The Washington times., 1911-10-29
BALTIMORE'S EFFORT FOR A
NEW CHARTER.

Inc November elections are just a
few days ahead, and though compare
lively few States hold important poll.
ings this year, their results will be re.
garded as highly significant of the trend
of public opinion. In no State will the
outcome have more bearing on the
future of purely State affairs than in
Maryland. Local issues have over
shadowed national considerations, and
it is apparent that the people of Mary.
land can safely cast their votes with.
out much fear that the outcome will be
regarded as indicative of national lean.
ings.
In the last days of the campaign the
old specter of dominati ton by the color.
ed vote is being invoked by the old
Democratic machine, in the hope OF
soaring the State back into the arms
OF the old organization. Perhaps the
people of Maryland will consent to be
fooled in that way, but it is hard to
believe SO i'll of their intelligence.
General Nandiver, Democratic State
chairman, is putting out remarkable
line of campaign literature. He finds
no reason why the people should as
sumo, with their votes, to rebuke the
late election corruption; urges that all
that be left to the courts; and insist 3
that the accession of the Republicans
to power means the menace of colored
control.
The ancient order wants its promises
OF reform to be taken at face value +;
insists that it is decenter than the
Republican organization, anyhow; and
points out that Republican as well as
Democratic election officials were cor.
rupted. The latter charge is true
enough; but what does it proves
Merely that the Baltimore city ma
chine is a bipartisan affair, which
uses scalawag Republicans to help do
its dirty work. 1t is the strongest
possible argument in favor of COM
plete change; of doing the thing which
the machine does not want done.
Baltimore is lining up strongly in
favor of commission government ex-
pertinent. Yet General Vandiver's
people make no definite or satisfac-
tory promises that, if they gain con-
troll, they will pass commission gov.
ernment measure for the great city.
They talk in glittering generalities,
and it could not be any palmer than
it is that if they get control again
they will either refuse the commission
charter or else put it in such form
that it will insure the control of the
city by the same old gang, under new
forms of administration.
10 believe that the old Baltimore
bunch is going to reform itself, and
that it will do the job better than any
body else can possibly do it, imposes a
strain on credulity which can scarcely
be sustained.
Baltimore needs to study the rela
ton between good municipal govern
ment and municipal prosperity. 1t
needs to understand that the we'll.
governed towns are the ones that grow
that attract industry, that draw the
most desirable class of population. It
needs to compare Clevelands record
with that of Cincinnati in the last ten
years, Detroit's with Pittsburgh's 9.
Baltimore has not been overpleased
with the showing it made in the 1910
enumeration. 1t needs to realize, fully
and unreservedly, that bad government
is one of the worst handicaps, prob.
ably the worst, that can be imposed
on a city.
If Baltimore will just look itself
squarely in the face, appraise the bunch
OF people who have been running it
for years past, and believe that "by
their fruits ye shall know them" it
will make no grave and blighting mis-.
take in casting its vote week from
Tuesday.