The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-01-17
Correspondence baltimore County Cnion.
TO THE LEGISLATURE OF MARYLAND
M Ill

No. III.
II Is not out Of place to again call attention 10
tue fact that there n supreme demand for fresh
registration, and that II IL imporatiVcy essential
a. far registration and election that tho exist
Ing registration lists and poll books should he de
shrugged prior fo the communicated .f hs fresh ry-
isiraiioR. There should not be len for use or rel.
ercncc u vcstige of the existing machinery for the
perpetration of fraud upon either the registration
or the election.
There arc other necessities for having new
Constitution, IL the people mean to have thorough
reform and reduction of expense, besides that of
sbolishing the Orphans Courts. There l. n very
decided and a very prevalent opinion among the
plain people that there could be decided i'm
provcIncnt made by abolishing the present Judi
cial system Of our State There are u large num-
Dor Of plain folks who have not been convinced
that tho three Judge system Is any improvement
on the old onc-Judgc system. Why "nc Judge
could not decide and pronounce the law and utter
sentence just ~ we'll as tieo or three very many
people have been unable 10 ascertain. In fact
there have been instances Mt TOwsOntOwn when
tlro Judges have failed to agree upon n decision
when case has been tried before them, which
quired the case % be tried again, cnialing large
additional expense 10 the taxpayers. II there
had been but ono Judge on the Bench the party
would either have been convicted or acquitted and
thus the matter would have ended. lis the con
Judicial system that shall have but one Judge
upon our Circuit Court Benches and Court of
Appeals entirely unccnnected with the Circuit
Courts would be u decided improvement ON the
present system. II certainly would be an cconO-
my in the matter Of expense in the payment of
salaries. and no one can see that IL would be less
cifcicn; in the dispcnsation of Justice. The terms
OF our Judges who st upon the Bench at present
will expire in lSS2. II will take until that time
10 call convention, form u new Constitution aud
put all of its machinery in motion. that the new
Judicial system can begin just st the termination
Of the terms Of the present occupants Of tho Cir
cult Courts and the Court Of Appeals.
Geniicmcn oi the Legislature who feel that you
have larger and more important duty To perform
ut Annapolis than the election Of u Initoi States
Senator or public printer. will you do your
stituents the service IL n scriou. n,cstigaton Of
this matter
by operation Of our present Constitution there
l. no provision for always having person Of cx-
pcriencc ia the business in our Boards of County
Commissioners. This is certainly a dcttimcnt To-
the public service. II frequently happens. aud
certainly happens too often for the public welfare
that three inexperienced persons elected TO
boards at the same time. The business is necc.-
sarily retarded and delayed until they get the
hang 81 II. /; IL then fruitful time for shaTpcrS
60 stick stale bills upon then. 10 get through
just claims or larger claims for money than isht
and justice would permit. Ii there were -
mcnt oi the election of our Commissioners would
always keep one experienced man in the Board Il
would be more comfortable and satisfactory 60 the
| Commissioners themselves. more convenient and
agreeable Tor those transacting business with them
aud more conducive 10 the public service by say b
! ing many dollars for which orders are sinu.gc,l
through the Board IN consequence ui their lack II
! experience This i, an arrangement that can in.
! jurc nobody except those whose sharp game.
| would be detected aud thwar;el by the man Of cX-
periencc. and would be- beneficial 60 all the balance
/ Of the community. There !, M reasonable objs,.
iion TO be alleged against it and II should be
adopted.
/ This j. another reason for asking for a cnnven.
7 iion 10 give ia new Constitution among other.
/ which will be named from time 90 time. Some
one may say that these things can be done hy the
Legislature. IL IL simply sufficient 20 reply that
Legislature where all sorts OF inisr..i. lcrsonai
! and otherwise. are involved in almost every thing
that i done. il not the body To- frame or make
! grea; and thorough changes in the organic law oi
state. To have this thing properly done will
| require body Of mcn who shall not be cncum-
beEel with any minor matters or side issues tia,
tend 60 mar VF disturb the chief object Of their
scmbling.
! The taxpayer movement in several counties
ami in their State meeting in baltimore city la;
/ summer directed attention e. the revenue tina,
should come {" the State Treasury from the fee. %;
certain elicial, whose receipt. shall exceed the
hiEi, &c their saiare. laid down by the Cons,itl
tion-thai Of $4,000 per annum. This include.
all officials whose salary j. paid by fees receive
into their oticss. such Shcrfs. Clerk. 81 Court.
AMI Registers of Wills. The proceedings Of these
meeting manifested a suspicion that the State
Treasury was not receiving all that should be re-
| ccivei from that quarter and made some elurt o.
| point out remedy. tpon this point the pre,eR,
Constitution i defective and the theory upon
which u undertakes 20 control Il falls short Of
| gf no l..
with the receipts Of these Offices State revenue
and yet allows the officials who collect !; % dis.
buEsc IT, % retain all in their hands until the cx
praiiun of the year and then turn over the balance
No business man would employ an agcn; o. iran..
| act has business in this style. At the foundation
! of the ni,ci states government. when everybody
Is at lea.t rcputei To have been scrupuou.ly hon
est. it, founders did not think thi. the cnrrcc;
way %; doing business The law creain. the
niiet states Treasury, passed by the irst Con.
| gfess ninety years ago, ubliges every one who re-
ceives iees into hs custody To- keep stric, item.
iEsd account and 10 make an accurate return %.
| a.. r'''iPi.--ihr cr.i-at the cnl Of each month
| % the Secretary Of the Treasury. And then the
| Secretary returns o. him draft upon the IscI.u-
| ~ for his salary and that Of hi. officials. Why
cant this system OF dealing with the revenue be
adopted by the state Of Maryland: The answer
is that the Constitution leaves cyory,hin. in the
hands of the official until the expiration oi tn,
year. IL alhws the official himself o. be collector
and disburser and only asks him TO pay over e.
the Treasury the amount Of the excess" in hi,
hands after paying hi, clerks ami Office cxpcn.c
| More hereafter.
The present compensation of juror i in exec.
Of what j; should be in comparison with othc;
things. Prior 20 lsGj a juror received - 30 pei
diem. In tina; year his compen .a,ion wa. raised
TO $3.50 per diem and IL cents per mile TOT on,
trip TO and from the county seat. Some one vii
say that $50 j. not sufficient compensation O.
take man from hi. business. IL j. replied that
IL he has bushes. that is worth much neither
will s2.50 pay him for his loss. l; are to have
reform and n decrease of expenditure. nil must
help 10 bear II. Folks cannot expect To- rciuc,
expenses If every mAn who has an opportunity I.
draw upon the public purse makes tina, draft al
large a. possible. Tax payers will remember thai
while they are serving upon the jury Tor ~ 80 pei
day they are rendering public service and at IN,
same time helping 10 keep down take. and /; u
not every Taxpayer that Is frequently called upoT
to serve his county by being juror. The Le.i.
lature should restore the jurors compensation &
the anti.war rate and thus relieve the tax payer
of tire. ffihs or 30 per cent of this expense. Pu
this with the reduction of the Grand Jury o. al
and IL will make u material difference in our levy
| CIfnEN.
Correspondence BahiB,ore County Union.
"wHO PAYS FOR AI,I,7"