Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-11-04
Speech of Senator 4. u. German

In view of the many published assaults
upon the past record of the Democratic
party, in this State we make room below
for a condensed report of the very able
and instructive speech of Hon. a. L. Cor
man, made at Democratic mass meeting
in Howard county last week, which is re-
spensive to these charges, and contains
much valuable information concerning the
Democratic management of the affairs OF
the State. We regard this as a fitting and
most satisfactory supplement to the sta
tistical statement of the treasury officers,
we published two wesks ago, and we COM
mend this also to the careful perusal OF
ALL
Mr.. German said The democratic party
has had control of the affairs of the State since
1867, and must be held responsible for its acts
and it does not shrink from inquiry. 1t res's
its claim for support upon the fact that il has
administered the affairs of the State wisely an l
economically. The conduct of the public
fairs of the State has of late been bitterly a
sailed, and it is not difficult 10 understood the
reason. In the efforts to equalze the burden
of taxation it had excited the antag oniSm OF
one or more corporations holding and welding
enormous wealth. The party will not shrink
from a contest with such influences. No cor
poration will be permitted 10 name the Gov
ernor and executive officers of this State or TO
control its legislation aud mold its policy. The
democratic party has by its administration o.
public Affairs since 1867 secured government
as efficient, economical, and as free of ballot
and as fair a count as is enjoyed by any other
State in the Union. How was it prior TO 1867
BY the legislation of our opponents during the
war large part ofth people was disfranchisea
and the government of the State was placed in
the hands of the small minority. The demo-
cratic party restored the ballot TO those who
had been DISTINGUISHED, while leaving the rights
OF their oppreSSorS untouched. In 1867 the
State tax WAS 80 cents on the 800, large
part OF the debt for which it was levied being
tor works of internal improvement, though !
the burden of the tax did not fall on the cor
porstions for whose benefit the deot was created
but on the people What has been done 4
just and efficient form Of government has bees
substituted in the place OF the constitution -
1864, executive officers selected who have faith
fully administered the affairs Of the State,
judges chosen who have commanded the APP
proval of all parties, taxes collected without
defalcation, and the internal affairs OF III
State administered that lis credit IN thu I.
surpassed. Ii the democratic party had no I.
other record than this it might demand YOU +
unqualified support. 1t his done more. i +
has lessened State taxes that no man feels that .
burden: reduced by onc-half the dangerous
power Of executive patronage, and snccessiu'l, F.
grapplcd the work OF more equally dis rltpHnE .
the bGrdens of taxation. The legislature o. .
1872 boldly entered upon the task ofcomPeihns .
the railroad companies TO contribute 10 he pay
Il. III ut, ha "a Nd
adopted proper method Of valuiuE The shares .
Of corporations. In ISIS il sGc-rcf! q IN max .
IN / more equal dist ibuIi0n Of he bud as o.
taxation in this State than h ever lyen knoSn I
STAGE ous jntern,l Improve uent dro' US ,F''i-
ed The speaker rnsap!in.eplsi Coy. Carroll : .
administration, ud said 'u }~'~ porsilons
paid as taxes on, SO $40; IA 49," b. 'nrTe's-
ed 10 So. 90: ia l5@p they H.t.t- SOS az.
showi ing m iucre..>e ia recci, &. 'r.tu .rPn7A-
ton. between lsGS au1 lS>u G.; - SOB jrE /.
annum From 1870 and ls-5 $3.50 Taf'e Log
islation has secured to b" Isa. ~ u-a ss.t 7
sources 81 OF. 4S3 aud reduced 'hr IN - ID (
80 cents to ls2 cents on the Sl9V.
No direct tax has trcn levied exc, - tEa' Tar .
the support Of the puhiC schools Ia Nvais } h
which will ALWAYS remain Ysrt O. '"F sE<''.n;
leaving ony 3. cents ioc 81. oitcf pa ."vsrs
No other State can point SO h.i record (
la 1850 the rate in California No. 50 cents
cents Iowa - cents kentucky IL Cru'- Louis
lana 90 cents Matte 20 cents NissoBsG - cents
New Jersey - cents New York - gcH's. Pen.
nsy lyapIa 80 cents, Vermont 81 cents. There f
are but four States With less rs'r ahan ouff .
But ate told have not redeemed tbr {
promises 0. our State convention OF ISIS " hen .
united convention made the iss.4rrs u hsa .
the right To JcCkon upon The un'lei action %
the representatives, Of - party IN lie Le- "a
iure Of lsS0, and II such gai 81 ast. "a had o.
Cured every prums Nauii have been re-
deemed. Bat there were navG az ihr .
General Assembly TO wbom Ss5e (
aOregianle aal<sS ts-A asst
theories and executed according g. t&--f~ plans /
Our opponents in our .Parfy wee not cuntru'
that the chan estneed,d should ~ worked Gu /
oy the wise weil-uadc stood process OF smeut 4
men,, Proposing nothing thems Ives. Ihet sin I
ply complained that what we proposed ." =. iu f.
perfect; huisred reform 10 the natuc 81 reform T.
stopped progress v hale they ct.std oU Es 10 pre-
coed; dems pded that We should ,u!hl! our pied {
ges, md then INSTRUCTED Us ben wc entered OF /
The task. Before the session OF lS-9 ~ts o's. "r .
who desired TO fulfill our obligations aader ih' 4
platform of 1879 would have looked Niih mo'r (
hope for aid TO the republicans o. that boty than
TO those who claimed especially II merit the /
name OF reforners. The majority 81 thr dele
gates in the mex, Legislature will take up The I
work OF their predecessors and csTfs II to /
successful conclusion in the matter 81 rr-istra- .
ton and other reforms. 1t Is true that the ex- 4
peness of the lssO session were -, So InoTe
than appropriated for il by the PRECEDING Lsg- +
islature. This was an extravaganza " hicE 1
should be stopped
The Legislature ia 1880 did some good. J. f
saved 50. 500 per annum by reducing the saa-
ries OF inspectors Of tobacco, and redHces the +
expenses Of the tobacco warehouses By at .ess
skt L.. / ~
the oyster police force; reduced salaries OF in
spectors of coal mines, repeated the VAR bounty 4
act funded half the SIX per cent State debt b. /
issuing new losn at five per cent; lessened +
The charges on the State treasury - 200 per /
annum by reducing appropriations 10 the ag- !
gricultural societies: reduced the appropria- /
lions TO educational institutions " hich did not
form part of its system of education, saving /
| 81 900 per year; reduced militia expenses IS
600 and the salary OF the ad jutant- general from
| 81, 600 TO 81 500; reduced the compensation Of
jurors in the courts of Baltimore; encouraged /
| manufactures in Baltimore by exempting plan /
from taxation; regulated completely the meth |
Cd OF taxing the property OF corporations, and
secured 10 Baltimore and each county the pow
er TO tax the fixed properties OF such corpora
tions in their limits. These and other means |
reduced the actual annual expenses of the State I
nearly Sl00, 600. You may well ask by our /
opponents can have the audacity to claim we
have not redeemed our pledges. Now some
distinguished gentlemen " no are here temper |
arily, residing in Howard county, who come |
out TO spend two or three months of the sam
mer very pleasantly in this locality, have
brought in this old case of the canal. Now ! |
have been most unfortunate indeed in the mat |
ter Of counsel, for | have found that every ma u |
who has ever been employed and rot continued |
in the case, or who offered to assis,
and whose offer declined have be- I
| come the most inveterate foes. There is Brad /
ley L. Johnson. 1t is chronic with him ] /
don't object to him so much, because he has
| already received munifcence from it, Fail /
ing to ge, more be has moved up to Maryland |
to be near it and get it in hand, and transmit ii |
when be dies to his son. 1t is the only great
case with W hicb so far as | know his name