The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-02-21
Governor Hamilton's Message.

ted with Governor Hamilton's mes
sage is quite natural, for it specifies
practical reforms, and confronts the
Legislature with issues that cannot be
eyaded, but must be met. The prom
ises of reform contained in the party
platform were intended for campaign
use and as the campaign was con-
trolIed and directed by the very men
who had nursed all the al uses, COM
mitted the extrayagances. and estab-
lished the superfuities complained of
by the people-and as it was upon
the use of these means of controlling
party primaries that these men de-
pended for their prominence and
power-no observant person could be
delu1ed into the belief that those
pledges were sincere. 1t does not
hurt to urge reform in the abstract,
and Governor Hamilton could have
used up.all the legal cap-paper in the
State Library in the preparation of
messages patronizing the virtues
without occasioning the slightest
annoyance. The legislature could
have gone on the beatenltrack, diyid-
ing the spoils and charging the &C
commodations for party. hacks IN the
public service, and the party would
have come before the people in the
next campaign with fresh protesta-
tons of zeal for economy and reform.
Mr.. P. T. Barnum-whO certainly
ought to know-has laid it down as
a principle of &C ton that "the people
like to be humbugged," and the sue
cess of the Democratic party of this
state is a strong proof of the justice
of the assertion. Managing politi-
clans have good deal of contempt
for the intelligence of the people; but
they knew that, while the people
may be easily humbugged, it is ne
cessary to throw a decent conceal
ment over the process. and they are
now enraged with Governor Hamil-
ton because he has made this impos-
sible. His message is catalogue of
the reforms which the legislature
ought to carry through. He has re-
duced to specifications the general
izations of the platform, and has
thus spoiled the game of the politi-
clans, who never intended to proceed
from the abstract to the concrete.
The tone and spirit of the message
cannot be too strongly commended.
1t is full of robust intelligence and
honesty, and displays Governor
Hamilton as man of the purest type
of civic virtue-wOrthy of the great
est esteem, attachment and honor
from his fellow citizens.
In considering Gov. Hamilton's
recommendations, we find ourselves
unable to go with him everywhere,
agreeing with him in the majority of
casses. Nothing could be better tina
his exposure of the folly OF the neces-
sity of the state inspection laws in
order to establish an impartial UNI
pirage between buyer and seller.
People can take better care of their
own interests than any state officer
can for them and the idea that to-
baccO planters are such helpless,
imhecile class of the population, that
the state must at considerable ex-
pense support warehouses for their
accompodation and inspect their to-
bacco for them, in order that wicked
and designing men may not take
advantage of them, is simply prep0s-
ferrous. Against the Governors rec
ommendatiOn that the number of
fish commissioners be reduced to one,
there can be no honest objection.
Everybody knows that the Eastern
Shore commissioner is a sinecurist.
Eastern Shore is part of Maryland,
and one commissioners for the whole
state is enough; the perpetual men
delaney which demands that useless
Offices shall be created, so that the
Eastern Shore shall be represented,
is a disgrace to that section, and all
vestiges of the old idea of duality in
the state government should be OBJ
liberated from the laws. In the Coy
ernor's condemnation of the collec-
ton and tabulation of vital statistics |
we do not agree, in our opinion the |
objection to the act of &c is
not its existence on the statute book,
but the fact that it is dead letter,
and no service is performed by the
Secretary of State for the salary of
81 900 per annum drawn by him I'M
der its provisions in addition to his
other pay. The matter Is one that
ought to be transferred to the care of
the State Board of Health. We are
not able to agree with the Governor
as to the uselessness of the office of
tax commissioner. It's expense is a
small consideration if its operations
are useful, as they apparently have