Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-04-23
The Governor and the Legislature
woRcEsTER's SHARE IN THE WORK OF
REFORM.

enumerate number ofsinS of omission,
as we'll as of commission, chargeable
to our last Legislature. While the good
taste-the propriety,-to say nothing
of the policy of such document,
from such asource, may justly be ques
toned, it is but just to. say that the
Governor expressly disclaims any idea
of charging said sins to any individual
or set of individuals. He vaguely
charges what he conceives to be owing
to a System" Whatever he may
mean by that, common-sense people
are apt to think, if anything is wrong,
somebody is to blame. They believe
that persons, not "systems," are only
capable of committing offences and
if the perpetrators can be ascertained,
are likely to hold them to strict ac-
countability. This being so, even ad
hitting the Governors allegations TO
be true (and they certainly are not all
so), it should be matter OF congratu-
lation to the Democratic party of Wor-
cester and to friends of good govern.
ment ofall parties, that our represent
atives in the Legislature from this
county were not recreant to their trust,
but in the matter of Reform came up
to the full measure of their dpty and
their promises Let Us look at their
acts in the light of the gubernatorial
manifesto. In this document great
stress is laid upon the number and pay
of employees of the Legislature A
bill to regulate the number and pay of
said officers, limiting the number and
necessarily their aggregate Fay, was in
troduced in and did pass the Senate,
receiving the cordial vote OF Worces-
ter's Senator. 1t was not reached in
the House, but had it been, would
have been as heartily supported by our
Worcester Delegates.
They supported every measure of re-
form that came up before their respect
i've bodies, many of which were passed,
and are now among the laws of the
State. Notably among these were
Ito reduce the salary of the AID
| . IL
measure which even Governor Ham
ilton opposed or at least did not ad
vocate !. and it nevertheless was 4 saving
of the money of the people.
40 reduce the Office of Mine
Inspector
40 abolish the armories and
the salaries Of their officers, who were
paid for doing nothing.
40 reduce the pay of the Com
mander and other officers of the Oyster
Police Navy, by which the pay of the
former was lessened from $4,000 to
$1,000, and that of Sloop Captains
Is or 9 in number) from ST, 200 to
$500 per year, and the other officers
in proportion, making an aggregate re-
ducfion in salaries of $40, 600 or $751;
600 per year. - =
5.-The Democratic caucus directed
the Committee on Printing to bring in
bill to reduce and regulate that item
of state expenditure, butit was report
ed too late 10 reach vote.
6.-The Bounty Laws, passed by the
Republicans-under cover of which SO
much fraud has been perpetrated ard
so much money wrongtally distracted
from the lreasury-was repealed
1.-The law requiring compulsory
weighing OF live stock was likewise re.
pealed.
S.-And so far as our own county is
concerned, the law giving bounty o
so cents for each hawk killed in the
county was repealed. Under this law
an average of nearly 81 900 had beer
paid out yearly by our County Com
missioners, and no doubt, from oul
proximity to Delaware, Virginia, ano
Wicomico and Somerset counties, il
| paw lOl DfINto llidI NIIS d|tldIt1 hlltCN
outside our limits. An amendment t
the law relating to the county printing
was also passed.
With regard to making provision
for funding the Defence Loan, which
natures in 1883, the last Legislature
had to deal with the question as it wa.
left to them by previous Legislatures
As there was not sufficient funds in the
Treasury to pay it off at maturity, they
must either raise the large amount o
that loan, S., 800, 900, by. taxation a
once, or provide for funding it on The
best terms for the State. To have pro
vided by taxation this large sum wouc
have been considered by all taxpayer.
doubtful measure of Reform, anC
the last Legislature failed to do it
(The matter will be found more fully
explained in another column.l This
one of its sins of omission, we thinl
will cheerfully be forgiven by the PEG
pie ~ -.
And lastly, the bill to tax mortgages
although it was defeated, was ably ad
vocated and supported by all our rep
resentatives.
Take it all in all, in the matter o
Reform, the last Legislature, by it