The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-03-20


who would certainly have voted with
the Governor were absent. Of course
this accounts for the anxiety of those
favoring the retention of the office to
seal the fate of the measure by the
motion to lay on the table the prop
esitiOn for reconsideration of the
vote by which the bill was made the
special order for April 6, the day af-
ter the final adjournment of the two
houses.
Sir" said the Governor to-day,
sit was a convenient way of avoiding
action on the bill. 1t would not have
been we'll for the opponents of the
measure to have risked direct vote
on the bill itself. Why. sir, the bill
would have been passed. Recent
events demonstrate this. The vote
on the bill for the abolition of the Of
flee of superintendent of telegraph
shows it. That bill was reported un-
favorably by the committee, and
there was opposition to the substitu.
ton of the bill for the unfavorable
report; but the bill was passed by a
large majority. Yes, sir, the House
is in favor of measures of retrench-
ment. Let measure come up on its
merits and it will prevail. My op.
position is not to the individual oc-
cupying the Office, but to the Office it.
self. / think that if the question
were Invested of personalities, there
would be no trouble in passing bill
for the abolition of the office of tax
commissioner. l am in favor of no
half measures, sir. Being conscien-
tiously opposed to the Office cannot
approve of any bill to make the office
elective" This, it will be remem-
bered, is proposed by the majority of
the caucus committee.
Now" continued the Governor,
"why am I opposed to the office?
think, in the first place, that the Of.
flee is unconstitutional. / believe
that the duty should be vested in the
Comptroller, and if he needs addi-
tional clerical assistance, that is an
other matter. The Comptroller is an
officer elected by the people every
two years, responsible to them for
his action, and the Governor, under
the Constitution, has the right to go
into his Office and examine his books
twice a year or oftener. But how is
it with your Tax Commissioner? He
is elected by the Board of Public
Works for term twice as long as
the Comptroller. but is not accounta-
BILE either to the Governor or to the
Beard which elects him. 1t is a sey-
erance and division of duties. Does
not the Secretary of the Treasury at
tend to, and has he no t the control
of, all the financial transactions of
the general government? Why. then,
should there be a division of these
duties in our State government? /
have seen it stated by opponents of
the abolition of the Office that corpo-
rations favor its abolition. So far as
| am aware, the very reverse is the
fact. Heads of corporations are in
70 xynr nf tic rafanfion VYorlJ not
large corporations who have matters
to fix up rather treat with an off.
Ger not accountable to any one and
elected by such body as the board
of Public Works than with an officer
elected biennially by the people :?
Why, of course they would"
"Goyernor," inquired your corre-
spondent, "you differ from the At
torney General as to the constitution
atty of the Office"
"Why, sir" replied the Governor,
rising from his chair and walking up
and down his room with apparent
indignation. "Why, sir, of course I
do. l believe the Office is unconsti.
tutional. I said so in my message,
and / think l am right"
"What is your opinion of the reg
istration bill ?"
II have not read it," replied the
Governor,but propose to dose soon.
My recommendations were for reg.
istration by precincts, and until that
is adopted the object for which con-
tend will not accomplished. What
we want is fair registrations and fair
elections. We must also have free
inspections and removal of all re-
strictions from trade"
"What are the prospects for bill
for free inspection of tobacco? Cannot
an amendment to the present bill to
that effect be carried?"
II am in favor of free inspections,
and therefore do not approve the
compulsory feature of the present
bill. There ought to be a sufficient
number of representative men in the
House to carry through bill for free
inspection of tobacco. Tho caucus