The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-11-05
STATE POLITICS.
TO THE VOTERS OF MARYLAND.

FELLOW CITIZENs:-Two years ago we
laid before You statements of the fnan-
cial condition of our state. made mp en-
clusively from the reports OF the Demo
cratic Comptrollers, Woolford and keat-
ing, showing the reckless extravaganza.
il not downright fraud. of the ring which
controlled the State and the Democratic
party. and for whose acts, by upholding
it, the Democratic party made itself re-
the State had been increased and its as
sets decreased until, in 1873, she was
So. 1Sl, 1885,. worse oil than in 1866, not
withstanding all the extraordinary eN-
penses of the war then just closed. We
showed how the cost of every depart
ment of the State government had been
/ increased. the salaries of clerks raised
! and their number enlarged. how new
offices had been created solely fer the
purpose of making places for the mana
gers and servants of the ring how work
/ q
the Comptrollers Office had been assigned
to new departments. with all the para
phernalia of chiefs and assistants, at a
cost OF thousands OF dollars per year.
There was no attempt at denial of these
facts and figures. We We're met by the
declaration that the Ring was no longer
of the party. that its power had been
utterly broken by the nomination of
William 7. Hamilton for Governor. and
that the party had adopted an honest
platform, pledged itself to redress the
wrongs complained of and acknowledged,
and that tltencetOrward there would be
| thorough reforms-salaries reduced. use
less offices abolished. and .hc outrageous
expenses of the Legislature brosght down
to the reasonable figures of S60, 900 to
$50, 900. which experience. before Meir'
accession to power, had proved to be am
Pile for the honest aud efficient admins
tration of that department of the gov
eminent. The people accepted these
pledges. elected the candidates nOmi-
mated upon this platform of honesty, and
gave Governor. Comptroller, and Legis-
aturc full power to work out the prom
ised reforms. But no sooner did the Leg
iSlaturc meet than there was Il complete
surrender to the Ring, which. as the
| Democratic party. assumed entire con-
troll. brow-beat all open opponents, ca
.ioled more quiet reformers, and launched
out in course of wild extravaganza and
indecent debauchery which has never had
a counterpart, save in the days OF Tweed
and his = Democratic rule in New \ ork.
In vain did Governor Hamilton call the
reforms TO which they We're pledged by
the party platform adopted by the con-
vention which nominated him. and re-
peated and re-rcpeated every where dur
ing the active canvass that preceded his
election. In vain did Il few men cndeavor
to stem the torrent of corrupt eXpendi-
turc. Secure in its place, the Ring
ScOtfed at reform. trod public honor. the
most solemn party pledges and common
decency under its feet, and closed u SEES
sion exceptional i'll its utter lack Of use
Urn h"ndred oHd right MoH~1od doiiorS.
exceeding by nearly seventeen thousand
dollars the diSgraceiul session of 1874,
| whose ENTRAoRDINARY EXPENSES eX-
torted condemnation IN trOrrls even from
Comptroller Wooford. The letter OF Gov
| Hamilton, which has already been made
public and circulated through the State
gives the shameful details of this enor-
nous expenditure. and shows that the
employees of the two Houses, largely po-
iitical bummcrs pcnsiuned there for dirty
work done. not employed by cause their
services were needed. cost the State in
direct violation of law. within 4 fraction
OF sixty thousand dollars, or nearly TWO
thousand dollars more than the per diem,
stationery and mileage of the members.
When Gov. Hamilton thus exposed the
corruption of the Ring, there was hid
ing of heads. Even then unblushing i'm
pu,lence seemed unable to stand before
this arraignment from the highest Off
cial of their own party. But few weeks
served to restore their courage, and set
ting in motion the old machinery of cor
ruption, false counting. and double-sided
| llot-boxes. they secured Il convention
| q l,,; ~
test of the decent men of the party. re-
nominated for Comptroller Thomas J.
Heating. to whom the nomination had
originally been given in 1S,, as 4 recog.
milton of his services as President of the
Gubernatorial Convention of 1919, by
which the will Of the people had been
stitled and Carroll nominated for Gov
ernor.
Mr.. Heating has now been in office for
four years. What single act has he done
during this period to stamp him as an
officer fit for the responsible duties of
Comptroller? What step has he taken.
or suggested to be taken. to collect any
| part Oh lllt iHOttStuttS OF ublIafS uuc To
the State from defaulting officers. He
found the sum of SiXty-iivc Thousand dol
lars due to the State from incorporated
institutions when he entered the Comp
troller's office: and he reports, in 1880.
that sum increased to one hundred and
eight thousand dollars. And yet the
| constitution he has sworn to support
charges him with the prompt collec-
ton of all taxes and revenue OF the
sixty Thousand dollars paid to employees
of the Legislature. one-half at least was
not only without authority of law, but
in direct violation of law. If Comptrol-
| Ter Heating knows enough to be Comp
troller. no one knows this better than he
does. AS the title of his office indicates,
it is his duty to control the payment of
money by the Treasurer. He is specially
charged by the constitution with the
duty of granting . all warrants for money
to be paid out of the treasury" What
possible excuse can he give for the war
rant he granted for the money which he
knew to be without any legal authority >
VIII he tell the people of Maryland that
he was ignorant of the act of 1868, which
expressly prohibits payment of any Off
GERS of preceding Legislature except
the chief clerk and reading clerk and
door keepers of the House of Delegates,