The Republican., 1940-12-05
A Review of Election Day Activities
At Sang Run During the Past 43
Years With The District Remaining

As Always Strongly Republican.
To the Editor of The Republican.
Forty years ago l cast my
first vote at McHenry in the Sang
Run District. Of this election | only
remember that l voted the straight
Republican ticket, except for a Court
Clerk, and that the Republican lead
ers, who had promised a civil service
or merit system law in their success
full state campaign of 1895, were at
the polls campaigning against an
amendment to the state constitution
authorizing the very law they had
advocated. Since witnessing this
treachery l have had little faith in
professional politicians.
This year desire to meet old
friends and to see democracy in ac-
ton at the old Senging Ground
brought me to the election house
where Ginseng Run flows into
Youghiogheny.
DR.. VIM. H. Armstrong, my ne
phew, who drove me there, was
doubtful about the wisdom of my GO
ing into a district where Republicans
outnumbered Democrats more than
five to one, but assured him that l
feel very much at home among
good" Republicans. Well, | never
saw a more orderly election or a bet
ter humored election crowd.
Mr.. Wilkes workers were numer-
Gus and active, while the New Dealers
seemed content to vote quietly and
return home to listen to the returns.
toalyoI in+,1 On
stout oak trees by the roadside, but
they were soon floating down the Gin
seng. Nevertheless the people of the
Senging Ground are loyal Americans,
and if Congressman Byron were to
visit them after the election he would
be Hospitality received.
| am reminded of a story of an
election of some fifty years ago at
the Senging Ground. The district
leader of that day, who told me the
story, is still hale and hearty voter,
so | will not give names.
1t was an election of some import
ance and money had been provided by
both parties to buy all votes for sale.
Tickets were at that time printed on
separate pieces of paper and handed
out freely to voters. The Democratic
leader was first in the field, passing
out his party's ticket and 50-cent
pieces to promising voters, but the
Republican leader followed him, TAX
ing up many of the Democratic bal
lots and handing the same voters Re-
publican ballots and another 50-cent
piece to each When the votes were
counted the Democratic leader Won
dered what had become of his ballots.
He understood when the Republican
leader produced them from his over
coat pocket. Today Senging Ground
voters are not for sale.
Here is another Senging Ground
political story:
Down east in political circles when
an election is close they say, "Wait
until we get the returns from Sang
| Run"
The origin of the saying, as ex-
planned by Congressman Byron on a
recent trip Sheriff Owens and | made
with him to Sang Run, is as follows:
Years ago Mr.. Byron's wife's
grandfather, Louis E. McComas, and
| Mr.. McKaig were candidates for Con-
/ gress from our district The election
was close and the returns from Sang
Run were delayed, so the result was
in suspense several days, while the
whole state waited for "the returns
from Sang Run"
This year Sang Run reported re-
turns by telephone before midnight.
At the recent election Sang Run
voters gave little attention to the
constitutional amendments and re-
ferred laws; they generally did not
vote or voted against" them regard
less of their merits. In this respect
democracy worked badly there.
Among the voters we were pleased
to see John Friend, now in his 9th
year. Other elderly citizens who voted
were Joe Lewis, Jerome Kelley and
Noah Pysel. We regretted the absence
Of John Sines, Civil War veteran, who
answered the last call since the last
election, aged 96 years.
On our way to the Senging Ground
we stopped to see Miss Mariah Drane,
who has been confined to her bed
most of the time since the 1886 cleo
ton Miss Drane, last of her family
in this county, is quite an old lady
but she reads widely, understands the
public problems of our day, and is
mentally better qualified to vote than
many of our recent high school grad
yates, but she was disenfranchised
because unable to go to the polls. She
remarked this injustice in Maryland
More liberal states permit qualified
voters, absent from their districts OF
unable to reach their polling places,
to vote by mail. (Mr. Friend and our
delegates, please note.)
Of the votes cast for president at
Sang Run Mr.. Willkie received 78 per
cent and Roosevelt % per cent. One
of the minor factors in WILKES pop
ularity was the electric power plant
in the district. The Republicans have
increased at Sang Run since the elec-
ton of 1860, when Lincoln received
only one vote, cast by Judge d. H
Friend, who was then called "a
damned black Republican" for his
good judgment and courage.
In the recent election Sang Run
ranked next to Bittinger 90 per
cent? as the strongest Republican dis
trict in our county, while VindeX kept
its place as the strongest supporter OF
President Roosevelt, 80 per cent. In
Garrett county those who work the
surface of the earth (farmers) and
those who work underground (min-
ers) disagree politically; if they knew
each other and each others problems
better they might cooperate politi-
cally-they should.
Now let us close these rambling re-
marks by quoting native of the