History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc, Part 27

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344

USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > Baltimore City > History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc > Part 27

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not submit to the robbery of your franchise next Tuesday. You will have the strong arm of the United States to protect you. There are persons going round to corrupt the colored people with money and beer. The violations in the Fourteenth Ward have been traced uncommonly close to prominent Democratic officials."

Saturday, November 4, that faction of the Republican party which had nominated a straightout Republican judicial ticket held their mass meeting. Gen. Felix Agnus de- clared: "This fight is one in which your own interest is to stand fast to the Repub- lican party ; that is the advice given you by the American and by leaders who will bat- tle for you and in whom you have learned to trust."

R. Stockctt Mathews told the audi- ence it made no difference to him who sat upon the bench, he should lose nothing by it, but he said: "I do beg and beseech you, for the love and honor of so many who have lost their lives for your sake, to stand by the old flag and the old cause."

Gen. Adam E. King spoke of his having been "brought here, wounded, from the field of battle, fighting for liberty," and then said, "I canvassed for Abraham Lincoln. I have not left the party, but the party has left me. I denounce this Independent movement as the offspring of the adulterous bed. Mr. Geo. C. Maund is the man who drew the resolutions which placed the mark of free- dom upon the colored people of this State. and he to-day is our honest, straightout candidate for Judge." The election for Congress in the Third District resulted in Hoblitzel, Democrat, receiving 13,919 votes; Kimmel, 1,576 votes, and Lang, Re-

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publican, 9,015 votes. Pinkney, for Judge, had 21,374 votes, being the lowest vote re- ceived on the old Judge ticket.

Fisher, who had no opposition, received 52,578 votes. Phelps received the lowest votes on the Independent judiciary ticket, 32,712 votes. King and Maund, on the Re- publican ticket, had each a few votes over 1,000. Reynolds, Labor candidate, 503 votes. Findlay, Democrat, in the Fourth District, for Congress, had 14,457 votes, and Stockbridge, Republican, 12,093 votes.

1883.

Wednesday, September 19th, the Demo- cratic State Convention held in Baltimore City, nominated Robt. M. McLane for Gov- ernor; J. Frank Turner for Comptroller, and Chas. B. Roberts for Attorney Gen- eral. Thursday, September 28th, the Re- publicans nominated for Governor, Hart B. Holton; for Comptroller, Washington A. Smith; Attorney General, R. Stockett Ma- thews, who declined, and Francis Stockett was substitued in his place.

The nomination of J. Morrison Harris to be President of the Republican State Convention was made by William M. Ma- rine, who remarked: "Eight years ago the forms of an election were gone through by the Democrats, and a great fraud was committed. There sits in this assembly to-day an ex-Governor elected at that time by the people of Maryland as their chief magistrate, but Democratic frauds and the rape of the ballot-box robbed him of his right and he was never allowed to exercise the prerogatives of the office to which he was elected. It is meet, there- fore, that at any Convention or assembly of Republicans, where this gentleman is pres-

ent, he should be honored with the position of presiding officer. I think I express the unanimous sentiment of the Convention, therefore, when I name the Hon. J. Morrison Harris, of Baltimore county, as chairman." A scene of wild ap- plause followed the speech and it was sev- eral minutes before it ceased. Soon as Mr. Harris appeared before the Convention it was renewed until it amounted to an ova- tion. When it subsided, he said, with great feeling and with trembling voice: "I need not, and indeed with difficulty only, could I express the gratification with which, under the circumstances of my nomination, I as- sume the duties of this position. You have given me a warm expression of the feeling of the Republican party. My associations with it in its hour of triumph and fraudulent defeat have given me a warm sympathy in your hearts. I thank you for this honor.

"We are not going to discuss the Con- stitution of the State, but the positive, in- herent, plain rights of the people of Mary- land.

"We are here to do a business act. The real friends of Reform must now look to the Republican party. While we throw out no glittering bait, we do appeal to them on solid ground and ask them to verify by their endorsement their desire for true re- form. You can repeat the victory of eight years ago and no Democratic chicancery or fraud will dare again to wrest from you the well-earned fruits of your success."

Monday, October 4th, Ferdinand C. Lat- robe received the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Baltimore, and on the 5th J. Monroe Heiskel was placed in the field by the Reformers.

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HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

Thursday evening, October 11th, a Re- publican meeting was held in Broadway Hall. Col. Theodore Lang spoke, saying: "Mr. McLane may not be as he says, the superserviceable creature of the ring, but it cannot be denied that what the ring wants is what he wants. The ring had tried him in the balance and he was not found wanting."

Mr. Marine: "This potential ring comes as near being omnipotent as anything on earth. The laboring men attempted to break its power some years ago, but their candidate for Mayor, Joseph Thompson, eventually was seduced by it. It is an or- ganization of ways and means and full of crooked devices."

Hart B. Holton: "I will promise you if the suffrage of the people shall elect me your Governor, I will assiduously devote my time to the work in which the people are most interested; that is, the conserva- tion of their material good."

Tuesday night, October 16th, at the Ma- sonic Hall, Mr. S. Teackle Wallis spoke maintaining that "Warfield was elected in 1875, but Latrobe took his office and the salary." Mr. Wallis said some time ago he had challenged the leaders of the frauds perpetrated on Mr. Warfield, Mr. Harris and himself; and they confessed to him that the election was a fraud, but said, let by- gones be by-gones. When litigation re- sulted over the election, an order of the Court came for the examination of the bal- lot. Then it was that certain men were let into the clerk's office of the Court on Sat- urday, and they were in there Sunday and robbed the ballot-boxes of Independent tickets, put them in the stove and substi- tuted Democratic tickets. He stated it as a matter of fact. He had it from the lips of

men to whom the confession was made by the guilty parties.

He believed a man could serve his city and his State without becoming a bummer or a ring man. He believed bossism and corruption could be driven from this city and good government firmly and stead- fastly established in its midst.

Mr. J. Morrison Harris: "Last fall we cleaned out our temple of justice. We swept our Court Houses. Now we have another place-the City Hall-to clean, and if we all come forward unitedly we cannot fail to elect a fine municipality."

Mr. Robert D. Morrison: "The clouds of bossism have come again. Again has corruption tainted the air, and again is needed the purifying electricity of reform. Ring rule with all its impunities and ty- rannies must go. Mark this truth, the ring will never abdicate; it must be dethroned."

A turnout of people the same night packed Carroll Hall on East Baltimore street. Dr. Milton N. Taylor presided. He said in part: "We have here a gentleman who was elected Mayor, when Mr. La- trobe was counted in by the grossest frauds; for the first time in thirty years you have a chance to bury the bosses."

Henry M. Warfield: "I needed no apology whilst I advocate the cause of the people who elected me Mayor in 1875. Their ballots shall not again be tampered with; they will not submit forever to broken promises of reform in the party. Are the memories of men like running water, in which no records can be written? Are Democrats fools whose credulity can gap wide enough to swallow such monstrous lies? My fellow-citizens, come up once more to the issue you so firmly grasped in

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1875 and deal the final blow at the de- stroyers of your own rights to be freemen. Put the brand upon the self-seeking politi- cian who advocates communism in your public crib, and rewards for dirty hands that do the dirty work to place him in power against your will. Do you remember your contest in 1875? Do you remember J. Monroe Heiskell, now your candidate, dur- ing that campaign? Faithful among the faithful was he. With unflinching courage and sagacity, he gave himself to our cause and never quitted the ranks until the self- seeking politicians, the stuffers, the repeat- ers, the return falsifiers fled to their hiding places, plied their vocations and cheated you. He resigned a lucrative public posi- tion, upon which the support of his fam- ily depended, because of his conviction that your cause was just. It was just then, it is just now."

Col. Charles Marshall: "When the Con- federate army laid down its arms at Appo- mattox l was there. No man ever laid down his arms to a nobler victor. When Confederate and Federal can meet hand and hand, why should not Democrat and Republican? Mr. Latrobe proclaims that he will manage the office of Mayor on busi- ness principles. We, too, want it conducted on business principles and we want the elec- tion conducted on business principles, too. I remained at my home all day trying to di- gest the facts concerning the business-like principles upon which Mr. Latrobe con- ducted his administrations, and when I thought I had all, I was put upon another line of his business principles that cast me all adrift. Now we are going to discuss business principles. Why is it that the peo- ple of Baltimore cannot have an election

without politics? Because the methods by which Latrobe was nominated have been engrafted upon our system, making the city government the prey of politicians. The methods that put Mr. Latrobe in power in 1875 must perish."

William M. Marine: "The revelations that brings us here to-night and masses us in solid phalanx regardless of Republi- can or Democratic predeliction, are popu- larized by necessity. We must purify cor- rupt politics. Mayor Warfield as he should have been, was counted out; we must cor- rect that great wrong. If we condone the act by a fourth time placing Mr. Latrobe in the Mayoralty chair, we shall never pun- ish the infamy of the past. Heiskell had scarcely time to open his office ledger when acts of corruption were disclosed which had been perpetrated by the Fire Board. We wish to uncover the secrets entombed in the City Hall-that white building so much like a mausoleum, so pretty without and within filled with dead bones. I shuddered this morning when I read in the press the announcement that my old acquaintance had permitted that appalling and damnable act of falsifying election returns to be per- petrated in the clerk's office on a Sabbath morning. Yes, it was Sunday. St. Paul street was deserted, and on Lexington street only a pedestrian now and then could be seen. Quiet reigned supreme. The priest at the Cathedral was preparing to kneel before the altar and the children in the Charles Street Methodist Church were singing --

' There is a land of pure delight Where saints immortal reign ;'

and the Protestant clergyman was prepar- ing to preach on the text 'Be Sure Your

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Sins Will Find You Out.' Just then an emissary of the ring, every limb trembling with the fear of guilt, stealthily crept into the office of the Superior Court and burnt up the honest ballots. Great God! Just think what they were doing on that Sun- day! They were burning up public opin- ion-cremating the popular will. After such a wrong perpetrated upon an honest people I shall not be surprised if a cyclone pass over this city. I invoke you to be- come a party to the condemnation of those detestable miscreants who are worthy the adornment of a convict's stripes for dese- crating the ballot-box."

Mr. Richard Hamilton wished to know "how much longer shall your garbage cart driver be your judge of election and your ash-box cleaner the clerk?"

On Thursday evening, October 18th, Charles J. Bonaparte spoke at Hollins' Hall, remarking: "Last year I told the people of South Baltimore to vote for the new Judges. I am here to ask them to vote for Mr. Heiskell. I have always been a Republican and was a Union man. I do not blame Mr. Heiskell for going South. It was a time when no man should have been on the fence. I don't say Mr. La- trobe was on the fence. I really don't know where he was. At the present time the members of the late Fire Board, appointed by Mr. Latrobe, stand indicted for offenses which are sufficient to send them to the penitentiary, but their going there depends upon many things."

On the same evening, the Democrats held a meeting at which Mr. McLane spoke, saying: "There are no people so well edu- cated in politics as the Americans and while we to-day hear cries against caucuses and

conventions, the highest men in England are approving and imitating our methods. I seek this office because your voice has called me to it; you misunderstand me, however, if you believe me under personal obligations to you. I do not wish to be understood as being ungrateful, since the highest pride of my life is that during my forty years' course of political life I have not lost one friend."

Mr. Bernard Carter: "Shall the Republi- can party resume control of the State of Maryland and Baltimore City? The ground on which it rests is that of Republican reform. The propositions which I submit are these: the record of the Republican party while it was in power in Maryland and Bal- timore City is a record of political proscrip- tion and corruption; that the same influ- ences that controlled and directed the Re- publican party then control and direct it now; that the leaders and influences that controlled the late Republican State Con- vention and secured the nomination of Hol- ton for Governor are those which managed the Republican side of the fusion move- ment; and that this fusion movement is a part of their plan for the destruction of the Democratic party in Maryland; that there is nothing in the present condition of the Democratic party in this city or the State to justify any true Democrat in refusing to support the nominees of the Democratic party, State or municipal."

Mr. Latrobe: "Baltimore is one of the best and most economically governed cities in the country. During the past ten years there has been disbursed through the city administration, for maintaining the city government and making needed improve- ments, the large sum of between fifty and

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fifty-five millions, and not a dollar was ever wrongfully or dishonestly expended, and no loss except by the defalcation of a dishon- est clerk in one of the departments amount- ing in exact figures to $34,776.65, a loss that might have occurred through a simi- lar cause to the best business firm or bank in the country."

At the Concordia Opera House, on Fri- day, October 19th, Mr. S. T. Wallis said: "An old political friend of mine whom I met the other day shook hands with me as cordially as could be expected in our pres- ent relations, and shaking his head, said: 'I see, Wallis, you are at your bad work again.' But when I look around me to- night, gentlemen, it is some consolation to know that in this vast crowd there are some citizens as bad as I am.'"

Mr. Wallis, in speaking of Joe Thomp- son, said: "I never heard of a man running for office and calling himself a workingman who was not trying to make use of the workingmen to elevate himself above them and then desert them. This workingman who was a blacksmith, has established his anvil in the clerk's office of the Criminal Court. He says he was cheated out of his election. Perhaps so; if he wants to know who cheated him let him look around at the people in whose company he is in. He sits by the side of the men who cheated him."

Monday, October 23d, at the Masonic Temple, Joseph Thompson replied to Mr. Wallis' strictures, saying: "In regard to his having planted his anvil in the clerk's of- fice of the Criminal Court that was 'meta- phorically untrue.' I took nothing there but the crook in my back that came from leaning over the old anvil for many weary

days. I left the anvil in my shop for future reference-for reference to 1877. And it will play sweeter music of those days than all of the dry bones of 1875 that the illus- trious Wallis can shake up."

At the municipal election in October La- trobe was elected, receiving 29,147 votes to Heiskell's 25,669 votes. At the State election held in November McLane received 31,852 votes and Holton 24,176 votes.

1884.

In the Third Congressional District Sam- uel J. Pentz was nominated the Republican candidate for Congress, and. in the Fourth William J. Hooper; he declined and Se- bastian Brown was substituted in his stead. In the Third District the Democrats nomi- nated Dr. William H. Cole, and in the Fourth John V. L. Findlay. This was Presidential election year. Blaine and Lo- gan were the Republican candidates, and Cleveland and Hendricks the Democratic candidates. John T. St. John was the Pro- hibition candidate for President and Wil- liam Daniel, of Baltimore, the Vice-Presi- dential candidate. Mr. St. John reached Baltimore Tuesday evening, October 14th. At a meeting in Monument Square he spoke and was succeeded by Mr. Daniel, who said: "The Prohibitionists believe in moderate protection and in a revenue suf- ficient to economically carry on the Gov- ernment. The real issue with us is that we are opposed to the manufacture, impor- tation and sale of intoxicating liquors. The Democrats have declared against sump- tuary laws and the Republicans decline to say anything about the question in their platform. Judge Taney, in 1846, decided that there was nothing to prevent the Gov-

Cho F Mayer

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ernment from regulating or prohibiting the sale of liquor, if the sale was conducive to vice or ignorance or was against the wel- fare of society."

Mr. Findlay spoke at a meeting of his supporters, Saturday evening, October 24th, at which meeting he said: "It won't do to make this tariff issue a party issue. Mr. Clay and Mr. Calhoun opposed it, and Mr. Bayard has expressed himself as of sim- ilar opinion."

Tuesday night, October 28th, Mr. Se- bastian Brown said: "Under Democratic rule Baltimore had advanced more slowly in material wealth than any city in the Union. The sugar and coffee trade here is gone and the grain trade is surely finding its way to Northern cities."

Friday night, October 31st, Mr. Pentz at Broadway Hall said: "I never look upon that flag without feeling inspired. Is there a man here to-night who does not love that flag? A love for that flag implies a love for the party that has stood by it." At this juncture a plumed Knight of Labor, clad in silver uniform, entered the hall and sa- luted the speaker. This action set the audience fairly wild.

At the election for Councilmen held in October 25,258 votes were cast for the Democratic candidates and 15,465 votes for the Republican candidates.

In the November election Blaine received in Baltimore City for President 27,580 votes and Cleveland 34,206 votes. Cole had for Congress in the Third District 16,107 votes and Pentz 10,747 votes. In the Fourth Congressional District Findlay had 15,723 votes and Brown 14,328 votes.

1885.

The Republican State Convention assem- bled September 24th in the Concordia Op- era House, and nominated by acclamation Francis Miller, of Montgomery county, for Comptroller, and William M. Marine, of Harford county, for Clerk of the Court of Appeals. There was not the remotest chance of their election, the fortunes of the party being at low ebb. Mr. Marine, in nominating Louis E. McComas for chair- man of the convention, gave expression to the hopelessness of the convention in these words: "In the discouragements of cam- paigns, when our prospects east of the western tier of the counties of the State were unfavorable, Republicans have been in the habit of turning to western Maryland for encouragement. That section has generally proven true. In this convention for party consultation, let us call to the chair that young stalwart Republican, Louis E. Mc- Comas." Mr. Miller accepted his nomina- tion with grateful resignation; not so with Mr. Marine. When Samuel Mallalien nominated him he arose and said: "I am much obliged for the honor, but I ask to be permitted to withdraw my name."

Several delegates shouted, "Don't let him withdraw," to which Mr. Marine demurred, saying: "I don't think the nominee for clerk should come from the Western Shore."

Mr. Mallalien: "That is for the conven- tion to decide." Mr. Marine, in accepting the nomination, said he was compelled to be a candidate for an office which he did not want to hold.

J. Frank Turner secured the Democratic

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nomination for Comptroller, and Spencer Jones for Clerk of the Court of Appeals.

James Hodges was nominated by the Democratic party a candidate for Mayor this year. He was opposed by Judge George William Brown, the nominee of the Reformers and endorsed by the Republi- cans.

John P. Poe, at a Democratic meeting at Oratorio Hall, spoke, saying: "That in capacity for vigorous administration, quick knowledge of men and in the power of forming a sound opinion and adhering to it, Mr. Hodges was superior to Judge Brown. The Independents did not believe the primaries were unfair, nor did the law- yers who said the action of the City Con- vention was not binding. The whole thing was a sham, set up as an excuse for deser- tion, planned long before the convention met. The Independents were inconsistent in denouncing the action of the bosses now when they had worked for them in other campaigns. This movement is not new. We have had it for fourteen years, and there never was less reason than now to raise the issue."

At the October election Hodges received 30,897 votes and Brown 28,667 votes.

At the November election in Baltimore Turner had 38,593 votes, Miller 19,113. Jones had 38,638 votes and Marine 19,124 votes.

I886.

Dr. William H. Cole having died, Harry Wells Rusk was nominated from the Third District by the Democrats to fill the unex- pired part of Mr. Cole's term in Congress, and also for the succeeding term. Isidor Raynor was nominated by the same party in the Fourth District.

Hon. John V. L. Findlay, Thursday, Oc- tober the 14th, announced himself an In- dependent candidate for Congress in the Fourth District. Mr. Findlay was indorsed by the Republican Convention held the fol- lowing day, but not without opposition. A small minority bolted and held a separate convention and nominated J. Emory Weatherby. The Republicans in the Third District endorsed Henry A. Bosse, candi- date of the Industrial Labor party for Con- gress.

Monday evening, October 19th, Mr. Ray- ner's adherents assembled at the Academy of Music. Mr. John J. Poe asked: "Shall we respond to our promises by electing a man who repudiated the principles upon which he was elected, or shall we send one to Congress who will carry them out to the letter?"

Mr. Weatherby, Thursday night, Octo- ber 3d, addressing an assemblage of his fol- lowers, said: "We meet every fall with a certain element which is dissatisfied with the Democratic party, who ask Republi- cans for support without compensation. The party has come to be regarded as a sort of chattel mortgage to be transferred at will for purification purposes."

Sebastian Brown: "Mr. Rayner has be- hind him the Democratic machine, which will turn him in, elected or not."

In the evening of Friday, October 4th, Mr. Findlay's supporters held a meeting at Concordia Opera House, George M. Gill presiding. He said: "The first step in order to ascertain the public-will purely and simply as it exists, is to give to all an equal opportunity of voting their sentiments fairly and have them properly counted and re- turned."

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Mr. Findlay: "To every fair-minded voter in any party opposed to the ring it must be apparent that such an issue will be determined by the election of Mr. Rayner or myself. What claim has Mr. Rayner upon the voters of the Fourth Congres- sional District?"

Charles J. Bonaparte: "I would rather surrender all my rights as an American citi- zen than ascend to the highest pinnacle of fame through a fraudulent vote and a tam- pered ballot-box."

The election of November resulted in Rusk, Democrat, receiving in the Third District 13,544; Bosse, Independent and Republican, 3,300. Fourth District the vote was: Rayner, 14,750; Findlay, 7,248; Weatherby, 1,602.

In neither the Third nor Fourth Districts was the full Republican vote polled.

1887.

On the 24th of August, 1887, the Repub- lican State Convention met in the New As- sembly Rooms in Baltimore and nominated Walter B. Brooks for Governor, Robert B. Dixon for Comptroller, and Francis Miller for Attorney General. The event of the day was the appearance of John K. Cowen and William L. Marbury, Reform Demo- crats, in the convention, and the speeches which they delivered. The entire conven- tion and audience welcomed these gentle- men. Mr. Cowen said: "The Independent Democratic voters of this State propose to support your ticket out and out." "I throw down the gauntlet and shall trip gaily to the fray." "There has never been a contested election since 1875, in which the regulars have not been defeated and the opposition elected but counted out." "The Legisla- ture elected on the platform of 1879, which

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Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n Publication date: 1898 Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1344

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344