The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-12-30
The Legislature.

The Legislature will meet at Annapolis on
Wednesday next, January 4th. There will
doubtless be. a sharp contest over the organi-
cation Of the body, and Democrats are urged
by Republican and other journals to refrain
from attending the customary caucus of their
party, and by uniting with the Republicans
control the organization of the House. We
hope no Democrat will for one moment listen
to such advice. What credit or advantage
would enure to any Democrat in defeating
the wishes of a majority of his own party p
If man has been elected by Democratic
votes he should remember that he has been
chosen to represent Democratic principles
How can he do this by coalescing with those
whose object is to subvert those principles -
1t is not merely the petty offices of the Legis-
lature, or the defeat of political leaders in his
own party that is at stake. 1t is the contin-
ued supremacy of the Democratic party in
Maryland that should be considered We
hope therefore, that every Democrat elected
to the Legislature will meet in party confer
ence, and that spirit of harmony and con-
cession will prevail. The Democratic
party, being in the majority in the
Legislature, will be held responsible for all
| acts Of omission or commission touching re-
| forms which the people insist should be made.
To accomplish anything of real value they
should be q unit. We should no longer hear
| of Governor Hamilton's party of Senator
Germans party, or of any other mans party.
| The time has come when the Democratic
party to win success must deserve it.
No victories can be gained by party bro
ken into hostile factions, each striving for SUI
premacy in the party.
There is, rs there always has been and al
ways will be, room for reform in legislation
The reforms the majority of the people of
Maryland desire, however, are not such ms
would follow upon Republican supremacy in
this State. The people of Maryland look to
the Democrats, and not to the Republicans,
for reform, and they should not be disap-
pointed.
So far as our State finances are concerned,
| they are in much better condition than some
voters have been led to believe by Republican
and other journals protesting desire for re.
form. We doubt if any advantageous change
could be made in the financial policy of the
State. The people evidently thought So too
| since they re elected Hon. Thomas J. Heating
as Comptroller, by q handsome majority,
| Notwithstanding all the abuse and misrepre-
sentation of which he was the subject.
Some important reforms are, however
needed, and these will be made by the Demo-
cratic majority in the next Legislature. Chief
among them is q new registration law, so as
to ensure the purity of the ballot. In the
course of years the registration books have
become encountered with the names of de-
ceased persons and Others who have removed
from the places where they were registered
With the utmost diligence and care on
the part of the registers, the books
could not be kept clear of these names,
and new registration is needed, in order to
purge the lists.
A law to legalzr primary elections appears
also to be necessary for some quarters. Here
in Hartford the voting at primary elections
has been fairly conducted, but it may well be
| doubted if the system of nominating plrsued
by the Democrats here always brings out the
best men for office, or tends to party har-
mony.
Economy in every department of the State
government, the adjustment of all useless
offices, the equalization of taxation. so that
| the burden may fall with equal proportion
| upon the rich and the poor, and the rate of
| taxation be thereby still further decreased,
| are also some ofthe subjects to which the next
Legislature will be expected to address it
self
Very little local legislation is needed for
our county. A law which would protect and
foster sheep raising, and at the same time not
interfere with keeping valuable dogs, would
be appreciated by farmers; but there are
many difficulties in the way of enacting a
good law on the subject. The local option
question will also be brought up by the Har-
ford delegation, who will doubtless do all in
their power to secure its passage.
Other subjects of legislation may arise dur
ing the session, but if the Governor and the
majority in the Legislature will work togeth
er, good will be accomplished, in spite Of the
factious opposition of discontinued spirits,
whose motto is rule or ruin.
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