The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-09-30
sidney Mudd and the Reform League

A Baltimore paper interviewed the Hon.
Sydney Mudd as to the proprlety OF the he
rublicans nominating candidate against
Judge Harland, in Baltimore. 1t was work
of supererogation. Of course the Southern
MARYLAND Statesman is in favor ofa non parli'
san Kindergarten the Republicans have no
hone of eleeting Republican. If his home
county of Charles we're Democratic by safe
majority. he would favor non partisan coun-
ty government He would be willing to let
the Democrats have sixty per cent. OF the
offices and be content TO accept forty per cent
1t was with becoming modes,y that the
Honorable Sydney hesitated TO speak upon
the question Of the judiciary of Baltimore. In
fact. he does not like to take part in politics
outside Of his congressional district. There
he is compelled to do so. The people force
him into Congress. and once forced HIN 70
take seat in the House OF Representatives to
which he was not elected.
The Honorable Sidney last week, forced by
that irresistible longing for purity and fairness
among his dusky constituents, laid before that
body of Political Purists, the Reform League,
allegations that the Democratic election 50
pervisors Of Charles county hoeked together,
Just as the Republican supervisors did in Car
roll, and the minority member was not much
consulted. The Reform League, of course,
was shocked beyond measure. 1t IS eonin-
uaIly being shocked by something Democrats
do-the Republicans only are pare and vir-
tnous in politics The League laid the matter
before Gov. Warheld and the Governor IN
turn laid il before the Auorney.General- The
latter did not think the matter worthy OF Sc
rious attention, because the occurrences com.
planned Of happened before the election Of
1904, and because the minority member had
rights he could have exercised had he 50
chosen. The Governor accepted the Atior-
ney- Generals view OF the matter and wrote
to the Reform League. The League again
waxed wroth and wrote TO the Governor
letter more impudent than sensible. Nothing
short Of the hangman's moose Tor the Demo
cratic supervisors of Charles county, or i'm
prisonment for life, would suit the League.
The wave of purity ia the Honorable sgd
ney's district is of recent origin. II does not
date back to the census frauds Of 1900, when
the returns Of the population from the Hon
orable Sydney's own county was padded 70
such an extent that public attention WAS ar
reused And then in ST. Mary's county people
from Washington City who went TO Leonard
town 10 attend funeral we're listed as resi-
,-.-.. ,..,. -, tkss rafftr5,s ssnu5ai
from tombstones in the cemetery. Names Of
persons we're listed who had left the county
ten years previous. Down in Anne Arundel
berry pickers from Baltimore and Philadelphia
were put on the census returns. just suppose
the Honorable Sydney had known these frauds
were going to be perPelraied! What burst
Of indignation would have come from his
virtuous soul How be would have fastened
to the Reform League with the awful story Of
intended fraud in the census returns, aud how
that League would have protested to the Cea-
sus Bureau at Washington 1t would not
have concerned the Honorable Sydney that,
as the enforced leader of the vlr;uous, pure
and intelligent negroes Of the Fifth Congress.
sional District, that his power in the Legs
Iature and State Conventions would have
been increased That would have not re-
strained him from a vigorous protest against
the Justification of the census That de-
testabie John c. Rose, United States Dis
trict Attorney, who successfully prosecuted
some of the good citizens Of the Fifth Con
gressional District for perpetrating the frauds,
had the impudence to allude to the Honora
BILE sydney during the trials. He actually
intimated that Sydney might have had some
knowledge Of the frauds. Such conduct
upon the part of the District Attorney was
reprehensible in the extreme. 1t is wonder
the Honorable Sydney did not protest or bring
a suit for SANDER His inaction can only be
accounted for BY his disinchnation for noto-
riety.
Attorney General Bryan intimated that the
handspring of the Honorable Sydney action
in the case of the Democratic supervisors OF
election in Charles county was partisan. If
the Attorney General had had any eoucep-
ton of the transcendant purity of the Southern
MARYLAND Statesman, he would not have made
any such insinuation The Attorney General
is SO Yirtuous he cannot support the suffrage
amendment still If he would take telescope
and mount Washington Monument he could
not see the height of the Honorable Sydney's
lofty character and political virtue.