Year: 1859

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ADDRESS OF THE


REFORM CENTRAL COMMITTEE


TO THE


CITIZENS OF BALTIMORE.


An important election is close at hand and the occa-
sion demands from us who compose the Central Com
mttee appointed in pursuance of the resolutions
passed at your recent Town Meeting, a report to
you of our proceedings thus far as well as statement
the prospects of the great of Municipal Reform
which has been with generous confidence on your part
entrusted in liberal measure care and management


The first duty assigned to to endeavor to obtain
from the Mayor the appointment of unexceptionable
judges of election and of strong special police to main
tain order at the polls, and he compelled to
report TO failure to accomplish either these
Jects although our efforts to secure both very
and urgent proper regard for the character of
the body which appointed u.s. and of self
respect would permit to make. Our correspondence
with the Mayor has been published and has doubt sat
isfed you of the mpossbiy of obtaining his effective
in the recommended by meeting


The tender of assistance in selecting the Judges of
election and special police made in respectful
terms confident expectation that il wond he
cheerfuy accepted but the Mayor assumed the position
that request was an attempt to share with him the
powers and responsibilities of his office The nrivege
which the humblest citizen may claim of recommending
suitable to Office and objecng those who are un
fit, not conceded to although application was





est and most respectable meetings that assembled
in this city.


While he professed to be ready he had been before to
appoint special police he required them be conserva
tive men, free from party bias who had real acsb to
cooperate with the authorities of the city The conditions
imposed rendered the appointment of such body mposs
Bile. If party bias be made test it exclude from
the service the Mayor himself well the whole regular
police of the city, who have all been appointed on
party grounds. If could have hoped that
mendatons would have had any weight we should have
been prepared to recommend for the special police suitable
and responSb men, who would do their duty, but we
could venture to affirm that they free from
party bias because in this country every in
muuity has political relations and antpathes which
cessarily constitute in his mind party bias Nor could
hope satisfy the Mayor that any men of our recon-
mendation would have a real 7nish to ,t viii M
authorities of the city when real coop
crate had been unfavorably received.


In second letter the Mayor it 10 be our duty
to express deep regret that Judges of Election
had already been nominated who at the last election had
received and rded large numbers of Illegal votes and
who had therefore lost the confidence of community
whose rights they had failed to protect To this charge
the only reply made demand for proofs
This demand could not be complied with simply because
had arisen in which legal proofs taken
Adavits indeed could have been supplied in abundance
but they not legal proof in any the expires
and doubtless would have been considered if we had
been unwise enough to offer them Nor could we admit
the proprety of offering proof OF facts which are uni
versaly known in this community, denied
by the Mayor except far denial may be implied by
his demand for legal evidence and moreover, esab
shed by the official returns of the election by which
made Mayor, and with the proceedings at which he
must be supposed to be familiar Thse an
aggregate vote cast for Mr. Swami of "a O0S when
years before, in his contest with Wright for
the Mayoralty, his vote amounted to only 1882 No
of mind believe that upwards
of ten thousand votes could have been fairly for Mr.
Swami in 1858, the large and triumphant which
he obtained in 1856 Beside, the lowest computation
there is Democratic in Baltimore shown by the
election of 1856 of more than 10000 If this be added to
Mr. Swanns recorded in 1855 it will give an aggre
gate vote of upwards of 36O00 while in 1876 during
strongly contested election between Mr. Swami and Mr.
Wright the aggregate vote amounted only 26 0 thus
indicating increase ofpopuation ofhe city years.
fthe vote for MrSwann fair one, nearly 40 per ct
1t will be found examination that these frauds
not exclusively confined to any particular wards but
generally pervaded the city, and that twentysiX judges
out of sixty renominated In the face of such facts
the demand for legal proofs received no further consdra
ton from US.


That nothing might be wanting on our part we next
applied to the Sheriff of the city, who conservaor of
the peace, possesses ample powers-greater in
pect than those of the Mayor and not superseded by
them Our correspondence with that officer has also been
made public by which it appears that while
he does not question his powers, he declines
for which he considers satisfactory take
measures in advance to secure the peace of the
city One of the difficulties encountered by the police
complained of by the Mayor is the release of offenders
on straw bail by weak dishonest magistrates. But
those committed by the Sheriff his deputies
released and in order to correct this great evil at the
approaching elections tits only necessary that the Mayor
and Sheriff should heartily cooperate with each other


The Sheriff however, assures that having been in
formed of the arrangements of the Mayor he is satisfied
that they will be sufficient to accomplish the results which
DESIRE and that he will cooperate earnestly and fully
in all measures which circumstances may render
for the preservation of the of tie city and the
proper conduct of the election.



him to the respect of the community certainly affords
great encouragement In assigning his satisfaction with
the arrangements of the Mayor sufficient for
declining to make any special preparations Sheriff Mr.
Creamer cannot be regarded otherwise than officially
adopting these arrangements his own and pedgng his
personal character and official responsibility for their good
faith, sucency and success Under such circumstances
he will doubtless fulfil his pledge and while we cannot
but regret that he should have refused adopt the
ditionaI suggested by us, which would once
have re-estabshed public confidence, still think,
that the guaranty which furnished by his letter
ShOuld mills
his ballot. Let the people do their duty, and if the
thorities fail to do theirs the heavy responsibility will
fall where it belongs.


These promised efforts the part of the authorities
the direct consequence Of the Reform movement.


We accept with qualification the Resolve of the Town
Meeting which assembled the 9th instant, that all
elections ought to be conducted in peaceab and order
y manner that the right of voting is sacred right and
tnat every citizen is entitled to be protected in its free
and undisturbed exercise" As that meeting was held
by those who profess to be in especial friends
and supporters of the constituted authorities may
ceve its declaration earnest of the intention of the
authorities to maintain at the approaching election the
correct principles thus announced and for which alone
are cOntending


With the prospects now before us we see no ground for
dscouragement the great measures of Reform
which have inauguated On the contrary they meet
with announcement and sympathy ali sides, from
men of the highest respectabty of every occupation
and OF all political parties. Nothing but absolute neces.
sity could have caused the spontaneous
bage of the people which recently met in Monument
Square and pronounced its solemn judgment on the
evils which exist among The result your efforts to
correct them is awaited with deep interest
extent of this wide land evils similar in character
prevail in all the large cities The question is shall the
worst in the community, through the means of or
ganized associations, take CONTROL first by nominating
their candidates, and afterwards electing by
fraud violence: and shall the authorities Of he
by looking supinely by refusing lend any eff
cent aid be permitted in effect to take part with the
wrong doers? If this state of things shall continue t he
tolerated, then indeed, republican governments so
far at least large cities concerned wreched failure


The great question is to be settled here and now Are
these institutions under which lve-our pride and
boast the Inheritance from revolutionary ancestors
the hard-won fruits of their blood and sufferines
Wbia harya fnT1AI kIa Ionk
the worlds progress and cvilizaton-are these nsttu
tions to be tramped under foot by few banded outlaws
led by interested politicans2 We say emphaticaIy
No Our confidence in the healthy action and recupera
tive powers of popular governments has greatly in
creased by the experience of the last few weeks The
conservative and honest of the community are i'm
mensey in the majority They care little about party
names or party triumphs and desire only honest
and capable men placed in authority in the city in
such offices Of the State as have direct bearing
city affairs They prepared to put end to the sys
tenn by which the interests great city sacrificed
the triumph OF some national party, and determined
10 let political parties interfere with national affairs
alone Unless this is honestly and freely DONE no sub
sautia reform be achieved Wings, Americans and
Democrats must unite in the patriotic resolve to put of
the faded and livery of their respective parties and
to put on the uniform of their common country.


The duties fellow citizens which you have assigned to us
the best evidence that such determination exists We
have instructed to nominate candidates without re-
gard party and be selected from the reliable
and most competent men in this community nobler
commission has seldom been by the people to
any body of citizens We appreciate the honorable post
and hope to be faithful to the important trust So far
believe that labors have met your appreciation
they at least have been kindly received with due allow
ance for the many difficulties of position You will
bear in mind that easy work to select 40
GUS body of candidates with proper regard to the anal
ncaons required and that it is still more difficult 10
nuuce he pest men to accept nomination, involving
as 1t does an engagement in political to which most
are entirely unaccustomed


Strong efforts have been made to produce the
impression in your minds that the trade of the city
has been injured by the disclosure of the evils
which we deplore This, even if it were true, would
unworthy the