what he considers the
path Of duty.
According to the returns from Har-
ford for the past number of years,
this county is normally democratic
by from four to five hundred plurality.
The registration this fall has been
favorable to the democrats, and these
figures should receive material in
crease. The only point that we have
attempted to make, from the begin
ming of the campaign, is that the
members of our party should be
loyal to their ticket, for if our full
vote is polled, the county is safely
democratic beyond question. Wedo
not ask republican aid or republican
votes. Our cause is a righteous and
just one, and, as previous election re-
turns have shown we have the ma
jority of the people with us, all we
ask at the election next Tuesday is
that every democrat will vote his
sentiments as he has done in previous
years.
The head of the republican ticket,
Mr.. S. A. Williams, is a resident of
our countyseat and is well-known to
almost every voter in the coun-
ty. He has made vigorous CAM
paign, and done all in his power to
induce the voters to cast their ballots
not only for him but the straight re-
publican ticket No action of his can
be construed as indicating any line of
independence, therefore should he be
elected it would be distinct republi.
can triumph, and one that can be
explained in no other manner than
that this state desires no longer to
be ranked as democratic, but that a
majority OF it's voters have decided
to espouse the republican cause. A
ballot cast for Mr.. Williams means
an endorsement of partisanship of
the strictest order. There have been
cases when an independent might
with some propriety ask the support
of the democrats, but in this case the
leader of the ticket has taken no such
stand. By his actions, he has driven
all thought of personality from the
gubernatorial campaign and in its
place has injected republicanism of
the most pronounced sort. A vote
cast for him cannot be construed in
any other manner except as indicat-
ing a change of heart in the individ-
ual. We are informed that there are
some few democrats who feel that
they would like to personally COM
pliment Mr.. Williams. If they will
but stop and consider, it would soon
be apparent that what they regard
as personal vote is simply an en-
enlargement of Theodore Roosevelt,
the present incumbent of the White
House, who seeks reelection next
year. Those democrats will be just
as consistent should they cast their
next ballot for the republican nomi-
nee direct.
The change of front which is par
ticularly noticeable in this county
has largely been brought about by
the injection of Rooseveltism, if the