Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-03
G|ST BLAIR OUTLINES
HIS POLITICAL CREED
Republican Candidate for Con.
gress in Sixth Maryland
District Opens Fight.

| Gst Blair of Montgomery county, can
didate for Congress from the sixth dis
| trict. opened his campaign last night at
| a non-partisan public meeting at Silver
Spring. Montgomery county. He announced
| in his declaration of principles that he was
a progressive republican and that he be-
lieved in returning to the people them
selves the power of the people to select
candidates or to approve legislation.
Silver Spring is the home place of the
candidate and has been the seat of the
Blair family for three generations. 1t Is
also the home of State Senator Blair Lee.
The meeting was held stones throw
from the homestead of Montgomery Blair.
Postmaster General in Lincoln's cabinet,
and the father of the congressional as
pirant.
The meeting was called to order by
Edward W. Byrne who was afterward
elected chairman. OsgoOd H. Dowell was
named as secretary: Before introducing
Ashley NJ. Gould to make an address
Justice Gould responded briefly. extolling
the constructive policies of the republican
party and indorsng Mr. Blair's candi-
dacy.
Duties of Congressman.
After discussing at length the relations
Of Silver Spring to the District of Column
bia and the needs of this community in
connection with better highways, better
school facilities and cheaper transporta-
ton, Mr.. Blair told his audience what
was his conception of the duties of a
representative. He said:
MANY great and grand people speak of
the member of Congress whose entire at
- xl,,1rr
in peanut politics. To my mind, peanut
politics. means doing what you are there
for. The true conception of peanut poll
tics is to truly represent and form part
of the men who employ you by asking you
to represent them. In making my cam
paign two years ago this was my plat
form. 1t was a unique platform and
am today reiterating it, having been
more and more convinced that it is the
true and correct principle to be enunci-
ated by every man who seeks preferment
in Congress Roads, sewers. schools.
post offices, transportation, to help and to
aid all men in the different parts of your
district, to help labor be employed, to help
capital earn a larger return, to make
men live more comfortably and better-all
of these things and more are what your
congressman should attend to.
Wants People to Govern.
LII tIllS SENSE, d1tHOuSH 1Ot your
gresham. I appeared before the sub
committee of the committee on appropria-
lions of the United States Senate a few
weeks ago, attempting to prevent the
passage of a law strictly limiting the
children of citizens of Maryland attend
ing schools of the District of Columbia.
This law, had it been passed, would have
affected you here at Silver Spring, and
in your interest as well as the interest of
others / appeared before that commit
tee"
In concluding his address the candidate
said that he advocated the principle OF
allowing the people to govern. He said
they instead of the office holders Were the
masters. He said:
Public men in America have drifted
away from their masters, who are the
people. They are Indifferent and look
upon their offices more as perquisites than
as an employment by the people to do
certain business for them, which they are
not able to do for themselves. This
homely, simple old-fashioned way of
looking at our government is one of the
striking contrasts between the present
day and the early days of our republic"
Following the speaking, a GiSt Blair
Republican Club of Silver Spring was
formed, with an enrolment of twenty
seven members. Music was furnished
during the evening by the Forest Glen
Band.