The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1909-09-18
Down With The " Ring
Continued from Page ~

Continued from Page ~
tam amount OF property, not TO those
who could recite a catcchiSm beyond
the memory OF any gentleman present,
not 10 those who could satisfy a given
Board oi Registration or pursue their
claim to the Court of last Appeal
BUT TO THE PEOPLE, be-
iieving that when you trust the people
YOU educate the race and III the long
run secure the Republic WHERE
HAS THE DEMOCRATIC MA
CHINE LEARNED ITS LESSON
OF \ LIMITED SUFFRAGE; Ger
tainly not from the fathers And Ger.
iainly not from the record oi this Re
public which launches into the second
century OF its history with broader
boundaries and brighter prospects than
marked its first.
And gentlemen, that record oi this
republic has not been wrought out UNI
der the influence al class legislation,
under the domination OF men bent on
restraining instead oi facilitating the
expression ot the popular will
POPULAR GRIEVANCE.
Here is the popular grievance OF
which We complain. \ popular gricv-
ancc which strikes at the very root oi
popular government, and, therefore, |
say, impcrils our political liberties,
Look at the figures When one county
with practically a solid white popula-
ton, suffers loss oi 90 per cent, OF
its vote under election laws which
make il difficult for most and impos-
,blc Tor many oi our citizens to cXer-
else the right oi suffrage when a
State election polls only no, t3SI votes
out oi registration al 2S7,343, when
the average shortage in the vote OF
the State since the notorious extra
session has been % per cent, it GER
tainly looks as ii popular government
under the rings election laws were a
mi>uomer, and it looks as il il were in
order to diScrcdit their claim that ma
white man will be deprived Of his vote
We shall examine that unsupported
and unsupportahlc claim more at
length a. the days go on Just now we
ask: Why this repeated assault IN the
suffrage?
The present chairman oi the Demo-
cratic CITY Committee has aScribcd it
To- the rxigcucics al partisan politics
Note. please. that il i not Rcpubli-
can critic: it !, the chairman oi the
Democratic City Committee who has
said: II fear and Shuddcr whenever |
see certain men touch our election
laws They always take step back
ward instead 81 forward Their acts
have been those 81 politicians. cndca-
vnriug To- obtain some advantage ovc-
their political opponents without re-
gard ia the rights oi the voters
That !, it exactly We are not sur
pri,cd that the late Governor Jackson.
cN-Gov Frank Brown. Hon Joseph
Il. Seth and other eminent citizens of
thi, State who can hardly be claSScd
A. occasional Democrats" have
publicly expressed their conviction
that this thing should be laid 10 rest
and it would he laid to rest il would
never be allowed to intrudc upon the
consideration of higher and worthicr
matters but for the fears OF selfish
and dominccring ring which sees no
way oi escape from the peoples ac-
counting but by the grace Cor the dis
grace OF a Wilson Ballot law and wild
shouts OF negro domination"
RING AND IT'S RECORD.
Ii the gentlemen oi the opposition
could get away from their machina-
lions and histrionic Mysteries long
enough To let us reason together, We
should like to ask them just what par
ttgttiuF ,,...I th,.v. ,r 10 ,I,.,. H..
political existence, why the people OF
this State should be thrown into
Spasms OF fright at the thought OF
their political demise. ii il is their re-
cord on which they stand then we at
raign the record. What does the Gov.
errors array Of commissions mean,
except an indictment oil his own party's
claim 10 rrcproachablc and unim-
pcachablc government through all IT'S
long lease OF power; Ii there are no
abuses to reform, no shortcomings in
administration to correct, why this
string OF commissions as long as the
trlumphal procession OF an old Roman
consul: They would seem TO Indicate
that the State is out OF joint, that
things rank and gross in nature pos
sess il merely" and that the Governor
deems it diplomatic TO make a show
OF much industry in this unwecdcd gar
den on the eve OF a highly critical cleo
ton. Let us remark in passing. that
the reforms" commended by these
special commissioners are duplicates
OF measures introduced by Republ-
cans at the las, legislature and sheer
ingly denounced by the Democratic
ring
These gentlemen will hardly point
with pride Oi they are wise, they will