The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-02-14

o'' 'hey nave Invariably encountered
'ne opposition of the leaders OF the
nhajority. A great pressure is brought
- Dear upon them. They are fresh
.io'n the canvass where such sweep
my reforms were promised, and they
KNOW that quickened public senti-
neht is scrutinizing their every
action. They have also against them
'he iron will of determined Exec
u'ive, and the solid Republican vote.
among the measures calculated to
TEST the sincerity of pledges made on
'ne stump | note first, the PROPOSE
.ioh 10 give out the publict printing
20 the lowest responsible bidder.
ms was promtly voted down Ivy the
majority al d on the following day
.hey fastened to elect a printer of
'nelr own selection, at salary
OF $4,000, the same as paid
ior the work at the last session, and
as the public printing was one of the
subjects to be reformed We see. no
disposition to correct this crying
abuse.
A few days ago Mr.. Turner of AL
legeny, offered an order directing the
Chairman of the committee on claims
toreport to this House the number
ofofficers employed, their duties,
Compensation, and by whom appoin-
jed. Mr.. Vandiver the chairman of
that committee made an effort to
table the order, but did not succeed
in suppressing the information. This
report shows that the House has %
officers appointed by the committee
on organization, five by the Speaker
and four jointly by the House and
Senate, making thirty in all for the
House; they receive So per day each,
except two, and they receive $40 per
day. Some of their duties are very
light, as | will presently show.
All the more important commit
tees have clerks. / will notice more
especially the election committee. of
which | have positive knowledge.
That committee has held four meet.
ings, of about two hours duration
each, and they will hold perhaps, two
or three additional meetings. The
clerk sits by during the sessions of
the committee and, l believe, has
charge of papers of the parties con
testing the seat. He will be en-
ployed in the way indicated perhaps
10 hours during the session of the
Legislature and will draw 80 days
pay at So per day, besides mileage
and postage stamps, and there is no
earthly use for his appointment at
all, as the work could be done just as
well without him. This is but one
of many evidences of reform, as
there dozen other employees of the
House just as useless as the case men,
toned.
To-day an order will probably be
passed giving all these useless Off.
GERS SIS worth of postage stamps.
Yesterday there was an amusing
debate by the members of Talbot
county on the question of taking the
gates off the public road. They both
insisted that they were a nuisance,
and would be voted so by the people,
but one of them opposed TIE taking
off of the gates, because he was a
Democrat and he claimed that the
other was not the simon-pure article,
and left it to be inferred that it was
undemocratic to abate a nuisance.
Mr.. Roberts, of Prince Georges
county, took part in the debate ; he
declared that gates on the highway
were relic of barbarism, that Prince
Georges county was cursed with
them until she was represented here
by Republicans, and as they had no
chance of getting back to the legisla-
ture again they had taken the re-
sponsibility of abolishing the gates.
Certainly very fattering, tho per-
haps unintentional commentary on
the wisdom of Republican legisla-
ton.
SPHINX.