476 



MARYLAND. 



Social-Labor party For Governor. John A. 



^"'prohibitionists met at Baltimore in June. 

 Their platform, after "acknowledging Almighty 

 (Jod as the Supreme Ruler of nations, to whose 

 law all human enactments affecting our welfare 

 should conform," made the following declaration 

 of principles: 



"We favor the absolute prohibition ot the 

 manufacture, sale, importation, exportation, and 

 transportation of intoxicating liquors for bever- 

 age purposes. 



"We believe that the practice of bribery of 

 voters in this State, and the consequent corrup- 

 tion in politics, has become a menace to our free 

 institutions, second only to that of the legalized 

 li.iuor traHic. and merits the condemnation of 

 every honest voter, and that we believe this prac- 

 tice "ought to work the forfeiture of the offices 

 pained bv it. 



" We condemn the army canteen, the cause of 

 the debauchery and death of countless numbers 

 of our soldiers, and we deplore the nullification 

 of the law by the present administration in con- 

 tinuing the 'canteen in spite of the act passed 

 by Congress prohibiting the same. 



'" Believing the liquor traffic is the barrier to 

 every reform, and that its overthrow is the su- 

 preme issue now before the people, we invite the 

 co-operation of all good citizens who agree upon 

 this question, assuring them that a party com- 

 posed of sober men, and uncontrolled by vicious 

 elements, can be safely intrusted with the solu- 

 tion of all other questions." 



The Democratic State Convention was held in 

 Baltimore in August. The platform declared " un- 

 faltering allegiance to the fundamental princi- 

 ples of the party as formulated by Thomas Jef- 

 ferson." announcing the belief that " the prac- 

 tical and constant application of those principles 

 to Federal and State government is essential to 

 the j>erpetuation of our free institutions," and 

 then continued: 



" We declare our unalterable opposition to the 

 creation and maintenance of a large standing 

 army in time of peace, and we insist upon the 

 supremacy of the civil over the military author- 

 ity, and we demand the strictest economy in the 

 collection and disbursement of the public rev- 

 enues. 



" We view with alarm the multiplication over 

 the land of such gigantic industrial and commer- 

 cial trusts, the outgrowth of Republican legis- 

 lation, as stifle competition, threaten popular 

 government, increase the cost of living, and cur- 

 tail the individual rights of the people, and we 

 favor vigorous measures by the States and by 

 Congress to repress this great and growing evil. 



" We favor a nonpartisan administration of the 

 police department of Baltimore, and such a thor- 

 ough and careful revision of the laws in relation 

 thereto as will emancipate the force from partisan 

 control or intimidation. 



" The laboring classes constitute the main part 

 of our population. They should be protected in 

 all orderly efforts to assert their rights, when 

 endangered from any source, and all laws on this 

 subject should be framed with a view to improve 

 their condition. 



' The Republican party depends almost entirely 

 for its success upon the support of the large negro 

 population in our midst, and relies upon them 

 for the election of its ticket and the continuance 

 of its supremacy. Without their votes it would 

 be a hopeless minority. 



" This fact has created the belief by large num- 

 bers of the worst elements of this class of our 



population that political influence will readily be 

 exerted to secure for them immunity from pun- 

 ishment for violations of law, has accordingly 

 led to an alarming increase in many species of 

 crime, and is a constant menace to the peace 

 and good order of the State. 



" Such a deplorable and dangerous condition 

 of affairs can not be ignored or treated with in- 

 difference, and, while we distinctly pledge our- 

 selves to do equal and exact justice to all, with- 

 out regard to race, and to guarantee to the col- 

 ored people of the State the fullest protection 

 in all their rights, we are not insensible to the 

 perils which such a situation involves, nor un- 

 mindful of the obligation which it imposes." 



The platform adopted by the Republican party, 

 which met in convention in Baltimore in Septem- 

 ber, primarily asserted that the return of the Re- 

 publican party to national power on a gold plat- 

 form, aided by the Dingley law, was followed by 

 a return of confidence and prosperity, industrial 

 activity thus proving that the people were wise 

 in rejecting an unsound financial system; it 

 charged that the Democratic party " still clings 

 to the financial heresies which brought panic on 

 the business of the country " ; that " in many 

 States that party has reaffirmed the Chicago plat- 

 form, with its anarchistic tendencies " ; that " in 

 Maryland the Democratic platform is silent on 

 silver, in deference to the platforms of the Demo- 

 cratic party in the other States " ; and declared 

 that " a victory for the Democratic party in 

 Maryland upon a platform silent on the money 

 question would be a victory for silver and a blow 

 to prosperity." The platform continued with these 

 specific declarations: 



" We believe in the gold standard, and that all 

 our currency should be made by law redeemable 

 in gold coin at the option of the holder. To this 

 faith we confidently pledge the influence and votes 

 of the Maryland Republican members in each 

 House of Congress. 



"We continue to favor such a system of im- 

 port duties as shall protect American industries 

 and provide sufficient revenue for the expenses 

 of government economically administered. 



" We commend the record made by our coun- 

 try in the late war with Spain. We accord to 

 the soldiers and sailors who survived that war 

 our unqualified respect and esteem. For those 

 who laid down their lives we hold the tenderest 

 memories. 



" While we deplore the insurrection in the 

 Philippine Islands, wherein, by cession from 

 Spain, we acquired the right of sovereignty, duty 

 demands that we retain and pacify them, and 

 safeguard the interests of commerce until the 

 problem of their final disposition be solved in 

 such manner that the glory of our flag be not 

 sullied, nor the liberty it stands for restrained. 

 We repose our trust for such a solution of the 

 problem in our wise and patriotic President and 

 the Republican majority in Congress. 



" Legitimate business interests, fairly capitaK 

 ized and honestly managed, have built up our in- 

 dustries at home, giving employment to labor as 

 never before, and have enabled us to successfully 

 compete with foreign countries in the markets 

 of the world. Such industries must not be struck 

 down by legislation aimed at the dishonestly or- 

 ganized trust, which stifles competition and op- 

 presses labor. 



" We are opposed to legislation merely for 

 popular effect in reckless disregard of business 

 revival after prolonged depression. We strongly 

 favor laws to successfully suppress trusts and all 

 combinations which create monopoly. It was the 



