The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-07-04
REPUBLICAN PARTY ORGANIZA-
TION IN MARYLAND.

1T is out of all reason for the Re-
publican party to expect to win any
victories in this State, in the near fut-
ure, under its present party manage
ment. 1t may, of course, land" To-
cal candidate here and there, but as a
party it can be reckoned negligible
factor, until there has been thorough
overhauling. We state the case in
this bald, blunt way because somebody
must so state it, and it might as well
be ourselves as anybody. We are on
ly proclaiminp from the house top
what is poured, quietly and privately,
into our ears from all quarters of the
State and by hundreds of the best Re-
publicans in it. If anyone will take
the trouble to analyze our late over
whelming defeat in Maryland, he will
find that the result did not arise from
any unusual Democratic vote; it was
brought about by the fact that thous-
ands of Republicans stayed away
from the polls And many, very many,
of those Republicans declined to parti-
cipate in the election, because they are
utterly out of sympathy with the
present party management.
The gentlemen who insist on re-
at IllS llcdS VI Jul pdl
fairs are men who have lost standing
the party itself.
tuated by their attitude and spirit in
the Taft-Roosevelt contest; and while
some of the leaders in that unhappy
controversy have "amalgamated,"
thousands of the rank and file still
decline. And this, not so much be-
cause of any abiding feeling over the
Taft Roosevelt controversy as be-
cause they are out of sympathy with
the Republican leadership in the State
and refuse to follow it
This statement of the case is not
affected by pointing to the dwindling
Progressive vote in the late election.
That vote WAS a YER" small one. But
the ominous fact which ought to chal-
lenge our attention is the fact that so
many of our Republicans who refused
to affiliate with the Progressives,
likewise refused to vote with their
own party. This is no guess on our
part. 1t is the testimony BROUGHT us
from county after county by loyal Re
publican workers who want to see the
party "come back" as a party of virile
and aggressive opposition. When
pressed as to the cause of this disaf-
lection with one accord they all refer
to just what we have been trying to
describe above. tom" Parran put
his finger on the precise spot at the
recent Ramsay dinner in Cumberland
when he said, "the time has come for
some of us old fellows to get out and
let new blood take hold of things"
And in his statement of the case he
indicated, more by way of suggestion
than urgency, that the way to do it
was "to get OUT. To be more explicit
it ought to be voluntary, and not
forced, action on the part of the gem
tlemen whose influence and usefulness
is so seriously impaired. If they are
genuinely interested in the party's
future as a militant organization.
they should step aside of their own
accord; not in piqued or disgruntled
spirit, but just with a large-minded
recognition of the fact that circum-
stances have brought their successful
leadership to an end. Taking such ac-
ton in such spirit, they could be
highly useful to the party with their
experienced counsel and cooperation,
and would show themselves loyal to
its welfare.
We are saying these things abso-
lutely without personal feeling and
solely in the interest of party organi-
cation. If anyone chooses to misinter-
pref our spirit or purpose, so be it.
We are perfectly willing to suffer the
consequences if frank, downright
and outright utterance at this time
can be useful in bringing about an adj
justment of party organization that
will save US from becoming utterly
negligible as party of oposition.
And now we will see how many that
have whispered in our ear will stand
up beside US when we cry aloud from
the house top.
Discussion being called, | Wayne | ,
eynolds leased the essay as the best !
tactical one read before the club for :