The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-02-21
Coy. Hamilton's Reform Suggestions
Comments of the Press.

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The Cumberland Times. democrat
expresses surprise at what it terms
the "wild suggestions and proposed
radical changes in the State govern
ment" contained in Gov. Hamiton's
last message to the Legislature, and
adds:
"We are charitable enough to be-
| IieVe the Governor is in earnest in
his efforts for retrenchment, but he
should have known that his message
at this time, after the appointment
of committee to confer with him
was defiance of that committee, az
was the caucus that appointed it.
That caucus declared for economy,
and was pledged to aid the Governor
in all cOmmendable points of re-
trenchment; and however honest his
motives, they will be impugned be-
cause he did not withhold his message
until the committee had an opportu>
nifty for conference. Many of the
recommendations made by the Gov
ernor are practically impossible to
carry out without Overturning the
party in power and this accomplish
ed, it would be found that what was
considered economy proved but a
waste-that to save a penny we lost
a pound. The message, taken in
connection with concurrent incidents,
looks to us very much like defiance
thrown into the teeth of the Leglsla-
ture. We trust we may be mistaken.
We desire to see Gov. Hamilton
honored by the party we have been
proud of his political past and hope
to take pride in his future. 1t is for
himself to decide what that future
shall be. He cannot force his own
future"
The Cumberland Nea0s, Republi
can, pronounces the message to be
"a strong and able state paper" and
continues:
"The sending in of the message is
one of the bOldest and best things
Governor Hamilton has done in his
political career. 1t shows that he APP
parently means to carry out the re-
forms pledged by his party in the last
campaign. He will compel his party
to put itself upor; the record, and the
true inWardness of its professions
must now be laid bare. In the work
of retreBchnent the Governor can
reckon on considerable Democratic
and all of the Republican support,
and he has thrown the gage OF battle
to the ring"
The Annapolis Republican Demo-
crat, edited by Mr.. George Cotton,
recently elected a police commissioner
for Baltimore city, has a leading edi-
torial against the proposition to
abolish the Office of State tax COM
missioner. 1t says il is very evident
that 1.-THE class of persons who have
heretofore successfully evaded the
payment of their just proportion of
the public taxes are very Jealous ia
their hostility to the Office of tax
commissioners" and assigns as a
reason for this hostility the fear that
the continuance of the office may
lead to the development of the hid
den wealth OF the State, and by that
means tend to equalize taxation"
The Salisbury Times, Republican,
says:
"The struggle between the Cover
nor Of Maryland and the ring Dem
ocracy has begun in real earnest. The
Governor recommends regulation
of primary meetings by law, the
abolition of various useless officers,
such as cattle weighers, tobacco i'm
spectors and fish commissioners. The
ring cannot throw away their resour-
ces in this way, and reform promises
to end where it has begun--in the
Governors messages. Just how Mr..
Hamilton's influence will extend