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CONSPICUOUS ACTS OF VIOLENCE. 275
movement and were prepared to sustain it by their votes on Wednesday last, and a
conviction of this fact, doubtless, led to the monstrous determination on the part of those
in power to retain it at any cost.
" With some exceptions those who were appointed judges of election were not
qualified either by capacity or character for that important office; and while a few are
entitled to all praise for their manly efforts, under the most trying circumstances, to
maintain your rights, a large majority wholly failed to do their duty. The polls in some
instances were placed in situations immediately under the control of the clubs who had
their arsenals close at hand, with every preparation made to take possession of the polls
and drive away voters by force of arms. Illegal votes in great numbers were received by
many of the judges without question or scruple. Not a few persons voted many times
in the same ward, and many others voted in wards where they did not reside. Omnibus
loads of wretched creatures who had been coaxed or kidnapped into vile coops, and
there confined for days, were carried about from place to place and voted as often as their
keepers thought proper. No attempt was made by the authorities to break up the arsenals
or coops. Respectable citizens were brutally assaulted, beaten and driven from the polls.
Very few naturalized citizens were allowed to vote or even to approach the polls. Various
kinds of violence, annoyance and intimidation were resorted to, and if those had not
sufficed, the clubs were prepared to carry the election, as we have every reason to believe,
by wholesale murder. When this became clearly apparent, with a view of saving the
lives of citizens, we used our efforts successfully to withdraw all active opposition, and throughout the city the clubs were left in uncontrolled possesion of the
polls, except in the 8th and 12th wards. In the 12th ward, order was partially preserved
throughout the day, and in the 8th ward the Reformers were so largely in the majority
and were in such great force, that they had the control entirely in their own power, but to
their great credit, notwithstanding the provocation occasioned by the ill-treatment of their
friends in all the other wards, the voting was conducted fairly and peaceably during the
entire day.
" In the rest of the city, no election wras in fact held. That which was so denominated
was a shameful mockery in which all fair expression of opinion was prevented by intimidation, fraud and violence.
" And we cannot even stop here, but it is our melancholy duty to state that a foul and
bloody murder was added to the other crimes of the day. This community will long
deplore the death of an excellent fellow-citizen, Adam Barclay Kyle, Jr., who lost his life
in a manly effort to maintain his right as a voter and perform his duty in the manner
recommended by this committee. But he has not died in vain. His blood was shed in
defence of the dearest rights of freemen, and that honor awaits his memory which is
awarded to those who lay down their lives for their country. A great sacrifice like this
seemed to be needed to arouse the people to a just sense of their degraded political condition and of their manifest duty.
" The police, with very few honorable exceptions, were shamefully delinquent, making
no effort to assist voters or suppress disorder, but openly sympathizing with the rioters,
and in almost every case arresting those only who were assaulted by ruffians and who
endeavored to defend themselves. Little reliance in such emergency can ever be placed
on men who are chosen for their partizan services and whose continuance in office
depends on the success of the party to which they belong. On this occasion the police, no
doubt, obeyed the instructions which they had received from their superiors.
'" Citizens of Baltimore: The men who have been returned by the officers of the law as
your rulers and representatives, have no right to these places. Amongst them are those
who claim'to be, and wdio have always been considered honest and honorable. It is both
a principle of law and a maxim in morals, that the receiver of property, known to have
been obtained by robbery, is as guilty as the taker; and they who by fraud and violence
Object Description
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
Description
| Title | 00000306 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | CONSPICUOUS ACTS OF VIOLENCE. 275 movement and were prepared to sustain it by their votes on Wednesday last, and a conviction of this fact, doubtless, led to the monstrous determination on the part of those in power to retain it at any cost. " With some exceptions those who were appointed judges of election were not qualified either by capacity or character for that important office; and while a few are entitled to all praise for their manly efforts, under the most trying circumstances, to maintain your rights, a large majority wholly failed to do their duty. The polls in some instances were placed in situations immediately under the control of the clubs who had their arsenals close at hand, with every preparation made to take possession of the polls and drive away voters by force of arms. Illegal votes in great numbers were received by many of the judges without question or scruple. Not a few persons voted many times in the same ward, and many others voted in wards where they did not reside. Omnibus loads of wretched creatures who had been coaxed or kidnapped into vile coops, and there confined for days, were carried about from place to place and voted as often as their keepers thought proper. No attempt was made by the authorities to break up the arsenals or coops. Respectable citizens were brutally assaulted, beaten and driven from the polls. Very few naturalized citizens were allowed to vote or even to approach the polls. Various kinds of violence, annoyance and intimidation were resorted to, and if those had not sufficed, the clubs were prepared to carry the election, as we have every reason to believe, by wholesale murder. When this became clearly apparent, with a view of saving the lives of citizens, we used our efforts successfully to withdraw all active opposition, and throughout the city the clubs were left in uncontrolled possesion of the polls, except in the 8th and 12th wards. In the 12th ward, order was partially preserved throughout the day, and in the 8th ward the Reformers were so largely in the majority and were in such great force, that they had the control entirely in their own power, but to their great credit, notwithstanding the provocation occasioned by the ill-treatment of their friends in all the other wards, the voting was conducted fairly and peaceably during the entire day. " In the rest of the city, no election wras in fact held. That which was so denominated was a shameful mockery in which all fair expression of opinion was prevented by intimidation, fraud and violence. " And we cannot even stop here, but it is our melancholy duty to state that a foul and bloody murder was added to the other crimes of the day. This community will long deplore the death of an excellent fellow-citizen, Adam Barclay Kyle, Jr., who lost his life in a manly effort to maintain his right as a voter and perform his duty in the manner recommended by this committee. But he has not died in vain. His blood was shed in defence of the dearest rights of freemen, and that honor awaits his memory which is awarded to those who lay down their lives for their country. A great sacrifice like this seemed to be needed to arouse the people to a just sense of their degraded political condition and of their manifest duty. " The police, with very few honorable exceptions, were shamefully delinquent, making no effort to assist voters or suppress disorder, but openly sympathizing with the rioters, and in almost every case arresting those only who were assaulted by ruffians and who endeavored to defend themselves. Little reliance in such emergency can ever be placed on men who are chosen for their partizan services and whose continuance in office depends on the success of the party to which they belong. On this occasion the police, no doubt, obeyed the instructions which they had received from their superiors. '" Citizens of Baltimore: The men who have been returned by the officers of the law as your rulers and representatives, have no right to these places. Amongst them are those who claim'to be, and wdio have always been considered honest and honorable. It is both a principle of law and a maxim in morals, that the receiver of property, known to have been obtained by robbery, is as guilty as the taker; and they who by fraud and violence |
