The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-10-25
Letter from Baltimore.

BALTIMORE, Md. October %, 1907.
All the efforts of the Republicans now seem
to be directed toward saving as many of
their local tickets possible, especially the
legislative candidates. Even in the Western
MARYLAND counties where their strength is
greatest, the average Republican politician
is working overtime for the legislative tickets.
and practically Ignoring the State candidates
and the other nominees.
There have been instances i'll history OF
Maryland politics where d very few votes.
carefully distributed, changed the result OF
the election. This was the case i'll 1897. when
the issue was the return of the late Senator
German to the United States Senate. The
Republicans, who were then in control Of the
State government, won, and Mr.. German was
defeated. while change of forty votes would
have resulted in his victory, this too IN the
face of Republican popular majority well
up in thousands Several counties were car
rled by the Republicans by majorities ranging
from three to seven, and total of forty votes,
properly distributed would have given the
victory TO the Democrats and Mr.. German
would have been reelected and Mr.. Nc ComaS
would never have represented Maryland III
the upper house at Washington. A few votes
often change matters, and governor OF
Massachusetts was once elected by majority
of one. while it very frequently happens that
men are chosen to important positions by
small. very small margins. In close and
hard fought contests every vote counts, ana
every vote should be carefully looked after.
The hullaballoo Kicked up over the anti brio'
cry question is becoming ludicrous. Both sides
seem afraid to trust each other, and both
sides view the proposition with Suspicion.
Democratic leaders, many OF them openly
assert that the Republican leaders are not to
bo tr,s,ol op1 that tbaIr p1pdues worth
less. The chances are therefore, that not
withstanding all the fuss, and all the solemn
palavering and promising the workers OF both
parties will use all the money they can get.
The Democrats have everything to gain and
nothing to lose by a stringent abstinence from
the use of money for votebuying, II the he
publcans could be trusted to keep their
agreements. Without money, the Repubh
cans would lose about one third OF the negro
vote, for it is a notorious fact that large pro
portion of the negroes will not vote even the
Republican ticket unless they are PAID Tor 1t.
A colored man of some intelligence defend
ed his race for its course in demanding money
for its votes, even from its own party, by
asserting that it was all the negroes ever got
out of politics, and that if his party used
money he did not see why the colored people
should not get some of it. Without the use
of money on election day, the Republican
vote in Maryland would fall off at least twenty
thousand. probably more, Until they began
to use money for vote buying the Republicans
were in hopeless minority on Election day.
Since they began its use they have had some
chance, and it is absurd to believe that they
will give it up. The belief is general that
they are only trying TO deceive the Democrats
and hoping to catch them unawares, and as
much money will be used on election day tins
year as the workers of both parties can gel
hold Other expenditures will only be limit
ed by what they may have, and both sides
will raise as much as they possibly can.
The political millennium has not come, the
African has not changed his skin, the niger
is still in the political woodpile. The Repub-
lican politicians are only four flushing, as
they have so often tried to do before. They
will use all the money they can get no matter
what pledges they make. They are only trying
one of the old tricks of their trade. The Re-
publican party has always claimed TO De the
party of great moral ideas, and it is trying to
make people believe that it is living up to this
old claim. AS the party OF great moral
IDEAS, it has looted ballot boxes, distran.
chised white voters, stolen the presidency of
the United States, bathed the country in
blood. and gone 10 the limit of political i'm
morality. It has bought whole States in
National elections, and now a lot of small fry,
second rate county Republican politicians
rise up and oppose bribery III elections, and
want their opponents. to take them seriously
and believe what they say. The whole stu.
alton is absurd. and is so looked upon by
every sensible man.