The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-03-20
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 20. 1908.
A CAMPAIGN OF ASSUMPTION.

an unfriendly newspaper may ha-
rass and hamper a public official,
one whose election it unsuccessfully
opposed and whose administration
it therefore desires to obstruct and
cripple. One way is to assume
that the aforesaid official will COM
NIT some outrageous act, and, with
this false and unwarranted assump-
ton as basis, proceed to roast
him editorialy day after day, and
to back this up with interviews
from prominent men who, natural
ly enough, do not hesitate to de-
nounce the action which it has been
assumed will be taken. The public
mind is thus infamed against the
official, and he is condemned by the
hasty and the thoughtless before he
has an opportunity to act When
action has been taken, and it proves
to be such as to call for the COM
mendation of all reasonable men,
the newspaper and its too-wiling
allies pat themselves on the back
and say eve did it," thus rob-
bing the official of all credit for
pure motives and upright-conduct.
Of course this is shabby treat
ment-this trial and condemnation
before even the offense is commit
ed-and yet it has been resorted
to on more than one occasion since
the present State administration
came into power. When Mr.. Willis
admitted the inefficiency of the
members of the police board, it was
at once assumed by some of the
Baltimore newspapers that incom-
petent and corrupt men would be
placed upon this board, and most
terrible consequences were pictured
for the citizens of that city under
a police force controlled by such
men Nothing of the kind happen
ed, nothing of the kind was ever
contemplated.
When the time came for making
appointments to the different Of
fees in the State, it was assumed
that these positions would be given
to men of doubtful ability but I'M
doubted political activity, and that
fitness and character would count
for little. More denuciatory edi-
orials and more supplementary in
tervieWs.
The appointment Of a good roads
commission gave these papers an
other opportunity to play the as
sumption joker 1t is assumed
that Governor Crothers favors the
Benson bill because it will enable
him to tighten Democracy's grip
upon the State and that the S.
100000 is to be spent with that
end in view. A little reflection will
show the absurdity of such an as
sumption. We believe it to be the
Governor intention to make this
the master effort of his administra-
ton because of the great benefits
that will accrue from it to every
section of the State. Neither he
nor his party will secure any ad-
vantage from the measure unless
the money is judiciously expended
and the work properly done. How
ridiculous it is, therefore, to as
sumo that he will pursue a course
that could have no other result than
the absolute failure of his own as
pirations and irreparable damage
to his party?
But neither the lack of motive
nor the absence of reason will halt
the campaign of assumption. 1t
affords these unfriendly journals
too many opportunities to get back
at man who has dared to succeed
in spite of their opposition. The
remedy lies with the public, which
should be careful to discriminate
between the assumed and the act
ual, and to give credit for good
deeds to the man who performs
them rather than to the man who
sees vice where he is afraid to
look for virtue.
Object Lesson in Road Making.