The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-07-09

ina whose interests have made 1t their lie
ong study. The Legislature did right, there
ore, by refusing to strike down this system
n opposition to the Governors recommen.
lation, prompted, as it is believed to have
been, by interests inimical to those of the /
planter, and favorable to dealers and specu-
ators. This was another of the sins of omis-
sion charged upon the Legislature by the .
Governor, the wisdom of which is apparent |
o those who prefer the interests of planters
and our own citizens to those of foreign mo- /
lopolists and spectators.
l might go on at much greater length to |
Illustrate the uuwise and undesirable charac- |
ter of many other of the Governors recon- /
but enough has been said already |
to show that His Exeellency's judgment is not !
nfallible. The employment of too many /
about the Legislature, and the |
adoption of orders to pay correspondents at |
the close of the session, are abuses which |
ought to be corrected. Beyond these two /
suggestions worthy of the consideration of
any true friend of retrenehment and reform.
The publication of the laws is another item
in his bill of complaint. The Governor would
not have them published at all, unless he
could have the selection of the laws to be
published as well as the journals which wers
TO publish them; and then, woe to that news
paper which had exhibited independence
enough to criticise adversely the official
course Of the Executive. What his conduct
would be under such circumstances was very
clearly indicated in the publication of his late
proclamation, which was pub
lished in as many as two and three papers IN
some counties, and in none in others, simply
to reward his friends and punish his enemies.
1.-The, or any claquer or parasite OF has, shall
deny this, will give to the public such facts
as cannot fail to convince the most skeptical,
and to set forth His Exeellency's disinterest.
ed action in its true light. The publication
of the laws for the information of the people
is eminenlly proper. That a selfgoverniRg
people should not be informed as TO the laws
they are expected to obey is absurd. Il IS
law maxim, that ignorance Of the law is no
excuse for its infractiOn. How, then, shall
the people know the laws unless they are
published? As Gov. Hamilton Is a layyer
he would probably answer-"Let them take
8 ten or twenty dollar note out OF their peck
etbeoks and 90 to some competent attorney
aud paw him for his opinion. This Is all
very well for the attorneys, but not SO we'll
for the people, who have right to know what
the law is which IS TO govern them, many OF
whom need al the money they can command
to feed and clothe their wives and little ones,
ekiug out enough besides, perhaps, 10 pay
for their newspaper, which they expect to
publish the laws for taeEa. Gov. Hamilton
would not publish the laws at all; be thinks
il a useless expenditure TO give this iniorma.
ton 10 the people. He IS as bad as Caligula,
the Roman Emperor, Who, in publishing the
laws caused them TO be posted up SO high IN
the capital that the people could not read
them, SO that be might crafty his cruelty by
furnishing them when they igaoranuy violated
The statutes Gov. Hamilton has had the au
dacity 70 say that the press Of Maryland which
publishes these laws : 'subsldIx=d.
-rosssT libel vas uexer uttered BIZ more
ilippaut aud needless tongue. HIS home
organ and echo has virtually admitted its own
venality by reiterAiing the Governor charges,
as 1t was made vehicle for the publication
Of the laws and received its pay Tor the ser
vice. When therefore, Il speaks IA the iu-
ture of a''sahsidized press Il should say
MAINLY that /, means Itself. ard that ], only
,adgss other papers by the estimate It places
upon us own honor Such charge coming
ffom the Executive Of the State, against
BODY OF men who have atlesied their hdei'iy
to principle and honor by Suffering imprlson-
ueut in dungeons, Punishment from home
aud the destruction Of property, ~ an insult
10 every editor in the State, and as aise a.
ius1enL
His Excclleney also objects 10 the postage
s,au,ns allowed 10 the members al the Legs
Jatare Al every session. Let usask this mod
ern Arisiides Il be did uot ENJOY the !saaking
privilege or It's equivalent for six years IN the
House Of Representative and for sax years
more IN the Senate of the nlted STATES
Ave. more Does be Hol nov dFaS nPon the
contingent fund Tor the postage Of TIE t.xcc'i-
i've. UndoabsedlF be does and IS be any
more entitled to have bus PuhiiS postage bi4
psid bv the State tl.an the members % the
l.erixlatareg They are both the servants q
the PEOPLE, and engaged ia she publie service
and the State has never rursaed The niEsaFd.
II policy Of requiring her seTviiors 10 spend
their own private means in her service. ihis
eouat In the Governor Indictment : small
business, indeed, and i he expects 10 bald
up a reputation as a political economist on
trifies such as this, be n2s made false esii'
mate Of the people Of Maryland, uho desPise
niz.ardliness and all that Is paFsimaaIuus and
mean.
The extra sum usually allowed for extra
services performed By the Engrossiug Com
mistees Of both Houscs u another sah3eet o.
remark by our captions and earp'sg Exseu
tive. hazard nothing 10 saying that no ser,
vice performed anywhere earns ns reward
more eomnletclv ihaa that rendered By the
10 be doue vhen the Legislature Is not Ia sea
sion, either in the early morning hoars be
fore the session, or IN the evening alter al
tournament. and frequently, as the session ad.
yauees. those Committees have 10 work until
q late hoar Al night TO keep pace With the
large number Of bills pressing upon Their Al
tsniioa. The remark Of DR.. Heukie' made
recently a. q meeting IN Annapolis, thai tSo
bows could perform this labor "a two days, y
siFuplv a degnaEogieal expression Every body
knows that Il y impossible 10 read some i've
hundred manuscript laws carefully aud criii-
caily, correcting not only verbal errors bni
the punctuation, 10 preserve the sense, and
not unfreqaently, the title 81 the biii, 70 MAKE
IL conform with the code and 10 the usual
forms and requirements OF legal enae'menis-
The duty Is a most ardaoas aad Responsible
one. recurring more labor, care and apphca-
tion ihan any other department Of legislation.
come nov 10 mention few OF the more
prominent retrenehmenis and reforms ins1s-
urated by the late much slandered Legisla'
ture. The Governor SAYS, with rfcklessness,
1T did nothing towards falhliing the prom
ised reforms Of the preceding campaign.
This is simply untrue, and the pabii hed acts
OF the Legislature prove il 10 be untrue.
Among other wholesome legislation. Il made
provision for refundiug the defence loan,
Amounting TO s., 328. $50 65, bearing SIX per
cent interest and maturing in les3, at q
per cent, thus saving annually TO the state
about $50, ZOO. Il repealed the bounty laws,
thus saving Si2, 200 annually. Il cut OIL the
appropriation TO the various agricultural so
cieiies, saving $500 per annum. Il abol'
ished the Office Of Superintendent Of Iele-
graph az the House OF Correction, saving
Si,5O0 per annum. The salaries Of the
Weirher Of Live Stock, the AdJutant Gener-
al, Inspector Of Coal Mines, Officers and
Crews Of the Oyster Police end others, were
reduced. Appropriations 20 st. Johns Col
lege. the Agricultural College and other in
stitations we're either greatly reduced or en-
sirely withheld These are some OF the
retrenehments effected by the last Legislature
which may be cited as proofs against the false
charges Of Gov. Hamilton famous bomb.
she'll. " And here take occasion TO say word
about that precious document its animus,
and mode Of introduction to the public For
weeks before il made its appearance its coming
was heralded by the leading Republican or
gan ia the State i purported to be reply
to a letter ofinquiry from several gentlemen ad'
dressed To the Governor. That letter was
procured by himself and written at his oEn
solicitation or suggestion as means OF get
ting his missiye before the public, aud bore
fraud upon its face. The mild tone OF the
document after the loud trumpeting Of the
'sterrible bombshell," disappointed alike both
friend and foe. His Excellency said 1t was
the system he attacked not persons. 1T IS
the subjects under consideration" he said,
s.and mot The elimination of individuals, that