The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-10-27
WHAT Is A DEMOCRAT !

The Aegis says: While in matters
of state, as in matters of religion,
there is nothing less to be desired and
less fruitful of good results than a
blind adherence to shibboleth of
party which shuts ones eyes to all
that is worth while in all others, the
dominant political parties have from
time immemorial been founded on diff
ferent interpretations of certain
fundamental principles of government,
the practical application of which
gives very different results to the
people governed. To call ones self a
Democrat means a believer in the
broad principle of equal opportunity
to all; of a national organization to
deal with national and international
matters, but does not unduly over
shadow affairs of a more or less To-
cal nature; of taxation equitably and
judiciously applied to all in proportion
to their worth, but free from special
benefits for the classes at the eX-
penSe of the masses; and in gener-
Ell way democracy aims to make every
man as big factor as he deserves to be
in the conduct OF the government I'M
der which he lives.
This is not always productive of
the most effective government, as such,
but it is productive of the most eff
ciert people for it gives to every man
the fullest possible blessings of the
government under which he lives, and
this is the ultimate end for which
government exists.
When applied to the smaller units
of government, as to the county or the
municipality where voters and candi-
dates are more or less acquainted, the
personal element necessarily cuts a
more Or less important part and party
principle and personal preferences
will become more or less mixed; but
if there ever was an election where
party principles should be the guiding
star it is the present one
Let us see: our voting will be
confined to selecting one member in
each branch of Congress, and Chief
Executive. Everything points to the
probability that Mr.. Wilson will be
stronger than his party, but there are
certain mutterings against Mr.. Lewis
and Mr.. Talbot. Mr.. Lewis love OF
his fellow man and his eagerness that
government shall help all humanity to
rise, rather than that it shall help
the strong to rise at the expense of
the weak, is called Socialism. No
Democrat could possibly compare Mr..
Lewis untiring efforts and his I'M
usual success as a law maker with
DR.. Frances modest career as a State
Senator, and their only possible justi-
f1cation for giving him vote would
be to give Mr.. Lewis the big stick"
because he got the most votes in the
primaries. No Democrat could pos
sibly give Mr.. Lawrence, young law
yer, whose practice thus far has been
confined to defending in the Criminal
Court the parties who have done SO
much to make Highlandtown and vi
cinity justly notorius, and who would
never cast a Democratic vote as long
as he might be sent to Congress by
Democrats, but they could give Mr.
Talbot jab in the ribs because dur
ing his long public career he has
not been able to make political Jobs
go around to all who wanted them,
because he did not favor the anneXa-
ton of large proportion of the
wealth of his county by Baltimore
City, and because he has not done in
public life all the things all the time
which all his constituents favored.
"A club in one hand and a ballot in
the other on election day would not be
an unknown combination, but it is an
indefensible one and it does not pay
We have see men sent to defeat in this
style before, but even as d matter of
practice, and without reference to
principle, it does not pay,-in fact if
long Observation-Disclosures become a
farce and elections bee ONE much
worse"