The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-04-08
ANNAPOLIS CORRESPONDENCE.
ANNAPOLIS, April 9Th, 1871


has been contaminated by the impure ele-
ment with which we have been forced into
daily intercourse, the Legislature having
Adjourned, the greater and lesser Ring
lights have taken their departure from
among us,-to our great relief-and gone
to their homes to caiole and humbug a
deceived and betrayed people.
Of all the mighty promises of reform
within the party, particularly the great
reforms promised by the Maryland lnsti-
tute meeting of December last and of its
Committee, of which E. Wyatt Blanchard
was Chairman, not one has been redeemed,
for the amendments professed to be made
to the Registry law, are in reality no i'm
proyement upon the law as it existed at the
last election. The Ring caucus tabled the
law prepared by Mr.. Blanchard's Commit
tee, and substituted one presented by Cor
man. The House made some salutary
amendments to Germans BILL such rs COM
handing the Registers to require af1idavits
to be made, (and for the preservation there
of before striking name from the list,
and to insert the name of the party making
the affidavit in the place of the voter strick-
en- off, and to prevent Registers from add
ing to or striking from the list, except at
the times and places set for the registration,
but the Senate would not consent to these
salutary provisions for the protection of
voters; refused to concur, and with the aid
of a Committee of Conference accomplished
the destruction of the only good features
engrafted on the bill. Thus there has been
no improvement in the Registry law. The
only real public act Of any general import
ance is the assessment law, and this is only
beneficial in the fact that it reaches large
class of property heretofore contributing
nothing to the public treasury. But when
it is remembered that it creates a small
army of about four hundred officers, and
will cost from six to ten thousand dollars
to put it IN operation, it loses many of its
otherwise valuable characteristics.
There was another good act done Mr..
Donaldson's measure, looking to an ad-
justment of the long-pending controversy
between the State and the Baltimore Il
Ohio Railroad Company. final settle
ment of the controversy has long been de.
sirable, and will now be obtained.
The manner in which the Election Com
mttee was constituted, gave evidence in
the outset that the results reached were
foregone conclusions, and Mr.. Neal, who
Mr.. Constable sarcastically dubbed a " born
lawyer" was in this instance 1.-THE right
man in the right place " to carry out the
orders of the Ring masters, and no doubt
gave them satisfaction-to the disgust of
all matchmaking men, who watched the
course of events. And the tiaal Climax of
giving ten thousand dollars, ostensiby to
pay the expenses of the contest before his
Committee, to be disbursed upon the orders
of German and Neal, was bully for the
Ring"
The defeat of the bill to transfer to the
State the property and management, Jointly
with the city of Baltimore Of the House of
Refuge for juvenile delinquents, was great
mistake; for of all the reformatory institu-
tons in the State, this was one to which
the people looked with satisfaction and
approval.
'fhe various Committees of Investigation
did just what the Ring managers, no doubt,
expected them to do, and whilst some peo-
pie think good deal of g whitewashing -
was done, permit me to say that the opin-
ion of those at the State Capital is, that
whitewash was not used, that it was too
thin, when mixed, to cover up the Ring
dongs, and hence, lime By the bushel had to
be resorted to.
There was probably less lobbying than
at the session of 1874, and this beneficial
result is ascribed to the pervading presence
of the Reformers, together with such Dem
ocrats as Dennis and Stevens in the Senate
and Donaldson, Rutedge and few others
in the House, particularly and prominently
the gifted and talented son of Cecil-Albert
Constable-the worthy son of noble sire.
These gentlemen will be cherished by the
people of the State for the fairness and
fearlessness with which they met every
issue.
In this connection, please insert the fol-
lowing in regard to the report of the Com
m tee tn
through the Southern Maryland Railroad !:
Mr.. Constable refused to vote, giving the
following as his reason. which he asked to
have entered upon the Journal
| cannot vote to adopt this report for
several reasons. One reason is that the
Investigation was stayed at the very point
where it promised to be fruitful of astound-
ing results. Another reason is that the
committee declined to exercise, in prose-
cutting this inquiry, the powers vested in
it by the House and by the Constitution,
and which it was the duty of said COM
mittee to exercise in behalf of the House
and of the people, the guardian of whose
rights we are. Another reason is that it
would be indecent as well as Inconsistent
to camor for further powers to prosecute
investigation, as was done in the canal
investigation upon frivolous grounds, and
yet to refuse to exercise power which they
have and which the highest interest Of
the State demand should be fully, fearlessly
and impartially put in force against the
plunderers of the State Treasury. Another
reason is that am a member of the Demo-
cratic party, and have at heart the success
of that party, upon which in my opinion,
under God depends the salvation of our
republican institutions, and believe action
like this proposed will dishonor that party,
and is but servile imitation of Radical
precedent.
Mr. Donaldson also declined to vote.
Mr.. Neal, after the vote had been taken
moved that Mr.. Constable's remarks should
be expunged from the Journal.
Mr.. Lewis, of the city delegation, Sec
onded Mr.. Meals motion. Mr.. Constable
defended his action, giving Mr.. Neal a
sharp rebuke. He said that if Gods truth
be an insult, then his words were insulting.
He had nothing to take back He was not
a thick and thin partisan like the gentle
man from Queen Anne's, but was Demo-
crat, and as a member of the Democratic
party would not lend his countenance to
anything dishonoring to that party. Mr..
Constable made sarcastic reference to the
proceedings in the canal investigation,
when it was desired to violate private rights
III Oruer 10 Gratily Ilallce, ana tne gentle
man was in favor Of the bill comforting ex-
traordinary powers to that end on the canal
committee. Now when a committee with
full powers to compel the testimony of wit
nesses stops short just upon the verge of
discovering who stole the money of the
State, the gentleman thinks it Insulting to
state that the fact. Mr.. Constable, con-
tinuing, said that he positively declined
to vote on a report dishenoring to the
party and insulting to public intelligence
and decency. They say it is a mere quarrel
between two rivals corporations. There
is an old saying that when thieves fall out
honest men get their dues. He would not
vote himself such an arrant fool as to
swallow down that report. Why was it
that parties were SO clamorous for power
in one case for utterly frivolous reasons,
and SO reluctant to use it to expose the
thieves plundering the Treasury
Mr. Constable's vigorous defence of his
conduct seemed to cool Mr.. Meals ardor,
and he disclaimed any intention of making
a personal attack upon the gentleman from
Cecil. His remarks referred to the phrase
"servie imitation of a Radical precedent"
which he considered to be supplementary
nd eLo 81, l.