Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-07-11
A CLARION NOTE.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR THE VOTERS
OF ANNAPOLIS.
READ AND CONSIDER I!


polls viii be called upon to decide
whether they want to continue under
Republican rule or whether they prefer
TO enirust the government of the city 10
representatives of the Democratic party.
In the result Of this election almost every
Annapolitan is vitality interested al
though, there is undoubtedly, a consid-
cradle number among a certain element
OF the population 10 whom the outcome
is matter of entire Indifference, except
in so tar as their personal gain is con-
cerned. But to those who have the
city's interest at heart Mondays election
is important.
The controlling questions in munici al
elections in Annapolis should be-whioh
party contains a majority of those citi-
zens who represent the best interests of
the city in every way and who contribute
most to the support OF its government
If this question can be decided beyond
any doubt, then the candidates of the
party in whose favor the decision is made
have right 10 expect the suffrage OF
every loyal citizen. Ii is not so much a
ques ION in local elections as to whether
a nominee is Republican or Demo-
crat as il is as TO whether or not he repre-
sents the better element of the commun-
ity in which we live that is, that element
composed of the great majority of the
taxpayers and the business interests of
the city.
For ii mast be remembered that
hos0evey exemplary a candidate may
be personally, a0hen he is chosen 10 an
office he becomes tie mere agenf of
those z0ho elected him and is debend-
enf entirely upon them for s0hake0er
boVer he has. Al APPOINTMENTS
mast be made from amongst his con-
sfituency and the dife, e'a parts Of
his Payty'S Political machinery must
be taken from the same source.
Applying these general statements,
which are automatic, to the particular
situation that confronts US. we find that
the Democratic party in Annapolis con-
tains beyond the slightest doubt vast
majority of what are known as 'repre-
sentative" citizens. The substantial in-
terests of the city are very largely in the
hands of the Democrats and it is also a
well known fact that they bear the great
burden of the taxes.
To more viyidly conceive what the
nominees of the respective parties in An
napolis stand for, and the character of
their constituency, imagine all the Re-
publican voters in the city assembled on
one side of the interior of a great build :
,,,r ,.,h,Ia ~, tha otha. e;Ia e,.,~r-. -.
gregated the Democratic voters Then
let the doubtful voter gaze on the spec
tacle. The forcible contrast that would
be presented could not but have the ef-
feet of converting to the ranks of Demo.
cracy every self-respecting white citizen.
Not that in the Democratic fold there
would be found no black sheep. 6gur
atively speaking, but because the general
superiority would be so marked as to
eradicate strict party lines a'd make
every white man proud to affiliate with
what would be SO unmistakably shown
to be the better element of the commun-
ity.
1t, of course, cannot be denied that
Annapolis is essentially a white man S
city and that practically all of the city S
interests are centred in the white Citizens.
There is hardly white man, Republican
as well as Democrat, who wouldn't in
dignantly resent an Insinuation that the
contrary is the case. 1t would follow
logically from this, that whatever a de-
cisive majority of the white citizens vote
for, should be adopted as an expression
of the city will. But to show that the
i <.f fha rI.al. ~
white citizens was thwarted in 1901. when
the present Office holders were elected, il
is but necessary to turn TO actual regis
tration figures. There are 2I26 voters
in Annapolis. OF this number 8oS are
negroes. The Republican majority for
Mayor two years ago was Io votes; for
Counsellor, 8. Without the negro votes
the Republicans would have been in a
ridiculous minority. And so it is in
every city election in which the Demo
Gratis are defeated. The will of a pre-.
ponderaiing majority of representative
white citizens is forced to succumb to
the ignorant expression of portion oi
the population which represents nothing
augmented by the slim minority of
whites.
But, supposing, as was not actually
the case, that the present Office holders
were elected by majority of the intelli-
gent voters of the city is there anything
IN their administration to justify then
party being continued in power5 When
| they went into Office they found the at
fairs Of the city in a prosperous condition
having been made SO by rs years Of
Democratic rule after 10 years previou:
of Republican control during which the
city was made almost bankrupt and ir
other respects had its interests sadly ne
elected All the Improvements tha
have made Annapolis one Of the pretties
cities in the country were inaugurateC
under the Democratic regime The Ac
of the Legislature Of 1893, enabling ths
city officials TO have our streets SO excel
lently paved. was passed through thu
efforts of local Democrats. The city :
finances were left in prosperous condi
ton and every department showed tina
the Democratic officials had faithfully
executed their trust These are state
ments of fact and not mere partisan
arguments.
This was the condition of affairs th'
Republicans found when they took con
troll. Was the task they took Difficult
one How have they performed it ant
what have been the results Of their re
gime!
/ Not a single nublic Improvement in