American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-09-30
n mGriton Republic al,
AND
BALTIMORE CLIPPER.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, SEPT, so, 1916.

p,r,,,,., SESSIONS. The Annapolis Demo
.,r,,;e Star is mistaken in supposing that W
ara s.opposed to full understanding of the PEG
xle. of what they are called upon TO support.
.vbis assertion of the Star is made in reference
"a the vote which is TO be given on "Wednesday
yert, for or against the bill to substitute bienni
nj for annual sessions of the legislature. So fal
dtom desiring that the people shall be ignorant
nflhe matter upon which they will be called to
votc, we should be glad to have copies OF the
act stuck up for their peTusal at every place OF
ho!ding the election in the State; for we are
confident that, if the people correctly under
.st4nd the subject, the act will be sanctioned by
ca overwhelming majority OF their votes. we
desire to have the question pat to voters in the
orecise language of the act; nor do we think,
that Judges have the right to change the form
of the question. If the mode suggested by the
uriter tor the Star were to be adopted by the
Judges, it would produce delay and embarrass-
ruent, which should be avoided.
Tie Star considers the annual saving of hlr-
ty thousand dollars too insignificant to notice;
and get. it is the advocate of the reduction OF
salaries to a less amount, "Distribute the pay
,nent Of thirty thousand dollars" Says the
Star "amongst persons holding one hundred
and seventy-five millions of dollars worth of
property, and no man can tell what he has to
yav of it. Besides, the sum thus expended has
been, and is now raised in manner, the bur-
then of which is not felt" If the Star has no
sQunder reasons to offer against the adoption of
the bill than these, the people will scarcely be
induced to vote against it; for, upon the same
nrincipIe, it can be as readily shown, that any
reduction of State expenditures would be I'M
necessary and impolitc. The amount comes
out of the pockets of the people, and can be
saved without detriment to the interests of the
State This would, at all events, be good
beginning towards reducing public expenses.
Thirty thousand dollars will pay the interest at
six per cent. of halfa mllion-no mean object
uuder present circumstances. Justice towards
the public creditors requires that this amount,
aud as much more as we can add, shall be saw
cd, SO that we may meet the claims against US
Ike honest men. Why not commence our sys-
tenn of reduction with this item? Shall we take
two thousand dollars from the salary of the 60
vernon, and one thousand from that Of the Sc
rretary of State? These two items of them
selves, would be utterly worthless in the adoP-
Aion ola system of economy-but added to the
Uinr hv hinnniaI caccinpc and nther radup-
tons, some sixty, or perhaps hundred thou
sand dollars, might be annually applied to the
payment of interest on the public debt. Al
though each item by itself, might be insignii-
amount worthy of consideration. Why do we
hear so much about "retrenchment and re-
form, sf the very first effort made to retrench
is TO be resisted, upon the ground that the sum
proposed to be saved, is paid by so many per-
sons as not to be felt7 If this bill be rejected,
it would be as we'll to cease all future efforts to
retrench expenses, as less OBJ ectionable item
cannot be named.
We regret TO see an attempt made to con-
yIect this subject with party politics, as it is
matter in which not only the whole people of
the State, but their creditors, are concerned.
A paper in Dorchester county endeavors to
rally party feeling against the biennial sessions
bill, upon the ridiculous pretext, that, should
4 democratic governor be chosen at the next
election, governor Pratt would have the APP
pOintmont of State officers for two years of the
time FOR which the democratic governor would
have to serve. Were this even the fact, it
would be of little Importance, inasmuch as his
successor would appoint in the same manner
foV portion of the time of the governor who
might come after him. But it must be recol-
iected that appointments are to be made by and
with the sanction of the Senate, which body
does not assemble until the last Monday in the
year, and that tho new governor takes his seat
on the first Monday in Janua ry. Now, it can
not be supposed, that governor Pratt, or any
other executive, would employ the last week
IL his term of service in making appointments
Ws''ch should be rghtiully made by his success
sor; especially, as the terms for which the then
existing officers were appointed would not
have expired. No man, in his senses, can be-
ieve that this would be done; and yet, this is
urged as reason why the bill should be re-
lected by the people. They must be simple,
i1deed, if they vote against the positive saving
to themselves of thirty thousand dollars year
upon SO erroneous and fm.y a pretext We
nope that every voter in the State, will consd.
et 1t an imperative duty to vote upon this i'm.
portans question-and, if there be full vote
we shall have no fears Of the result.